California Chrome came onto the track at his usual time, 6 a.m., and, as expected, did little more than jog clockwise nearly one full rotation around the 1 1/2-mile Belmont oval near the outside fence.
Few trainers have been as successful at the current Churchill meet as Brad Cox, who won a pair of races Sunday – the second race with Overton Square and the ninth race with Morning Star. The victories gave him eight wins on the meet and moved him into a third-place tie with Bret Calhoun in the trainers’ standings, trailing only Steve Amussen with 13 winners and Mike Maker with 11.
Trip Notes for May 31: Aristides, Californian, American Oaks by Michael Hammersly.
What started out a relatively chilly morning heated up steadily as the day went on, both weather- and activity-wise for Belmont Stakes-bound 3-year-olds, six of whom worked during the course of a long morning, which began before 6:30 a.m. on the main track with Commanding Curve and ended more than three hours later over at the training track with an eye-catching drill by Wicked Strong.
From a breakout performance in a first-level allowance to a solid Grade 1 victory by a Midwest shipper, top horses produced big efforts Saturday at Santa Anita.
If the last-out runner-up finish by Wasted At Midnight was her career debut, she would be difficult to oppose in race 4, a filly-mare special weight sprint.
The main track played about as fast as you will ever see through the Big Apple Showcase Day card, and the turf courses are firming up as well.
It took a while, but the first 2-year-old race of the season in New York kicks off the Sunday program.
The Churchill Downs racing office had to hustle fill nine races for Sunday, and in the end, just 62 horses were entered.
