Jaxon Traveler will travel to New Mexico for his next start after becoming a millionaire in last month’s $100,000 David M. Vance at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
Trainer Steve Asmussen said Jaxon Traveler is being pointed to the $100,000 Zia Park Sprint. The six-furlong race will be run on the Land of Enchantment card of stakes Nov. 26.
“That was kind of the race that got him back winning last year,” Asmussen said.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Domestic Product, who had been mentioned solely as a candidate for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, will also be pre-entered in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint, trainer Chad Brown said Saturday.
Prominent Quarter Horse trainer Heath Taylor was summarily suspended by the stewards at The Downs at Albuquerque on Friday because of an outbreak of equine infectious anemia in his stable in recent weeks that has resulted in the death of 21 horses in his stable in California and Texas.
Taylor, in a text message, said he plans to fight the suspension in court and was speaking with lawyers on Friday afternoon to discuss a course of action.
“I maintain 110 percent innocence,” he wrote. “I am the one at loss and now penalized.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The day after he worked three of his Breeders’ Cup contenders at Saratoga, trainer Todd Pletcher was back at Belmont Park on Friday morning to put two more of his BC hopefuls through their penultimate workouts.
Tapit Trice, Pletcher’s “other” BC Classic contender, worked a half-mile in 49.12 seconds over the training track. Going in company with Crupi, the Grade 2 Suburban winner, Tapit Trice went in splits of 12.69 seconds, 24.72, 49.12, and continued on through five furlongs in 1:02.00, six furlongs in 1:14.79, and seven furlongs in 1:28.90.
That Richard Rigney is the owner of one top contender and the breeder of another in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is an example of the growth of his racing and breeding operation over the years.
As an owner, Rigney will send out Jonathan’s Way in this year’s $2 million Juvenile to be held Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Rigney also is the breeder of Chancer McPatrick, who comes into the Juvenile as a two-time Grade 1 winner and figures to go off the first or second choice in the Juvenile.
“Isn’t that crazy?” Rigney said.
No winner of the Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland went on to capture the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Trainer Will Walden hopes his first Breeders’ Cup starter will be the first horse to do the double.
Minaret Station might come to Del Mar under the radar, but that didn’t matter in the Bourbon. At odds of 38-1, he blew past three rivals in the final furlong like they were tied to a post and galloped out powerfully – right into the Juvenile Turf.
When Auguste Rodin won the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita last November as the 5-2 favorite, many trifecta bettors were foiled by the Japanese shipper Shahryar who was third at 25-1.
Back in 2019, the even-money favorite Bricks and Mortar was fully extended to win the BC Turf by a head over 51-1 United.
Full Serrano and Katonah are among at least five Southern California-based runners expected for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar, making this year’s renewal a home game for many in the anticipated field.
Other California-based hopefuls include likely favorite National Treasure, as well as Dr. Venkman and Muth.
The notion that Notable Speech will win the Breeders’ Cup Mile next month at Del Mar finds traction in the fact his trainer never has run a horse in the race who lost.
Charlie Appleby, private and lead trainer for Godolphin, sent out his first Mile runner in 2021, when Space Blues won at Del Mar. At Keeneland in 2022, Modern Games ruled a three-quarter-length Mile winner. And last year at Santa Anita, Master of The Seas remarkably rallied from 11th at the stretch call to first at the wire, winning the 2023 Mile.
Trainer Brad Cox believes the Highland Falls he will send to Southern California in November is a better version of the one he sent there in March. If that proves true, Highland Falls should be a significant player in the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
After winning three of his first four starts between Kentucky and Louisiana, Highland Falls was shipped west by Cox and Godolphin Racing for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 3. Racing last for the first half of the race, Highland Falls ultimately finished fourth, 2 3/4 lengths behind Newgate.
