DAY 16 of 57
FRIDAY'S ATTENDANCE 3,750
FRIDAY'S ON-TRACK HANDLE $412,858
FRIDAY'S OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,940,102
FRIDAY'S TOTAL HANDLE $3,352,960
TODAY'S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE Gulfstream Park, 11 a.m.; Laurel Park, 11:30 a.m.; Tampa Bay, 11:35 a.m.; Aqueduct, 11:50 a.m.; Fair Grounds, 1 p.m.; Santa Anita, 2:30 p.m.; Golden Gate, 2:45 p.m.; Penn National, 5 p.m.; Turfway Park, 5:15 p.m.; Delta Downs, 5:20 p.m.; Charles Town, 6 p.m.; Sam Houston, 6 p.m.; Daytona Beach (greyhounds), 6:25 p.m.; Derby Lane (greyhounds), 6:30 p.m.; Southland (greyhounds), 7:30 p.m.; Los Alamitos, 8 p.m.
FRIDAY'S STARS
Ricardo Santana moved into second place in the jockey standings by winning three races Friday, and he now has 13 victories in 69 starts. Santana won the fourth race with South Beach ($5.60) covering 6 furlongs in 1:10.86. He also won the sixth race with Perfect Dream ($90.40), covering 6 furlongs in 1:12.35, and the seventh race with Tenfold ($13.20), covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.93.
Ramon Vazquez won two races to improve to 8 victories in 57 starts. Vazquez won the third race with Hunter's Strike ($24.60), covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.68. He also won the fifth race with Daftar ($11.20), covering 6 furlongs in 1:11.62.
David Cohen, who leads the standings with 14 victories in 87 starts, won the second race with Minister Nick ($7.20).
Trainer Robertino Diodoro won two races to stay in second place in the trainer standings with 10 victories in 48 starts. Diodoro won the first two races with Spur ($8) and Minister Nick. Steve Asmussen moved into third place with two victories, improving his season total to 9 victories in 57 starts.
Asmussen's victories came in the fourth and seventh races with Santana aboard. Brad Cox, who leads with 12 victories in 31 starts, won the third race with Hunter's Strike.
Court's Journey
Jon Court, Oaklawn's leading rider in 2000, recorded his 650th victory in Hot Springs in Thursday's ninth race, according to Equibase, racing's official data-gathering organization.
Court guided Ninth Hour to a 4½-length victory for his father-in-law, trainer Jinks Fires of Hot Springs. Court, 57, is off to a strong start at the meet, with eight victories to tie for fourth in the standings.
"I don't feel 57," Court said. "If I knew 50s were so good, I would have made an effort to get here sooner. I'm having so much fun."
Court has 4,096 victories and $103,104,863 in purse earnings, figures that rank 67th and 50th, respectively, in North American history, according to Equibase.
Court reached 4,000 victories in 2016 and eclipsed $100 million in career purse earnings last year.
"Those crossroads do lie before me," Court said when asked about retirement. "Until that chapter comes in my life, I'm just not going to put too much thought into it. Regardless of my conduct and my reputation, I put it in the Lord's hands."
Information for this report contributed by Oaklawn media department.
Sports on 02/10/2018