Creator targets Jim Dandy Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Creator is being pointed to the Jim Dandy Stakes on July 30 after bouncing out of his Belmont Stakes victory in excellent fashion, trainer Steve Asmussen said this week before leaving Louisville for Saratoga.

Elliott Walden, president of WinStar Farm, confirmed the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga as the next target for Creator, the gray colt who was up in the final strides to win the Belmont on June 11.

Walden and WinStar owner Kenny Troutt contemplated going straight to the Travers Stakes on Aug. 27 with Creator, but after the colt breezed a half-mile last Sunday at Churchill Downs following a brief respite at the farm, the decision was made to try for the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy.

Creator is one of two 3-year-olds being pointed to the 1 1/4-mile Travers by Asmussen, along with Gun Runner, who runs July 31 in the Haskell at Monmouth Park. Both colts were among an Asmussen contingent flown Wednesday from Louisville to New York, and both are scheduled to breeze Monday at Saratoga, weather permitting.

“I might work them Sunday if I need to,” said Asmussen.

Meanwhile, Asmussen said he is having a difficult time crafting the speech he will give when he is inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Aug. 12 at Saratoga.

“I can say right now it is impossible for me to appropriately thank everyone that has helped me receive this honor,” he said. “There’s not enough ink and paper to write them all down. I’m apologizing in advance for everybody I’ll miss.”

Hartman headed to Del Mar

While a dozen or more Churchill stables will be joining Asmussen at Saratoga, which starts its meet July 22, Chris Hartman is headed in the opposite direction.

Hartman, who ended the spring meet on a torrid 9-for-15 streak, is sending at least 20 horses to Del Mar in California for the meet that starts Friday.

“I’ve got 12 flying out there Sunday and the rest Thursday, which is when I’m going,” said Hartman. “I’ve been allotted 25 stalls but don’t have quite that many to fill yet. Two of my clients, Joey Davis and James Driver, just love the place. We’ll be real active out there.”

This is the second year that Hartman, formerly the leading trainer at Sunland Park and Oaklawn Park, has been based primarily in Kentucky. The 43-year-old Phoenix native will rotate horses from elsewhere into his Churchill string, which will be overseen by his wife, Hillary, and stepson, Lukas. Some of those horses will run at Ellis Park.

Hartman is hoping his recent hot streak continues. One of his winners was the millionaire Alsvid in the Kelly’s Landing Stakes on closing night of the Churchill meet July 2. “We’re still trying to decide where he’ll go this summer,” said Hartman.

Hartman wasn’t the only trainer to end the Churchill meet on an absolute tear. Mike Tomlinson won with five of his last six starters, then capped it off by winning the Iowa Sprint at Prairie Meadows with Candip on July 2.

• Kentucky Downs, the turf-only track in south-central Kentucky, is spending some $4 million in renovations on the large two-story building that houses its slots-like “Instant Racing” games and serves as a clubhouse during its live meet. The facility will be fully modernized and will become much brighter and flashier, said track spokesman C.J. Johnsen. Some aspects of the project will be going on when the five-day meet is run Sept. 3-15. Purses are expected to total a whopping $7.8 million at the meet.

• Warrior’s Club, the 2-year-old colt owned by the Churchill Downs Racing Club, will make his second start in the seventh race Sunday at Ellis Park. The colt was fifth in his June 16 debut for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. According to Gary Palmisano Jr., who manages the racing club, approximately two-thirds of its members are from Kentucky, but “we’ve got members from 30 states and a few from Canada,” he said. “The response has been pretty incredible.”

• Lady Aurelia, a smashing winner of the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot on June 15, is back in the U.S. and is scheduled to breeze over the Keeneland turf in the next week, according to trainer Wesley Ward. The 2-year-old filly will run next month at either Deauville in France or York in England.

• Veteran jockey David Flores intends to ride the Saratoga meet while also committed to some stakes elsewhere throughout the summer, according to agent Jimmy McNerney. Flores was named on mounts at Ellis and Suffolk Downs this week.

• Robby Albarado recently became just the 14th jockey in North American racing history to surpass the $200 million earnings mark. Albarado, 42, entered this week with 4,900 career winners.