Delaware Park, the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, and the Delaware Jockeys’ Association will hold a family fun day benefit for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund on Saturday.
Charles Town has added four $30,000 handicaps to the six stakes already scheduled for its Race for the Ribbon card Sept. 19.
Last Saturday, Lucy’s Bob Boy again took over leadership of the older-horse division at Charles Town by pulling away to an authoritative 5 1/4-length victory under jockey Jevian Toledo in the Frank Gall Memorial.
Although she’s a five-time stakes winner and is Grade 1-placed, trainer James Iselin says Willet’s résumé won’t be complete until she wins a graded stakes. On Thursday, the 7-year-old mare will try to take the first step toward meeting that goal later this season when she takes on nine other New York-bred fillies and mares Thursday at Saratoga in the $100,000 Union Avenue Stakes.
Angel Suarez Medero, jockey, Parx Racing, sentence
Victor Espinoza has been in a few unexpected places since he rode American Pharoah to a sweep of the Triple Crown, including on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Espinoza will find himself in more familiar surroundings if he can guide Hard Aces to the winner’s circle after Saturday’s $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
Blessed by great weather and large fields, Saratoga has achieved double-digit increases in all-sources and ontrack handle through the first 22 days of the 2015 meet compared to last year.
Litfin: Saratoga Horses to Watch for week of Aug. 17
Freud has been a dominant sire in New York for the better part of the last decade, and that dominance was clearly showcased in the Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Series on Aug. 13 at Saratoga Race Course. The filly Freudie Anne led home a parade of finishers for the stallion, who swept the superfecta.
Russell Baze, winner of 12,631 races, will represent the United States in the World All-Star Jockeys competition on Aug. 29-30 at Sapporo Racecourse in Japan.
