Pennsylvania-bred Princess of Sylmar captured the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks for her owner and breeder, longtime Pennsylvania resident Ed Stanco. It was her third stakes win of the year in four starts.
- The Preakness victory by Oxbow for Brad Kelley’s Calumet Farm was the third in the classic for 50-year-old jockey Gary Stevens, and sixth for 77-year-old trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who passed Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons for most victories in Triple Crown races, with 14.
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Representatives of the three 2013 classic winners – Kentucky Derby victor Orb’s co-owner/breeder Stuart Janney III; Preakness winner Oxbow’s breeder, New Jersey resident Richard Santulli; and Cot Campbell of Dogwood Farm, owner of Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice – provided a Triple Crown season with deep Mid-Atlantic roots.
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Lazy Lane Farm’s classic winner Hansel was profiled in Pensioners On Parade. At 25, Hansel was the oldest winner of a Triple Crown race. The 1991 Preakness/Belmont Stakes winner, bred in Virginia by Marvin Little Jr., had been purchased as a yearling by Joe Allbritton’s Lazy Lane Farms for $150,000 at Keeneland. He earned nearly $3 million, stood at stud in Kentucky and New York, and was sold to Japanese interests in 2000. Five years later Allbritton got him back to live out his life at the Upperville, Va., farm.
- The inaugural Penn Mile attracted some of racing’s biggest names and helped smash Penn National handle records. The evening was the brainchild of Dan Silver, the track’s director of racing, and modeled after the Charles Town Classic card at Charles Town, another Penn National Gaming track. “For tracks like Penn National and Charles Town, the way to build brand awareness and year-round customer interest is to do something that really creates a splash and shows people your track can put on big race nights,” said Silver. “It brings a level of credibility to our track.” Rydilluc, owned by New Jersey residents Leonard and Lois Green and several partners and trained by Gary Contessa, took home the winner’s share of the $500,000 purse.
Now a Grade 2, this year’s running was won by Spendthrift Farm’s 2-5 favorite Major Dude, who defeated seven others in a stakes-record 1:33.73.
- Joe Hickey Jr., whose multi-faceted career extended from prolific writer to racing official to administrative and general manager of Windfields Farm during the career of the world’s most famous stallion, Northern Dancer, died at 86 in Easton, Md. He was a regular contributor to The Morning Telegraph and Daily Racing Form (writing a breeding column for 27 years) and the Maryland Horse. His articles and essays appeared in The Blood-Horse over a span of 50 years.
