OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The return to the races of the New York-bred stakes performer El Grande O and a $124,239 pick six carryover highlight Thursday’s Aqueduct program.
Continuing an uncanny trend that has lasted all meet, the pick six was not hit Sunday – it has not been hit on a Sunday all meet – and since it also was not hit Saturday, the carryover ballooned to six figures.
There are eight races Thursday – including three on turf –meaning the pick six begins with race 3 (1:41 p.m. Eastern).
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – With grass racing winding down at the Woodbine meet, turf expert Arabian Prince experiments on the Tapeta in Thursday’s Woodbine feature, an allowance sprint for nonwinners of two with a $50,000 claiming option for 3-year-olds and up.
Like most of the others in the seven-horse field, Arabian Prince has been win-shy. The 6-year-old has accumulated 14 seconds and thirds from 32 starts, with his lone win coming against maiden special rivals early in his career on the dirt at Churchill.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One of the more shocking results of the 2024 Gulfstream Park racing season was orchestrated by Rouki, a 3-year-old Florida-bred who rebounded off a 31 3/4-length setback against statebred allowance company to spring a 50-1 upset against similar opposition in his first start over the Tapeta surface in the eighth race here Sept. 21.
Damon’s Mound, a three-time stakes-winning sprinter who has been away from the races for 10 months, is now with trainer Bill Mott.
Damon’s Mound had his first workout Oct. 12, going three furlongs in 38 seconds over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga.
“I like him, very nice horse, looks great, moving well,” Mott said. “He’s had time off, so he’s a fresh horse coming back. He’s won some nice races.”
Snowyte, a maiden who finished second in the Grade 1 Frizette, worked a half-mile in 49.77 seconds on Friday over the Oklahoma training track in Saratoga. Afterward, trainer Danny Gargan confirmed her for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Snowyte worked in company with Dakota Gold, who is pointing to the $200,000 Mohawk Stakes on Oct. 27 at Aqueduct.
“She worked great, I’m going to run her in the Breeders’ Cup,” Gargan said. “I think it’s worth taking a shot. There’s no standout.”
In a different world, the 4-year-old Neecie Marie would be gearing up for a start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. In this one, she boarded a horse trailer Friday leaving trainer Butch Reid’s Parx Racing barn bound for Keeneland, where she starts Sunday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Dowager Stakes.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The day after he worked three of his Breeders’ Cup contenders at Saratoga, trainer Todd Pletcher was back at Belmont Park on Friday morning to put two more of his BC hopefuls through their penultimate workouts.
Tapit Trice, Pletcher’s “other” BC Classic contender, worked a half-mile in 49.12 seconds over the training track. Going in company with Crupi, the Grade 2 Suburban winner, Tapit Trice went in splits of 12.69 seconds, 24.72, 49.12, and continued on through five furlongs in 1:02.00, six furlongs in 1:14.79, and seven furlongs in 1:28.90.
Second chances are a theme as the last chances for the North American yearling marketplace come up this week. Fasig-Tipton will host the traditional final in-person auction of the yearling season, with its Kentucky October yearling sale from Oct. 21-24. Then, running Oct. 24-30, the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. enters the digital marketplace, with its October digital yearling sale offering its own twist on the platform.
Fasig-Tipton October
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Chad Brown has been and remains bullish on Opulent Restraint. While he sees her having a big future, Brown doesn’t believe he has her far enough along to win a race like the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to be run in two weeks at Del Mar.
“She has loads of talent, I didn’t think she was a candidate to win the Juvenile Fillies Turf,” Brown said. “She was good enough to get into the field, but I try to point to races that I think they can win.”
Under Who’s Radar, who is moving back to dirt after creditable efforts in open-company turf stakes, and impressive maiden winner Bold Fortune meet in Monday’s $165,368 New York Breeders’ Futurity, one of three stakes on the richest card of the Finger Lakes season.
The nine-race program also includes the $50,000 Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes for older horses and the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes for fillies and mares.
