Mon, 09/23/2013 - 16:56

Breeders' Cup Juvenile: Pletcher's hope Havana stepping right into Champagne

Tom Keyser
Havana, with John Velazquez riding, is a sharp debut winner Friday. He is now pointed for the Champagne.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has won two of the last three runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with horses who had decidedly different campaigns.

In 2010, Uncle Mo went from a spectacular maiden win at Saratoga in August to a victory in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park in October to a dominant victory in the Juvenile at Churchill Downs in November.

In 2012, Shanghai Bobby got his campaign started in April and was a three-time graded stakes winner by the time he won the Juvenile by a head over He’s Had Enough at Santa Anita.

Mon, 09/23/2013 - 16:51

Belmont Park: For Royal Delta, autumn is winning time

Barbara D. Livingston
Royal Delta will try to win the Grade 1 Beldame Invitational for the second straight year Saturday.

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ELMONT, N.Y. – Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott maintains that Royal Delta is at her best in the fall of the year. Given how well she ran the last two races of the summer, that’s a pretty scary proposition for those taking her on in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame Invitational at Belmont Park.

Mon, 09/23/2013 - 15:22

Santa Anita: Awesome Again ambitious spot for You Know I Know

Benoit & Associates
You Know I Know followed this optional-claiming victory at Del Mar in August with a third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic.

ARCADIA, Calif. – A $50,000 claimer as recently as April, the 4-year-old gelding You Know I Know makes his second consecutive start in a Grade 1 in Saturday’s $250,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita. He deserves to be part of the field, in the mind of trainer John Sadler.

You Know I Know was third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 25 and before that won an optional claimer over a mile on the synthetic track there Aug. 3.

“He ran two good races down there and he seems like a horse that is coming up a bit,” Sadler said Sunday.

Mon, 09/23/2013 - 14:52

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Prep winners would need to be supplemented

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Cluster of Stars, ridden by Javier Castellano, wins her sixth consecutive race in the Gallant Bloom Handicap.

Several races last Saturday (Sept. 21) had varying degrees of impact toward the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, most notably the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Belmont Park, where New York-bred Cluster of Stars remained unbeaten in six starts with an eye-popping five-length victory, and the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx, where a couple of turn-back possibilities, Sweet Lulu and My Happy Face, put in sold efforts behind Close Hatches.

Mon, 09/23/2013 - 12:05

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: Puype says Mizdirection will be ready

Benoit & Associates
Mizdirection will make her next start April 13 at either Santa Anita or Keeneland.

The biggest development over the weekend surrounding the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint did not concern a potential prep race. It had to do with a workout, specifically the half-mile breeze Friday in 48.40 seconds around the dogs on the Santa Anita turf course by Mizdirection, the winner of last year’s Turf Sprint.

Mon, 09/23/2013 - 12:03

Breeders’ Cup Classic: Will Take Charge punches ticket; big weekend of preps ahead

Barbara D. Livingston
Will Take Charge, winner of the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby, will make his next start in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Will Take Charge continued his late-season resurgence Saturday with his victory in the Pennsylvania Derby, his second straight graded stakes win, his third straight sharp performance since a forgettable Triple Crown series, and his final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Mon, 09/23/2013 - 11:23

Breeders' Cup Distaff: Beldame, Zenyatta critical preps

Barbara D. Livingston
Princess of Sylmar is coming off of wins in the Kentucky Oaks and Coaching Club American Oaks.

Grade 1 races Saturday at Belmont Park and Santa Anita will define a Breeders’ Cup Distaff field currently led by the reigning division queen. The $2 million Distaff will be held Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

The Beldame Stakes at Belmont will include Royal Delta, two-time Distaff winner. She faces 3-year-old filly Princess of Sylmar. Plans call for Royal Delta to stay in her division and seek her third Distaff win, though the BC Classic has not been ruled out.

Sat, 09/21/2013 - 19:52

Pennsylvania Derby: Will Take Charge finishes strong; Breeders' Cup Classic next

Barbara D. Livingston
Will Take Charge, with Luis Saez up, wins the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby by 2 1/4 lengths.

BENSALEM, Pa. – The much ballyhooed rematch between Travers 1-2 finishers Will Take Charge and Moreno turned into a one-sided affair Saturday at Parx Racing as Will Take Charge rallied along the inside under Luis Saez and drew off to a decisive 2 1/4-length victory over Moreno in the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby.

Moreno, who was unable to secure an easy lead like he did in the Travers, held second by a neck over Battier. He was followed in the order of finish by Transparent, Fury Kapcori, Romansh, Speak Logistics, and Java’s War.

Sat, 09/21/2013 - 13:22

Santa Anita notes: Mucho Macho Man fresh for Awesome Again Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Mucho Macho Man will prep for the Breeders' Cup in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita.

Last fall, Mucho Macho Man was a late arrival at Santa Anita before finishing a game second to Fort Larned in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Blame that travel disruption on Hurricane Sandy.

This year, gruesome weather is unlikely to interfere with Mucho Macho Man’s preparation for the BC Classic on Nov. 2. Mucho Macho Man was sent West earlier this month and will have a local prep in the $250,000 Awesome Again Stakes over 1 1/8 miles next Saturday.

Fri, 09/20/2013 - 15:17

Belmont Park: Shanghai Bobby's comeback win may lead to Breeders' Cup start

Barbara D. Livingston
Shanghai Bobby (left) outfinishes Slan Abhaile to win his comeback race at Belmont Park on Friday.

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ELMONT, N.Y. – Shanghai Bobby, last year’s 2-year-old champion male, put himself in the picture for a return to the Breeders’ Cup with a neck victory in Friday’s $100,000 Aljamin Stakes at Belmont Park.