The $50,000 S.W. Randall Plate at Hastings on Saturday is unusual in that the seven entrants faced each other in the British Columbia Cup Classic on Aug. 7.
Headlining the group will be B.C. Cup Classic winner At Attention, who is trained by Barbara Heads. Since the beginning of 2022, At Attention has raced at Hastings eight times with five wins and three seconds for his efforts.
The first round of the Florida Sire Stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park drew two juveniles named Welcome Back for trainer Jose D’Angelo.
“One in Italiano and one in English,” he said. “Different owners.”
Bentornato – which is Italian for welcome back – seeks to run his record to 3 for 3 in the $100,000 Dr. Fager division. Welcome Back, who won her maiden in a first-level allowance, goes in the $100,000 Desert Vixen, which is for fillies.
The horses have more than just a name in common.
“They both are big, big horses,” D’Angelo said.
Auguste Rodin and King of Steel finished first and second in the Group 1 English Derby on June 3, an exacta hard to predict.
The win by Auguste Rodin was no surprise. He was 9-2 for world-famous trainer Aidan O’Brien. King of Steel, trained by Roger Varian, was 66-1 and ran a brilliant race, leading in early stretch before losing by a half-length.
Both colts had mixed results through the summer in advance of their third meeting in Saturday’s Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Although the top grass mare in California does not return as scheduled Saturday at Del Mar, her trainer still has two top contenders in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes.
Grade 1 winner Macadamia was expected to make her comeback in the nine-furlong Mabee, but Phil D’Amato changed plans. Macadamia will wait another month for the Grade 2 Rodeo Drive Stakes on Oct. 7 at Santa Anita. D’Amato did not specify a reason for the postponement.
Dirt Road Red, the winningest horse to date at Emerald Downs in 2023, will try to regain his winning form in Saturday’s $25,000 claiming feature.
The 6-year-old, now trained by Candice Cryderman, began the season with a nose loss in swift time on opening day before reeling off five consecutive wins through July. Claimed from his last winning race, the son of Clubhouse Ride then tried allowance foes who were just a bit too tough for him.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The quick colt Lord Prancealot has won his first two starts with a bold front-running style that will be tested at six furlongs in Friday’s $125,000 I’m Smokin Stakes at Del Mar.
The running style worked for Lord Prancealot in a maiden race at five furlongs on July 29, and in the Graduation Stakes for California-breds at 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 11.
A slightly longer distance in the I’m Smokin Stakes for statebreds may be a challenge for Lord Prancealot.
Remington Park celebrated its 35th birthday on Sept. 1 and when the track opened in 1988, it did so with a synthetic racing surface called Equitrack. Coming decades after Tropical Park had installed an additional surface that was synthetic, Tartan Track, the Equitrack at Remington marked the first time a synthetic track was used as a main track in the United States.
Eakly ran the best race of his young career last month and will attempt to reproduce the effort Friday night in the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Colts and Geldings Handicap at Remington Park.
The seven-furlong race is for 3-year-olds by eligible stallions. It shares a card with the $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Fillies, led by multiple stakes winner Doudoudouwanadance. There are nine runners in colts and geldings division and seven for the fillies side, and all were bred in Oklahoma.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – First time for a claiming tag at Woodbine is a productive angle for leading trainer Mark Casse, who sends out the dropping Pedigeek and Domer Allure in Friday’s feature on the inner turf.
A daughter of the late, great Arrogate, Pedigeek made all six of her starts on the grass at five different tracks. The 3-year-old placed in two of her first three outings over the winter in Florida before heading north to Keeneland, where she was a wide-closing fifth in an April 7 maiden-special.
Capture the Lion and Awesome Crusade bring distinctly different running styles into Friday’s sixth race at Gulfstream Park. The first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up will be run at five furlongs on Tapeta.
Awesome Crusade is seeking his third straight win. He’s built the streak by using his closing kick. He could get the right setup Friday.
Leonel Reyes has the mount for trainer Ralph Nicks.
