Wed, 08/14/2024 - 13:35

Florida Sire Stakes on deck for speedy Win N Your In

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Win N Your In wins last Saturday’s Sharp Susan Stakes at Gulfstream, earning a Beyer of 78.

Win N Your In is one of the fastest 2-year-old fillies in the country based on Beyer Speed Figures and next month she’s headed for the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Trainer Carlos David said Tuesday that Win N Your In is targeting the $100,000 Desert Vixen division. It will be run over six furlongs on Sept. 7.

Win N Your In won at the distance last Saturday at Gulfstream in the $95,000 Sharp Susan. It was her second straight victory following a maiden special weight over 5 1/2 furlongs on July 6.

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 12:50

Governor Sam continues busy stretch in Skidmore Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Governor Sam will be making his third start in 28 days in Friday's Skidmore Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Governor Sam gave George Weaver the 999th victory of his training career when proving a popular winner of the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth earlier this month. The speedy youngster also might have the opportunity to provide Weaver with his milestone 1,000th win as well, wheeling back on relatively short rest Friday at Saratoga in the $150,000 Skidmore Stakes for 2-year-olds going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 12:50

Mentee still possible for Hopeful

Barbara D. Livingston
Mentee was scratched from the Grade 3 Sanford after spiking a temperature.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher has been on a good run with his 2-year-olds recently with Showcase winning the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and Tenacious Leader and Uncaged recording solid maiden wins.

While those horses may now be headed to stakes beyond this meet, Pletcher is hoping to get Mentee, his first 2-year-old winner of 2024, to the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 2.

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 12:50

Grade 1 winner Locked returns to work tab

Barbara D. Livingston
Todd Pletcher-trainee Locked returned to the work tab Monday morning at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Locked, a Grade 1-winning 2-year-old of 2023 who went to the sidelines in late winter with a ligament injury, returned to the work tab Monday, breezing three furlongs in 38.45 seconds over Saratoga’s main track.

It was his first on-track work since February, though trainer Todd Pletcher said Locked had breezed a couple of times at Stonestreet Farm in Ocala, Fla., before being sent to him earlier this month.

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 12:50

Bauer sets sights on graded stakes with top runners

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Phil Bauer is pointing Xigera toward the Grade 1 Personal Ensign.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It has been another good Saratoga meet for Phil Bauer and the Kentucky-based trainer hopes he’s not done yet.

Bauer has won four races from his first eight starters at Saratoga and has his eyes set on at least two upcoming graded stakes before this meet ends.

Bauer plans to run Xigera in the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign on Aug. 23 followed by Angkor in the Grade 1, $500,000 Forego on Aug. 24.

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 12:05

Linda's Gift tries for fourth stakes win this year in CTT-TOC

Benoit Photo
Linda's Gift will try for her fourth stakes win this year in Friday's CTT and TOC Stakes at Del Mar.

Linda’s Gift has amassed four stakes wins in marathon turf races for fillies and mares in California since November, a collection trainer Richard Mandella hopes will grow in the coming months in increasingly important races.

On Friday at Del Mar, Linda’s Gift will be favored to win her fourth stakes this year in the $100,000 CTT and TOC Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 3/8 miles on turf.

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 10:30

Light the Lamp primed to score after tough trip

Michael Burns
Light the Lamp (foreground) had a banner 2023 season, winning 5 of 9 starts.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A huge field of 13 was drawn for Friday’s second leg of the Woodbine Turf Sprint Series. After a rough trip on the inner turf, Light the Lamp has more room to work with in the six-furlong main course event and could get back to winner’s circle under the hot apprentice Pietro Moran.

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 10:25

Drop in class could put Smokemonthecliff on top

Smokemonthecliff rates another chance on the drop in Friday’s 6 1/2-furlong feature for $8,000 claimers at Emerald Downs.

A Blaine Wright trainee, Smokemonthecliff attended the early pace while battling with three others along the backstretch in her most recent start July 21. In that race the 4-year-old backed up to finish last when racing for a $15,000 tag.

Mon, 08/12/2024 - 14:15

Absence of The Big Torpedo leaves Rick Violette wide open

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Russian Realm is part of a Danny Gargan-trained duo in Thursday's Rick Voilette at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The absence of division leader The Big Torpedo has left Thursday’s main event at Saratoga, the $125,000 Rick Violette Stakes, a wide-open affair. It’s a fact not lost on trainer Danny Gargan, who will send out two of the leading contenders, Instamatic and Russian Realm, in the 1 1/16-mile turf test for 3-year-old New York-breds.