Bee A Magician, the Hambletonian Oaks winner and Horse of the Year in 2013, returns to the Meadowlands on Saturday as the featured attraction in the $181,450 Fresh Yankee. The race for trotting mares is the sixth on the afternoon program and the 5-year-old daughter of Kadabra will also start from post six.
Saturday’s Iowa Classic Night, comprised of seven Iowa-bred stakes races worth a total of more than $585,000, features a stellar set of 2-year-olds competing in the $75,000 Iowa Sorority and the $75,000 Iowa Cradle.
Trainer Doug O’Neill and owner Paul Reddam have a bounty of top 2-year-olds this year, but the pick of the litter might be Nyquist, whose debut win June 5 at Santa Anita was the fastest of all. He will attempt to run back to that impressive victory on Saturday at Del Mar, where he heads the field in the Grade 2, $200,000 Best Pal Stakes, this track’s main prep for the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on closing day, Sept. 7.
If Tonalist is anything close to his 4-1 morning-line price, he would be a strong play in Saturday’s Whitney Stakes at Saratoga.
Trainer Joe Sharp saddles Frontier Scout (#8, ML 10-1) in Thursday's third race at Saratoga, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden claiming race. Since Jan., 1, 2014, Sharp is winning at a 31 percent clip in maiden claimers, for a return on investment of $3.62. Check out the Positive ROI report as part of DRF Plus. Sign up for DRF Plus here.
An abbreviated 2015 meet at Hazel Park will bid adieu on Saturday night with its marquee card, the Michigan Sire Stakes program. The evening’s six stakes races, featuring male and female divisions for juveniles (contested at four furlongs), 3-year-olds (six furlongs), and older horses (1 1/8 miles), are restricted to Michigan-sired runners with estimated purses of $40,000 each.
DRF Formulator reveals that trainer Chris Block is a potent 3 for 7 with a high $4.74 return on investment with horses swiching from synthetic to turf and sprints to routes. That trainer angle comes into play for Saturday’s Black Tie Affair Handicap, one of two $50,000 turf stakes for Illinois-breds on the card at Arlington Park.
The biggest race of the year at Ellis Park also might happen to be the best, as a full and very well-balanced field of fillies and mares will clash Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Groupie Doll Stakes at the western Kentucky track.
Hold for More aims to continue his dominance of Minnesota-bred colts and geldings in Saturday’s $80,000 Minnesota Derby. Trained by Francisco Bravo, who is enjoying a 23 for 84 meet, Hold for More has won his last five starts, including three victories this season.
In 1993, the first edition of the Waya Stakes went to Saratoga Source, who repeated the following summer for trainer Jonathan Sheppard. No racemare has accomplished the double since, but on Saturday at Saratoga, Sheppard will saddle the defending champion Cat’s Claw to attempt the feat against a full field.
