SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Doug Cowans welcomes the pressure of running a 1-9 shot in Saratoga.
“I prefer to be 1-9 only because I know I’m in the right spot,” Cowans said.
Next, the premier marathon dirt horse in North America, certainly looks to be in the right spot in Sunday’s $150,000 Birdstone Stakes, where he will go for his sixth consecutive victory against four seemingly overmatched rivals in the 1 3/4-mile race.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year, made his final start on Jan. 27, 2018, with a victory in the Pegasus World Cup, his star setting after a career that spanned more than 28 months.
About three weeks later, eventual 2018 Horse of the Year Justify streaked onto the scene with a debut victory on Feb. 18, 2018, with his meteoric career spanning just 111 days, but including a sweep of the Triple Crown.
Mo Fox Givin could help her new trainer, Mark Casse, close out his notable weekend on a high note Sunday when she starts as a chief contender in the Grade 3, $400,000 Pucker Up at Ellis Park
The race is for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf and its winner earns a berth into the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs. The Pucker Up is the richest of four stakes that will offer total purses of $1.2 million.
Casse on Friday was in New York for the Hall of Fame ceremony. He was one of a number of past inductees on hand to witness the ushering in of the latest class.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Eddie Kenneally has reduced the number of horses he’s run in Saratoga over the last several years, but he bears watching when he does ship in from Kentucky.
Kenneally has gone 6 for 24 here over the last five years, three of those wins coming in juvenile stakes.
Sunday, Kenneally will start his first horse of the 2024 Saratoga meet when he sends out Atomic City in a highly competitive running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Adirondack Stakes for 2-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs.
At Attention and Infinite Patience will defend their respective titles over 1 1/16 miles at Hastings on B.C. Cup Monday. Six B.C. Cup races will be contested as part of the eight-race holiday program commencing at 2:30 p.m. Pacific.
Barbara Heads trains both At Attention and Infinite Patience, the four-time defending B.C. Horse of the Year.
Saddle Up Jessie drops in class and distance for Sunday’s $100,000 Caesar’s Wish for fillies and mares racing 1 1/16 miles at Laurel.
Multiple stakes-winner Saddle Up Jessie made a strong three-wide move on the second turn of last month’s Grade 2 Delaware Handicap before flattening out and settling for second in that 1 3/16-mile event.
Gulfstream Park stakes winners Bentornato and Run Classic are both being pointed for upcoming Grade 1 races at Saratoga, according to trainer Jose D’Angelo.
Bentornato won two-thirds of last year’s Florida Sire Stakes before going on to run third in the Group 3 Saudi Derby in his most recent start Feb. 24. D’Angelo said the horse is on pace to run in the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on Aug. 24.
“Bentornato, he’s doing great,” D’Angelo said. “He’s still in Florida. He’s going to work one more time and go to Saratoga. He’s working excellent.”
Vivacious Tribute will seek a repeat stakes win in the WTBOA Lads Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs at Emerald Downs on Sunday. Vivacious Tribute will break from the outermost post in a field of eight while seeking to maintain his undefeated record.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The first filly to win a 2-year-old maiden race in Southern California this season could also win the circuit’s first 2-year-old stakes race on Sunday at Del Mar.
Broadway Venus, a sharp maiden winner May 3 at Santa Anita, returns in the $100,000 California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes. The CTBA, for California-bred or California-sired fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt, also includes high-figure Thirsty in Vegas and stablemate In the Air Tonight.
