Fri, 09/27/2019 - 15:06

Baze will resume riding full time at Santa Anita Oct. 5

Barbara D. Livingston
Tyler Baze had a busy and prodcutive summer riding on different circuits.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Tyler Baze will resume riding at Santa Anita on a full-time basis Oct. 5 after spending most of the last six months in the Midwest.

Baze rode primarily at Oaklawn Park, throughout Kentucky, and spent some weekdays at Del Mar during the summer. Baze has won five stakes since mid-April at Midwest tracks.

“I was able to get my name out there,” he said in an interview earlier this week.

“I wanted to ride for new trainers and the guys that don’t know me. I think it was a good run. I got to ride first call for Steve Asmussen at Ellis Park.

Fri, 09/27/2019 - 15:06

Mitole gets back to work

Barbara D. Livingston
On Friday at Belmont Park, Mitole had his first work since winning the Forego on Aug. 24.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Mitole, the multiple Grade 1 winner, breezed a half-mile in 50.13 seconds Friday morning over the Belmont Park training track. It was his first work since he won the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga on Aug. 24.

The Steve Asmussen-trained Mitole is to make his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 2. He is expected to ship to Southern California on Monday along with stablemate Midnight Bisou, a Breeders’ Cup Distaff contender who was to have had her final prep in Saturday’s Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont.

Fri, 09/27/2019 - 15:00

Champagne among Tagg's options with Tiz the Law

Susie Raisher
Tiz the Law worked five furlongs in 59.44 on Thursday at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Barclay Tagg is in a quandary about where to next run Tiz the Law.

Does he take a swing and run the debut winner in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, or take the more conservative approach and point to races like the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow for New York-breds on Oct. 19 or the Grade 3, $150,000 Nashua at Aqueduct on Nov. 3?

“I’d love to run him in the Champagne but I don’t know if off that one maiden race it’d be a good idea,” Tagg said Friday. “He certainly acts like nothing fazes him.”

Fri, 09/27/2019 - 15:00

Performer stretching out in allowance

Ronnie Betor
Performer, a two-time winner in sprints, will try 1 1/16 miles in Sunday's seventh race at Belmont.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Code of Honor may be the most high-profile 3-year-old in trainer Shug McGaughey’s barn, but he is far from being the only talented one.

Performer, a son of Speightstown, has won both his starts this year. Sunday, he will try to stretch out in distance when he runs 1 1/16 miles in a second-level allowance that goes as race 7 on Belmont Park’s nine-race card.

Fri, 09/27/2019 - 08:57

Saez returns to the scene of Kentucky Derby DQ

Barbara D. Livingston
Luis Saez celebrates after crossing the finish line first in the Kentucky Derby. He says he did the best he could to correct Maximum Security when he veered outward.

Jockey Luis Saez will be back Sunday at Churchill for the first time since the historic disqualification of his mount Maximum Security from first to 17th in the May 4 Kentucky Derby.

Saez will be in from New York primarily to ride the maiden Necker Island for Sagamore Farm and trainer Stan Hough in the eighth race. The 2-year-old Hard Spun colt was a troubled third in his career debut on closing weekend of the Saratoga meet.

“He ran pretty well first out, so much that Luis wanted to ride him back,” said Sagamore manager Hunter Rankin. “We’re glad to have him.”

Fri, 09/27/2019 - 08:54

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile likely spot for Mr. Money

Coady Photography
Mr. Money takes the West Virginia Derby by six lengths, his fourth straight victory under jockey Gabe Saez.

Mr. Money, second by a neck in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx last Saturday, resumed training this week at Churchill and likely will make his next start in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita, said trainer Bret Calhoun.

“It was a pretty brutal beat,” said Calhoun, “but the colt came back good and we’re happy with him. We’ll watch how he trains and keep the Dirt Mile as our first option.”

Calhoun said that another option for Mr. Money is to wait until the Grade 1 Clark here Nov. 29.

Fri, 09/27/2019 - 08:46

Keeneland packs 10 stakes into first few days of meet

Barbara D. Livingston
Perfect Alibi, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, wins the Grade 1 Spinaway by 1 1/4 lengths at Saratoga.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The seasonal turnover of stall space has been ongoing at Keeneland as officials at the Lexington, Ky., track continue their preparations for the 17-day fall meet.

Yearlings who went through the sales ring earlier this month have been displaced by active racehorses throughout the barn area at Keeneland, where an action-packed, front-loaded meet will get under way Friday. Ten stakes will be run during the first three days, known as FallStars Weekend.

Wed, 09/25/2019 - 20:22

Fair Grounds adjusts distances of Kentucky Derby preps

Barbara D. Livingston
Fair Grounds will add distance to the Lecomte, Risen Star, and Louisiana Derby in 2020.

Fair Grounds is hoping adding distance will add appeal to its 3-year-old dirt-route stakes races in 2020.

The New Orleans track disseminated a news release Wednesday announcing its 2019-2020 stakes schedule, which reportedly was published online last week. The program includes 56 stakes worth $7.13 million, or almost the same overall stakes commitment as last season, when the track hosted 56 stakes worth $6.89 million.

Wed, 09/25/2019 - 15:56

Imperial Hint to face five as he seeks Vosburgh repeat

Ronnie Betor
Imperial Hint will make his first start Saturday since winning his second straight Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Imperial Hint already scored a second straight victory in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap. Saturday, he will be heavily favored to record a second straight win in the Grade 1, $300,000 Vosburgh Stakes at six furlongs.

Imperial Hint won last year’s Vosburgh at odds of 1-5 and figures to be close to that price again on Saturday. Six horses were entered, including Promises Fulfilled and Firenze Fire.

Promises Fulfilled won the Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes here in July but finished last in the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga last out.

Wed, 09/25/2019 - 15:56

Midnight Bisou draws rail in six-horse Beldame

Barbara D. Livingston
Midnight Bisou will try to keep her 2019 record perfect in the Grade 1 Beldame.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Midnight Bisou, the clear leader of the older female dirt division, looms a heavy favorite in a field of six entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park.

Midnight Bisou comes off a nose victory over Elate in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign, her sixth victory in as many starts this year, all in graded stakes company. That streak includes a 3 1/2-length victory over Come Dancing in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps here in June. Come Dancing has since come back to win the Grade 1 Ballerina and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom.