DEL MAR, Calif. – The comeback of the graded stakes winner Reneesgotzip begins in Wednesday’s $85,000 CERF Stakes at Del Mar, the first start of an ambitious late-season campaign.
Trainer Peter Miller has the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 as a goal for Reneesgotzip, who has time for two races before that autumn goal.
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DEL MAR, Calif. - Trainer Julio Canani has won the Breeders’ Cup Mile twice, and he may take aim at the race again on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita with My Best Brother, who gave Canani a record fifth win in the Del Mar Derby on Sunday.
Canani’s previous Del Mar Derby winners were Blackdoun (2004), Val Royal (1999), Ladies Din (1998), and Silver Circus (1988). Val Royal won the BC Mile in 2001 at Belmont Park. Canani also won the BC Mile with Silic in 1999 at Gulfstream.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The undefeated 2-year-old star Executiveprivilege has seen the last of sprints for a while after her fourth career win in Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante.
At Santa Anita this fall, Executiveprivilege will have a campaign geared toward securing the 2-year-old filly championship.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Emcee, the authoritative winner of Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Forego Stakes at Saratoga, is more likely to be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at six furlongs than the Dirt Mile, his connections said Sunday morning.
Though Emcee was pulling away from the field in winning the seven-furlong Forego by 4 1/2 lengths, the 4-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song has yet to race beyond seven furlongs and has never run around two turns. At Santa Anita, the site of this year’s Breeders’ Cup, the Dirt Mile is run around two turns.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - While no final decision has been made, Charlotte Weber, the owner of Grade 1 Woodward Stakes winner To Honor and Serve, said Sunday morning she prefers the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic to the $1 million Dirt Mile for her multiple Grade 1-winning colt.
“In order of preference, obviously, the Classic comes first, but I wouldn’t be ashamed to win either,” Weber said Sunday morning, after stopping by trainer Bill Mott’s barn.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It was horses like the champion Royal Delta and To Honor and Serve that inspired Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott to go to the barn each morning this past winter in south Florida.
But as the year went along, To Honor and Serve had put in a couple of uninspiring performances, most recently in the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont Park.
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Trainer Bret Calhoun returns Chamberlain Bridge to the Grade 3, $350,000 Turf Monster on Monday at Parx Racing with renewed confidence.
After a disappointing stretch in which Chamberlain Bridge appeared to have lost a step, the 8-year-old gelding snapped back with a pair of strong efforts. He was a sharp closing second in the Arlington Sprint before rallying to win the My Frenchman Stakes at Monmouth Park.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Two of the biggest storylines of the 144th Saratoga meet seek a proper conclusion Monday when trainer Todd Pletcher takes on Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing in the Grade 2, $300,000 Hopeful Stakes on closing day.
Entering Saturday, Pletcher had won 21 races for juveniles at the meet, including 20 maiden races, and was the leading trainer in races and purse money won. Prior to Emcee running in Saturday’s Grade 1 Forego, Godolphin Racing had won four graded stakes – including the Alabama and Travers – and was the leading owner in purse money won.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – The Monmouth Park-based Sean Avery, sidelined for more than a year with a tendon injury, makes his comeback Monday in the $350,000 Turf Monster Handicap at Parx Racing.
The enormously talented 6-year-old gelding has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. The Turf Monster will be only the 11th start for Sean Avery, named for the now-retired pugnacious hockey player. It also will be his first race on grass.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The inaugural running of the $100,000 Oak Tree Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Wednesday comes at the perfect time for owners Sam Britt and Michael House and trainer Jeff Mullins.
This year at Del Mar, they have won maiden races with the highly promising juveniles Dry Summer and Gabriel Charles. In past years, both would likely have started in Wednesday’s $300,000 Del Mar Futurity. This year, they are being split up. Dry Summer is bound for the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf, which is run over a mile.
