Thu, 10/10/2024 - 11:35

Mount Doom, Someday Lady try to go extra turn in juvenile stakes

Mount Doom will attempt to win his fourth stakes race in a 10-week span when he goes off a heavy favorite in Saturday’s $50,000 Glen Todd Ascot Graduation over 1 1/16 miles at Hastings.

Sharing top billing on the card is the $50,000 Glen Todd Fantasy Stakes over the same distance, where Someday Lady will try to solidify herself at the head of the class of the local juvenile fillies.

Thu, 10/10/2024 - 11:35

Much on the line when stablemates meet in Los Alamitos Championship

Officially, Empressum beat Jeriko twice in major stakes for older Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos during the summer.

One outcome was determined by the stewards, however, leading to a fascinating third meeting of the stablemates in Saturday’s $90,000 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship.

Empressum beat Jeriko by three-quarters of a length in the Vessels Maturity at 400 yards on July 7. In the Go Man Go Handicap at 400 yards on Aug. 25, Jeriko won by a nose over Empressum but was disqualified and placed last of seven for lugging out and causing interference.

Thu, 10/10/2024 - 11:00

Ontario had big-time trouble at start of last race

Ontario wins her maiden at WO July 7 2024
Julie Wright
Ontario, shown winning a July maiden race at Woodbine, was badly bothered at the start of the Bison City Stakes as the 5-2 favorite.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It would certainly be fitting if Ontario wins Saturday’s $125,000 Ontario Damsel Stakes at Woodbine, and the lightly raced chestnut has the potential to get the job done in the 1 1/16-mile route for 3-year-old fillies.

After getting away slowly, Ontario mounted a powerful wide rally from eighth to win her 6 1/2-furlong debut going away July 7. Off that eye-catching performance, she was favored in the 1 1/16-mile Bison City Stakes for Canadian-breds on Aug. 10, in which she finished a distant fifth after being checked while squeezed back early.

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 14:30

Back at home, Free Like a Girl headlines four-stakes card in Magnolia

Coady Media
Returning to her favorite track, Free Like a Girl headlines Friday's Magnolia Stakes at Delta Downs.

Free Like a Girl will help the Delta Downs racing season get off to a rousing start when the all-time richest Louisiana-bred makes an appearance in Friday night’s $100,000 Magnolia Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs.

The Magnolia is one of four Louisiana-bred stakes on the card, each worth $100,000 and run at seven furlongs, which is a two-turn configuration at Delta.

Delta is racing through Feb. 22, with a new, earlier post time of 4:50 p.m. Central. Patrons returning for opening weekend will find a new winner’s circle and an updated paddock.

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 14:00

Finding her best form on turf, Ellen Jay steps up in Glen Cove

Coady Media
Undefeated in two turf sprints, Ellen Jay steps into stakes company in Friday's Glen Cove at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – As the first foal out of the champion female sprinter Covfefe, expectations were naturally high for Ellen Jay, whose name mirrors the moniker of her owners, the LNJ Foxwoods Stables of Larry, Nanci, and Jaime Roth.

After two disappointing efforts on dirt, Ellen Jay has realized those expectations on turf, winning two straight turf sprints at Ellis Park this summer. Friday, Ellen Jay makes her stakes debut in the $150,000 Glen Cove Stakes for 3-year-old fillies scheduled for six furlongs over Aqueduct’s outer turf course.

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 14:00

Outside post in Sycamore hurts Bold Act's repeat chances

Coady Photography
Bold Act, winner of the 2023 Sycamore, will have to avoid being hung wide from post 11 on Friday.

A year older and wider, Bold Act on Friday at Keeneland tries to win the Sycamore Stakes for the second year in a row.

Bold Act broke from post 3 under Jamie Spencer before winding his way through traffic and capturing the 2023 Sycamore in his North American debut. Now 4, Bold Act has gone 3-0-0-2 in three North American stakes this year – losing twice as an odds-on favorite – and this time will break from post 11 under Luis Saez in the Grade 3, $300,000 Sycamore.

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 13:55

Breeders' Cup Classic: Fierceness getting bigger, stronger as season progresses

Fierceness at SAR Sept 20 2024
Barbara D. Livingston
Todd Pletcher believes Fierceness has moved forward in his training since winning the Jim Dandy and Travers.

A year ago at this time, trainer Todd Pletcher wasn’t sure what to make of Fierceness.

After a dominant debut win at Saratoga, Fierceness flopped in the slop of the Grade 1 Champagne at Aqueduct, dimming his Breeders’ Cup prospects. Finding nothing wrong with Fierceness out of the race, Pletcher shipped him to Keeneland to train. If he trained well enough, then Pletcher would give the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile a shot.

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 13:25

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies: Quickick, La Cara could meet again

Coady Media
La Cara bested Quickick in a maiden race at Saratoga and the two are likely to meet again in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Greg Tramontin recently turned his attention to purchasing quality racing prospects out of the yearling market and has come up with Quickick, the runner-up in last weekend’s Alcibiades at Keeneland who is now possible for the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Quickick, trained by Tom Amoss, is a daughter of McKinzie and the Grade 3-winning mare Graeme Six. She was a $550,000 purchase last year at the Keeneland September sale.

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 13:20

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf: Hard to pin down which Euros are coming

New Century wins the Summer at WO Sept 14 2024
Michael Burns
The 93 Beyer Speed Figure New Century earned winning the Summer Stakes at Woodbine stands out among North American raced 2-year-olds pointing to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

Divisional races in California, Kentucky, and France this past weekend failed to bring into focus the complexion of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. While they didn’t establish a pecking order, the North American races at least provided a stronger sense of who figures to participate, something that can’t be said of the European front.