SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Ferocious, arguably the most impressive 2-year-old maiden winner of the meet, will look to validate that performance when he takes on eight opponents in Monday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful Stakes, the closing-day feature of the Saratoga meet.
Gone and Forgotten has been gone, but certainly not forgotten, at her home track. The mare is the morning-line favorite as she makes her first 2024 start at Finger Lakes as the two-time defending winner of Monday’s $50,000 Arctic Queen Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Air Combat enters Monday’s Woodbine headliner in good form and should be dangerous in the first-level allowance that carries a $32,000 claiming option.
Air Combat was a $16,000 claim by owner Bruno Schickedanz and trainer Norm McKnight from trainer Steve Asmussen on April 4 at Oaklawn. He romped that day while putting up an 87 Beyer Speed Figure, but his next two races against tougher were dismal.
Excuses are cheap at the racetrack, priced at roughly a dime per dozen.
But horses occasionally do have legitimate reasons for running below expectations, including key entrants in separate stakes races Monday at Del Mar.
Although 3-year-old filly Show Card bombed when she tried two turns last out, she will give route racing another try Monday. Show Card is the speed of the $100,000 Tranquility Lake Stakes, a filly-mare dirt mile, race 3. Yes, Show Card had an alibi for her route misfire.
His trainer describes him as a “freak.”
While the description may seem coarse, there is clearly something brilliant about the 2-year-old Quarter Horse Hezgothelook Z, who can reach a historic milestone with a win in Monday’s $3 million All American Futurity at The Downs at Albuquerque.
Hezgothelook Z won the $1 million Ruidoso Futurity at 350 yards at Ruidoso Downs on June 9, and the $1 million Rainbow Futurity at 400 yards at Ruidoso Downs on July 14.
Quarter Horse champion Cowboys Gun Z likes to work on Labor Day.
On the holiday a year ago, he won the $3 million All American Futurity. And on Monday, he goes in the Grade 1, $1,076,535 All American Derby at the Downs at Albuquerque.
The race is one of six stakes on a 12-race card that closes the Ruidoso meet at Albuquerque. Purses for the stakes are a cumulative $5.2 million, and the stakes will all be run over 440 yards.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Skippylongstocking, the fifth-place finisher in the Grade 1 Whitney who came out of that race to win his second straight Charles Town Classic, will be pointed to the Grade 2 Woodward Stakes on Sept. 28 at Aqueduct, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There likely won’t be many who take on Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 21, but Mystic Lake is expected to be one of them.
Mystic Lake, a dominant 5 3/4-length winner of the Charles Town Oaks on Aug. 23, is being pointed to the Cotillion, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. While run at seven furlongs, the Charles Town Oaks was contested around two turns. The Cotillion is run at 1 1/16 miles around two turns.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mentee, the 2-year-old full brother to Fierceness who won his debut at Aqueduct in June, was dealing with more than just a temperature when he was sidelined earlier this summer.
Mentee ended up in a clinic in Saratoga for several days where he had the onset of the potentially fatal hoof disease known as laminitis. But it was caught in time and Mentee was treated and he resumed training in time to run in Monday’s Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Coming off his dominant, front-running victory in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes here four weeks ago, Arthur’s Ride will look to further raise his profile in the older male dirt division when he starts as the likely favorite in Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga.
