ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Goodluckmate deserves some good luck for a change when he drops in class for Thursday’s sixth race at Woodbine, a $25,000 nonwinners-of-two route for older runners.
A $27,000 yearling purchase in 2021 by owner/trainer Roger Attfield, Goodluckmate hasn’t come close to duplicating the success of his stakes-winning half-sister Paladin Bay.
Straight Arrow arrived back at Tampa Bay Downs over the weekend following his seventh-place finish in Friday’s Grade 2 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs and will be pointed to a turf race for his next start, most likely at Gulfstream Park, trainer Mike Dini said.
Dini said Straight Arrow had a case of the thumps, an electrolyte imbalance, coming out of the race.
“I don’t know if the track was too loose that he couldn’t get a hold of it,” Dini said. “He had thumps real bad where they don’t get their breath.”
After two unsuccessful attempts to run her in stakes races in New York, trainer Arnaud Delacour appears to have found a nice allowance spot for Independenceavenue at Tampa Bay Downs in that track’s Wednesday feature on a nine-race program.
Independenceavenue, a daughter of Mr Speaker, is one of six 2-year-old fillies entered in a first-level allowance/optional $75,000 claiming race going one mile over Tampa’s turf course.
Slip Mahoney has been the favorite in each of his last four starts and that could again be the case Tuesday, when he faces millionaire Red Route One and the comebacking Wildatlanticstorm in the $300,000 Zia Park Derby.
The 1 1/16-mile race is part of the Land of Enchantment Day card featuring seven stakes worth $1.1 million. The program includes the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks.
There’s been one constant with the New Mexico Cup program through the years at Zia Park – the presence of Thunder Dome.
He’s made seven appearances in the series for New Mexico-breds dating back to 2016 and on Monday will be shooting for his fourth win in the Rocky Gulch New Mexico Cup Championship.
The $200,000 race for 3-year-olds and up at one mile and 70 yards is the co-richest of eight stakes worth more than $1.3 million. The $200,000 Peppers Pride is for fillies and mares and it’s led by Corrina Corrina.
Flying Connection will attempt to complete a sweep of New Mexico’s biggest offerings for her division Tuesday, when she starts as the probable favorite in the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks.
The 1 1/16-mile race is the state’s co-richest race for 3-year-old fillies alongside the $300,000 Sunland Oaks, which Flying Connection won in March.
The Zia Oaks shares a card with the $300,000 Zia Park Derby as part of a Land of Enchantment Day card of seven stakes worth $1.1 million.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Shimmering Allure, three-length winner of the Tempted Stakes on Nov. 5 at Aqueduct, is confirmed to run in the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes here Dec. 2, trainer Kenny McPeek said this week.
Shimmering Allure, a daughter of Enticed, has already run six times this year, with a maiden victory at Churchill Downs on Sept. 20 and the Tempted – both one-turn mile races – to her credit. The Demoiselle is run at 1 1/8 miles.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Byron Hughes, who has worked as Todd Pletcher’s Belmont Park assistant for the last 10 years, will leave Pletcher’s employ at the end of the month. He plans to continue his studies and hopes to become an equine veterinarian.
“Over the years I gained an interest in veterinarian studies and after many discussions and seeking advice, I thought this was something I’d like to do and I have a lot of support for it too,” said Hughes, 37.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Soldier Rising, still in search of his first stakes victory, will travel to Hong Kong to try and achieve it.
Soldier Rising is being pointed to the Group 1, $3.06 million Hong Kong Vase on Dec. 10 at Sha Tin, according to trainer Christophe Clement. Soldier Rising was expected to work at Belmont Park over the weekend and ship to Hong Kong on Dec. 1.
The stakes-winning 3-year-old Mr Fisk will start in the longest race of his career in Sunday’s Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar.
From trainer Bob Baffert’s perspective, the $100,000 Native Diver is a prologue for even longer races for Mr Fisk during the 2024 season.
“I think that’s going to be his game,” Baffert said. “I think it will be a good distance for him.”
Mr Fisk is one of three 3-year-olds in a field of seven in the Native Diver Stakes, the eighth race on a nine-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific.
