ARCADIA, Calif. – C Z Rocket has won five consecutive races since being claimed for $40,000 at Oaklawn Park in April.
The fourth win of the streak was the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 29 at Del Mar. The fifth win was Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship. The sixth could be the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.
C Z Rocket earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Sprint with his victory in Sunday’s $200,000 race.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Venetian Harbor, second in the Grade 1 Test Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga in August, may have her next start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7.
“She’s training lights-out at San Luis Rey Downs,” trainer Richard Baltas said over the weekend. “I’m pretty happy with her right now.”
On Sept. 22, Venetian Harbor worked five furlongs in 58.60 seconds.
Harvest Moon has come a long way in a short time. After upsetting Fighting Mad on Sunday at Santa Anita, the lightly raced 3-year-old filly will try to go farther still.
Less than four months after the first start of her career, Harvest Moon earned a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland by defeating heavily favored Fighting Mad in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In race.
ARCADIA, Calif. - An ill stablemate led to Get Her Number winning his debut on the main track in Saturday’s Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds at Santa Anita.
Get Her Number, fourth in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 7, and Superman Shaq, a maiden race winner at Del Mar on Sept. 6, worked six furlongs in company at San Luis Rey Downs on Sept. 19. When Superman Shaq emerged from the workout showing signs of illness, Get Her Number became a candidate for the $301,000 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.
ARCADIA, Calif. - An emphatic win by Improbable in Saturday’s Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita gave the 4-year-old his third consecutive win at that level and left one knowledgeable observer pondering if the colt has reached his peak.
“He’s getting better and better,” trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday morning.
That could be a frightening thought in advance of Improbable’s next scheduled start, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 7.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Firenze Fire came out of his victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park in good order and will target a fourth straight appearance in the Breeders’ Cup when he runs in the $2 million Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 7.
A 5-year-old son of Poseidon’s Warrior, Firenze Fire at 2 ran seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, at 3 was fourth in the Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs and at 4 finished fifth in the Sprint at Santa Anita. He will again target the Sprint, a race for which he earned an automatic entry by winning the Vosburgh.
Come Dancing, winner of the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 6, began preparations for a return trip to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint when she worked a half-mile in 47.00 seconds Sunday morning over Belmont Park’s training track.
Though it was the fastest of 75 works at the distance on a busy Sunday morning, Come Dancing was just galloping through the stretch after going her opening quarter in 23.36 seconds.
“I thought that was great this morning, super smooth,” trainer Carlos Martin said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – There always has been a horse of the same age in trainer Bob Baffert’s barn who was perceived as superior to Improbable. At age 2, it was Game Winner, the divisional champ. Last year, Improbable never really separated himself from Game Winner and Roadster. And this year, once Maximum Security arrived in Baffert’s barn, again Improbable was overshadowed.
But he may not be Eclipsed.
In the last 19 months, United has won four of 10 races when ridden by Flavien Prat, a span that includes three graded stakes wins and a game second in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Prat always had United off the pace or stalking the lead, a strategy that typically left United in a good position.
In Saturday’s Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship, Prat tried a new tactic – guiding United to the lead in the $201,000 race at 1 1/4 miles. Allowed to set a slow pace, United led throughout for his fourth stakes win of 2020.
ARCADIA, Calif. – After a pair of starts on turf, Get Her Number moved to the main track for the first time on Saturday at Santa Anita. He’ll be staying there for awhile.
Get Her Number earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 at Keeneland and got a highly prized Grade 1 victory by capturing the $301,000 American Pharoah, this track’s major prep for 2-year-old males heading to the Breeders’ Cup.
