Trainer Jimmy Jerkens saddles V. E. Day (#6, ML 8-1) and Wicked Strong (#9, ML 20-1) in Saturday’s ninth race at Saratoga, the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes. Since Jan., 1, 2014, Jerkens is winning at a 26 percent clip in graded stakes races, for a return on investment of $4.04. Check out the Positive ROI report as part of DRF Plus. Sign up for DRF Plus here.
Catherine's Dream (#6, ML 7-2) returns in Saturday's first race at Louisiana Downs, the six-furlong Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Stakes. It will be her first start since finishing first by 2 1/4 lengths in an optional claimer May 28 at Louisiana Downs. The second-, third-, fourth-, and sixth-place finishers from that race came back to win their next starts. Get the Key Race report as part of DRF Plus. Sign up for DRF Plus here.
Pinnacle Peak seized command from the outset and controlled the pace throughout for a 10-length romp Friday night in the $75,000 Prairie Juvenile Mile.
Shrinking Violet and jockey Kent Desormeaux have become fast friends at Del Mar this summer. After the 5-year-old Shrinking Violet arrived from Kentucky in July, Desormeaux worked the mare twice on turf. On Friday in the $92,530 Daisycutter Handicap, Desormeaux put that knowledge to work. Shrinking Violet closed with a wide rush to win her second stakes of 2015 in the five-furlong turf race for fillies and mares.
Trainer Chad Brown’s decision to start four horses in the $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes paid dividends when one member of his quartet of 3-year-old grass specialists, Takeover Target, surged late to outfinish A Lot by a half-length to win the Grade 2 turf fixture Friday at Saratoga.
The New York Attorney General has asked a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the trainer Bill Mott, arguing that Mott can resolve his case through state courts and administrative proceedings without federal interference.
Take your pick of multi-race exotic bets with guaranteed pools on Whitney Day. There is a $250,000 pick six (races 6-11); a $400,000 pick five (races 1-5); and a $750,000 late pick four (races 8-11).
Daily doubles get little attention, even though the wager is one of the least expensive exotics on the Del Mar betting menu. Only the pick five is less expensive than the double. Takeout for the pick five is 14 percent; takeout for daily doubles is 20 percent. Every other multiple-race wager costs 23.68 percent. That is 18 percent higher (3.68 divided by 20) than doubles.
Jockey Casey Lambert is nearing retirement. The winner of more than 3,000 races plans to call it a career following the close of the Ruidoso Downs meet Sept. 7, the New Mexico track announced Friday. Lambert will turn 50 on Aug. 24.
he field for next Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile has started to take shape, which means everyone is getting in line behind Stryker Phd, the defending champion and likely short-priced favorite in the 80th running of the Northwest’s richest race.
