I Spent It, winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and runner-up in the Grade 1 Hopeful last year, zipped five furlongs in 59.79 seconds Saturday morning over the Saratoga main track as he continues his comeback from some minor issues that have sidelined him since April.
Percolator, who finished third but was elevated to second July 25 in the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga, is sidelined with a hairline fracture of the tibia, trainer John Servis said.
Linda Rice spent a lot of money in the last year on young horses, and if the initial results are any indication, it has been money well spent.
There has not been a 2-year-old male who has distinguished himself this summer as the clear leader of the division on the East Coast. That makes for an extremely wide-open Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful Stakes on Monday’s closing-day program at Saratoga.
Smokey Image extended his unbeaten streak to four races with a sharp win Friday in the $150,000 I’m Smokin Stakes for 2-year-old California-breds at Del Mar.
This has been a summer to remember at Del Mar for trainer Doug O’Neill, and he is hoping to go out on a high note on Monday when he sends out the favored Nyquist and the longshot Archaeo in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Futurity, the highlight of a 10-race closing-day card.
After Monday, closing day at Del Mar, there is no live Thoroughbred racing in Southern California until Thursday, opening day of the Los Alamitos September meeting.
Beholder, the two-time champion who beat males Aug. 22 in the $1 million Pacific Classic, worked three furlongs in 36 seconds Saturday at Del Mar.
Honor Code got to stretch his legs a bit when breezing an easy and relatively slow half-mile in 52.49 seconds at his regular training time of 6:30 a.m. Saturday at Saratoga. Honor Code picked up the pace a little once passing the wire, galloping out five furlongs in 1:06.04 before pulling up six panels in 1:18.33.
Isn’t He Clever will have a recency edge on Ol Winedrinker Who when the two New Mexico stalwarts meet Monday in the $100,000 Ruidoso Downs Thoroughbred Championship Handicap. The 1 1/16-mile race is among the undercard stakes supporting the $3 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses.
