Even with a five-day suspension, Shane Sellers remains on target to break Arlington`s jockey record.
Sellers started his ”days” Sunday. He received the suspension of five racing days for impeding a rival in Thursday`s fifth race. When he returns to the saddle Saturday, he`ll have 59 days to ride 60 winners.
If he can, he will break Randy Romero`s standard of 181 set in 1982. The goal is well within Sellers` reach. He is averaging 1.73 wins per program.
He`ll spend his unscheduled summer vacation with his family in his hometown, Erath, La.
New distance: The Arlington racing office has started to card races at 1 1/16 miles. It marks the first time the track has run races at the distance since the early `80s.
”We`re just trying something new. Everybody seems to like it,” said assistant racing secretary David Bailey.
The first two races with the resurrected distance produced exciting finishes. Sunny Sunrise held off Irish Swap by a nose Saturday and Zen`s Best and Sir Wesley finished in a dead heat Sunday.
For safety reasons, fields for the reborn distance will be limited to eight. The race starts 1/16 of a mile before the clubhouse turn.
Mare retired: Coolawin, a multiple graded-stakes winner, was retired after a poor showing in Saturday`s Grade III Modesty Stakes.
The 5-year-old daughter of Nodouble stalked the pace of winner Lady Shirl for 6 furlongs before tiring and finishing last.
”There`s nothing wrong with her,” said trainer Carl Nafzger. ”She just wasn`t running like she used to. It was time to retire her.”
Coolawin`s nine career wins were topped by a record-setting victory in the Grade II Orchid Handicap last year at Gulfstream. She also ran second nine times and third seven times in 43 starts. Coolawin earned $582,863 of her $661,392 career earnings on the turf.
Coolawin, owned by Jim Tafel of Barrington, will now head to the breeding shed.
