Louis Meittinis, a successful harness trainer who made the transition to Thoroughbreds, died Monday night in his Westbury, N.Y., home, apparently of a heart attack. He was 61.
Meittinis had a long and successful career in harness racing, training champions Icarus Lobell, Turn the Tide and Hot Hitter. Meittinis syndicated Hot Hitter for $5 million and had H Hitter on his license plates.
Youbet.com, the online horse racing service, had net income of $40,000 in the second quarter of 2004, compared with a net loss of $1 million in the second quarter last year, the company said Tuesday. Revenue for the quarter was $16.4 million, compared with $13.8 million last year, and operating expenses were $16.3 million, compared with $14.7 million last year. . . . . Ramon Dominguez is expected to resume riding Saturday at Delaware Park.
Turn out the lights, the Smarty party's over.
Smarty Jones, whose meteoric rise this spring in the 3-year-old division, subsequent Kentucky Derby victory, and bid for the Triple Crown made him the most popular horse in the sport, was retired on Monday, after a racing career that encompassed just seven months and nine races.
The final two races on Sunday's program at Calder were canceled after the jockeys informed management they would not ride because of severe electrical storms in the area. Racing resumed on Monday. . . . Canterbury Park canceled its Sunday card after the jockeys refused to ride, citing unsafe track conditions caused by heavy rain. The Timeless Prince Stakes, scheduled for Sunday, has been rescheduled for Saturday. . . .
* Halo Cat ($5.80) rallied along the rail to capture the $42,930 Ernest Finley Handicap at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif. Halo Cat, beat defending champion My Captain by 1 3/4 lengths, covering six furlongs in 1:07.93.
* Alpha Capo ($8.60) captured the $50,000 Bossier City Handicap at Louisiana Downs. Social King came up a head short in second, followed by the favorite, No Place Like It.
Smarty Jones, the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner who became one of the most popular figures in Thoroughbred racing in recent years, was officially retired Monday afternoon. The announcement came at a 3 p.m. press conference.
was taken out of training a little more than one week ago with what at the time was described as a bruised hoof. In the meantime, Smarty Jones has gone to a nearby clinic, where more significant problems apparently were discovered.
Tapit, the Wood Memorial winner, will miss both the Haskell and Travers after entrapping his epiglottis during a workout Saturday at Delaware Park. Trainer Michael Dickinson was trying to arrange for Tapit to undergo laser surgery to correct the problem, said David Fiske, racing manager for owner Ron Winchell.
Dickinson sent Tapit from his Maryland farm to Delaware Park on Saturday with a couple of other horses in what was to be Tapit's last work before the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth next Sunday.
Breeders' Cup has put in place procedures to protect horses at this year's World Thoroughbred Championships event at Lone Star Park from a contagious equine disease found in Texas, ensuring that the event can go ahead as planned, Breeders' Cup officials said Friday.
The 2005 Illinois Thoroughbred racing calendar will retain the same shape as this year if dates submitted by the state's racetracks are approved by the Illinois Racing Board.
The National Jockey Club, which has been forced next door to Hawthorne Race Course with the closing of Sportsman's Park, asked for 65 racing programs, though it was awarded only 47 this year. The NJC wants to run three days a week beginning Feb. 11, with five-day weeks to begin in March.
Arlington requested 104 days, from May 6 through Sept. 25. This year's 96-day meet began May 14 and ends Sept. 19.
