Calhoun may send pair to Saratoga for Sanford

Trainer Bret Calhoun could have a couple of 2-year-olds targeting the Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford at Saratoga. He said discussions are ongoing with the owners of He’s Comin in Hot and Bravura about the next move for the quality runners by Early Flyer, who leads all North American sires in wins by 2-year-olds this year.

He’s Comin in Hot, who races for Doug Scharbauer, won the Grade 3 Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs last Saturday. Bravura, owned by Victoria Ashford, was an impressive debut winner at Lone Star Park on June 18.

“They may both go to Saratoga,” Calhoun said of the Sanford on July 25. “We haven’t decided which way we’re going yet. There’s been discussions going on.”

Calhoun said another option is the $75,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile on July 18 at Prairie Meadows.

Calhoun plans to have five to seven horses at Saratoga.

Calhoun is having a strong season with 2-year-olds and anticipates having four to six starters in the colts-and-geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park. He said the horses pointing for the race include Jet Over, a debut winner at Churchill Downs for Scharbauer.

The TTA Sales Futurity is July 11 and shares a card with the $50,000 Assault, a race for which Calhoun is pointing the stakes winners Supermason and Fly the Red Eye.

Bahnah will try turf again

Bahnah, the dead-heat winner of the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga in 2013, was a powerful allowance winner last Saturday at Lone Star. She won a five-furlong off-the-turf sprint in 57.60 seconds and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 88.

“It had been hard to find a decent spot for her,” said Calhoun, who trains the filly for Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch. “We saw that spot, opted to ship her, and thought she had a big chance to win. We thought it might help give her a little confidence booster.”

Bahnah was getting her first win of the year after starting her campaign with three losses between Fair Grounds and Indiana Grand.

“We tried her on the grass at Fair Grounds, and she did not like it at all,” Calhoun said. “I don’t know if it was that particular course. She’s got a lot of pedigree for the grass, and we shipped to [Lone Star] to run on a firmer turf, but it didn’t matter if it came off, and it came off. We definitely want to try her on another course, and if she would take to the turf, a lot of options would open.”

Calhoun said at present, plans are to keep Bahnah at Lone Star.

Trainer Milligan suspended

Trainer Allen Milligan is serving a 15-day suspension after Avenue Montaigne, the winner of the first race May 3 at Lone Star Park, tested for overages of the permitted nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications flunixin and phenylbutazone. Flunixin, or Banamine, is a Class 4 medication, and phenylbutazone is a Class 5.

Avenue Montaigne was disqualified from the win, while Milligan was also fined $750, according to a ruling from the Texas Racing Commission. Milligan’s suspension runs through July 13. He is the seventh-leading trainer at Lone Star.