Ajaya prevails in Gimcrack Stakes at York
Course experience worked in favor of Ajaya on Saturday, when the colt won the $339,445 Gimcrack Stakes for 2-year-olds at York Racecourse in England.
Steve AndersenAug 22, 2015
Course experience worked in favor of Ajaya on Saturday, when the colt won the $339,445 Gimcrack Stakes for 2-year-olds at York Racecourse in England.
Firing Line, second to American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2, underwent surgery this summer to have a bone chip removed from an ankle and is scheduled to return to trainer Simon Callaghan’s stable in October.
Normandy Invasion, seventh in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 8, has joined trainer Richard Mandella’s stable at Del Mar.
Today’s featured Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga brings together the winners of the five most prestigious Grade 1 races for 3-year-old dirt fillies that have been run this year – Curalina (Acorn, Coaching Club American Oaks), Lovely Maria (Ashland, Kentucky Oaks), and Include Betty (Mother Goose), as well as graded stakes winner I’m a Chatterbox, who finished first in the CCA Oaks but was disqualified and placed second for bothering Curalina nearing the wire. Three intriguing but probably overmatched maiden/allowance winners complete the field of seven.
Bluegrass Angus established himself as the local favorite for the $250,000, Grade 3 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 13 with a convincing win in the $50,000 Richmond Derby Trial at Hastings on Friday evening.
Flat owners and trainers interested in jump racing will have an opportunity at Saratoga Race Course on Wednesday to learn about the many benefits of owning and racing steeplechase horses.
Honey Lake has found her niche, just in time for the final starts of her career. In Friday’s $85,500 CTT and TOC Handicap for fillies and mares at 1 3/8 miles on turf, Honey Lake ($17.80) closed form just off the pace to win by three-quarters of a length over Dido, the 5-2 favorite.
Vernon Downs hosted three major stakes on Friday night and fresh faces paraded in and out of the winner’s circle in each race. Drivers Mark MacDonald, Jason Bartlett and Orjan Kihlstrom each took their turns smiling before the camera behind Obrigado, Venus Delight and D’One, respectively.
Gulfstream Park will guarantee the Rainbow 6 jackpot pool at $500,000 for Saturday, the track announced. The jackpot has not been hit for the past 20 race dates. There was a $297,755 jackpot carryover into Friday’s card.
Overcoming a seven-minute delay, a mini-meltdown before the race, and a lack of running room early, Too Discreet became a stakes winner in his second career start, getting up in the final strides to win Friday’s $95,000 Schenectady Stakes at Saratoga.