Tizway returned to the work tab Tuesday morning at Saratoga, but he is not returning to the Jockey Club Gold Cup field.
After missing a workout last week due to a temperature, Tizway breezed five furlongs in 1:01.44 over the Oklahoma training track Tuesday morning. Saratoga clockers caught Tizway in fractions of 13.20 seconds, 25.20, and 37.20. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.40.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Peter Walder would have been content to wait until the Breeders’ Cup Sprint to find out just how good a horse he had in Force Freeze. But when a stakes failed to fill at Monmouth Park on Labor Day, Walder needed a race to prepare Force Freeze for the Sprint.
With limited options, he chose Saturday’s Vosburgh, which could come up the best race on the card with as many as 11 horses pointing to it, including defending sprint champion Big Drama.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Though he has competed in 22 consecutive editions of the Breeders’ Cup, trainer Bill Mott broke a 12-year winless drought in the championship series when Unrivaled Belle captured last year’s Ladies’ Classic.
“They’re hard to win,” Mott said. “You’ve got to come loaded, you’ve got to come with good horses, the timing has to be right.”
Shackleford and Caleb’s Posse are among the 3-year-olds confirmed to race Saturday in the Indiana Derby, while trainer Bob Baffert said Monday he was still trying to decide whether to send Coil cross-country from California for the Grade 2, $500,000 race at Hoosier Park in suburban Indianapolis.
Trainer Dale Romans said he was happy with the way Shackleford, winner of the 2011 Preakness, breezed five furlongs in 59.80 seconds over a sloppy track at his Churchill Downs base Saturday morning.
“That’s what told me we need to go up there,” Romans said.
FLORENCE, Ky. – The Kentucky Cup Juvenile built a proud history during its first 15 runnings at Turfway Park when it was won by such standouts as Boston Harbor, Point Given, and Vindication. And when the $100,000 Juvenile was run Saturday for the first time since 2008, the winner looked like he just might be capable of upholding that tradition.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Twirling Candy, one of the top older horses in California this year, will make his next start in a Breeders' Cup race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 after missing training earlier this month because of a bruised foot, trainer John Sadler said on Friday.
Twirling Candy was not nominated for the $250,000 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita next Saturday. Earlier this month, Sadler mentioned the Grade 1 Goodwood as an early autumn goal for Twirling Candy.
Breeders’ Cup candidate Ben’s Cat is among 151 horses who were pre-entered Friday for next weekend’s 26th annual Jim McKay Maryland Million at Laurel Park.
The list includes 13 horses who were cross-entered in more than one race on the program, which features 11 stakes for the offspring of Maryland-based sires. Post positions for the $1.05 million worth of races will be held at noon Wednesday.
Ramon Dominguez has given trainer David Fawkes a two-race commitment aboard sprint champion Big Drama. Those two races are Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh Invitational followed by the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.
Last year, Big Drama was ridden by Eibar Coa, who was injured earlier this year in a spill at Gulfstream Park. Daniel Centeno rode Big Drama in his 2 1/4-length victory in the Whippleton Stakes at Calder on Sept. 4.
Big Drama was scheduled to work at Calder on Saturday and ship to New York next week.
Emerald Beech, winner of four consecutive races, will step up into Grade 1 company when she runs against Beverly D. winner Stacelita in Saturday’s $500,000 Flower Bowl Invitational, trainer Jonathan Sheppard confirmed on Friday.
Emerald Beech, a 5-year-old daughter of Maria’s Mon, is coming off a convincing 1 1/2-length score in the Grade 3 Glens Falls Handicap in which she handled a very soft Saratoga turf course.
In an attempt to beat the rain, trainer Christophe Clement sent out his stakes-winning pair of Winchester and Grassy for an in-company workout Friday morning in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park.
Winchester, under Christophe Lorieul, broke off 1 1/2 lengths in front of Grassy and finished about a head in front at the wire. Winchester was credited with a five-furlong time of 1:02.46, while Grassy went in 1:02.19 under Jerry Fogarty.
