Trainer Gary Contessa had to wait months for the chance to run Extinct Charm around two turns on the dirt. It was worth the wait as Extinct Charm, in his first try under that scenario, won a blanket finish Saturday in the $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-bred juveniles at Aqueduct.
The country’s top 2-year-old filly took one small step toward a comeback Saturday at Santa Anita, while another promising 2-year-old filly took a step backward.
Beholder missed the finish of the racing season, but she will not miss 2016. The two-time champion, unbeaten in 2015, will return to Santa Anita in mid-January to prepare for a 6-year-old campaign that ideally will conclude in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.
Jewel of a Cat, coming off the fastest performance of her 22-race career in last month's Sunshine Millions Turf Sprint Preview, and Silver Sashay, who has put together a four-race winning streak since April, will clash for the first time in Sunday's $75,000 Windley Key Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The strength of the Saturday card at Gulfstream lies on the back end, and we’ll get to that momentarily, but I do have one early opinion regarding race 4, the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl. STONETASTIC (#2) is kind of an all-or-nothing type of horse, dependent on making the lead. She’s never raced at Gulfstream Park, nor does the barn point to this meet, and really, there are only two races in her past performances that lay over this field.
The West Virginia Racing Commission has approved 23 stakes at Charles Town for 2016, topped by its signature race, the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, which has had its purse trimmed from $1.5 million to $1.25 million.
Bellamy Road will stand the 2016 breeding season at Duchess Views Farm in Pine Plains, N.Y., moving from WinStar Farm in Kentucky. He will stand for a fee of $7,500.
Scott Sowle, a former Michigan-based trainer, jockey, and jockey agent, died Sunday at age 50.
Just shy of two months ago, Da Big Hoss went for the Da Big money in the $2.7 million Breeders' Cup Turf, and although never a threat to win, he closed late to defeat more than half of his 11 rivals when sixth. Returning Saturday in the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream, Da Big Hoss runs for a significantly lesser purse, $100,000, and naturally against lesser competition.
It’s opening day at Santa Anita, and the nine-race card is chock-full of competitive races. The late pick four sequence boasts tons of quality, with three graded stakes and a salty allowance. Here are some thoughts:
