Something rare happened in America last week. A horse named Golden Velvet, a five year-old, dead heated for first place in the Sabin Handicap at Gulfstream Park.. Golden Velvet is owned by the Darley Group and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin. McLaughlin trained Invasor who won the Dubai World Cup in 2007.

A groom in MacLaughlin’s stable noticed a strong smell coming out of Golden Velvet’s nostril. A veterinarian conducted an examination. A tiny piece of decaying sponge was found deep inside the horse’s nostril. Someone who did not want Golden Velvet to win had lodged the sponge to inhibit the horse’s breathing. An investigation is under way.

Kiaran McLaughlin said, “this whole thing is like your house is broken into and invaded. It makes you feel that you have been violated. We thought it was a tooth abscess. She ran her best race despite the sponge. It, apparently, did not bother her that much.”

Richard Hughes rode at Lingfield, an all weather track, in England on Wednesday. He had several mounts. He had one winner. In the 4.40 P M race, he rode the 11-2 Style Award to victory. It was a race over 1000 metres. The winner clocked 58.4 seconds.

Future wager Pool Two for the Kentucky Derby opens on Thursday. Nine of the 23 individual betting interests in this pool will race in one of the following three events: the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct and the El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows in San Francisco. The Derby will be run on May 3, 2008.

If Pyro wins the Louisiana Derby, his odds will shorten considerably. At the moment, War Pass and Pyro head the wagering.

With the prospect of rain, watering the track at Cheltenham in England has been abandoned. The Cheltenham Festival opens next Tuesday. Watering is done to ensure a ‘fair’ track that a large part of the horses will find conducive.

The Grade III Razorback handicap will be run on Saturday at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. Jonesboro is favored. Second in the Essex handicap at Oaklawn four weeks ago, Jonesboro will be ridden by Calvin Borel. Jockey Borel has steered Jonesboro to wins in major stakes races in the past.

Hawthorne in Chicago hosts the Illinois Derby in April. The Illinois Derby is one of the major stops in the road to the Kentucky Derby. War Emblem used the Illinois Derby as the stepping stone to success in the Kentucky Derby in 2002.

Ryan Moore, stable jockey for Sir Michael Stoute, will ride in Wolverhampton this weekend. Wolverhampton is an all weather track. Racing begins soon after 6 P M and is over by 9 30 P M. When there is not enough daylight, racing is held under the lights.

In England, jockeys ride in afternoon cards and dash off to ride in twilight meetings. The richer jockeys take helicopters. Jamie Spencer uses a plane that he owns and has a pilot.
At this time, flat racing is conducted on all weather surfaces. The ‘flat season’ begins in the last week of March. Once the Dubai festival ends, jockeys head back to Europe.

Sources:NTRA reports and Racing Post and others