ELMONT, N.Y. – The Grade 2 stakes winner Instagrand, unraced since he finished eighth as the favorite in the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile in May, worked five furlongs in 58.80 seconds out of the gate Friday morning over the Belmont Park main track.
It was his sixth work since he returned to trainer Don Chatlos’s barn in Saratoga earlier this summer. Previously trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Instagrand sustained a hind leg fracture diagnosed after the Pat Day Mile.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Jimmy Toner experienced the extremes of his profession on Thursday.
At Belmont Park, Toner won Thursday’s fourth race, a maiden turf event, with the 3-year-old filly Whatdoesasharksay ($9.90). It was Toner’s third win with as many starters at the fall meet.
One of those winners was Coffee Crush, who captured a first-level allowance here on Sept. 13. On Thursday morning, however, Coffee Crush died from an apparent cardiovascular collapse while galloping on the pony track.
All-sources handle throughout California was down 4.6 percent to $328.8 million in August, contributing to a decline of 10.5 percent through the first eight months of the year, according to figures released at Thursday’s California Horse Racing Board meeting.
In August, handle on Thoroughbred races at Del Mar and the Northern California fair circuit was $305.9 million, a decline of 4.5 percent, while handle on the Quarter Horse and lower-level Thoroughbred meeting at Los Alamitos was $22.8 million, down 5.6 percent.
There were several notable workouts on Friday at Santa Anita for upcoming stakes in late September and early October as the build-up intensifies for the Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 1-2.
The Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at five furlongs on turf on Sept. 27 is scheduled to include Eddie Haskell, a two-time stakes winner in turf sprints earlier this year, who worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds on Friday. Eddie Haskell was second to Eddie D candidate Mr Vargas in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar on Aug. 17.
Ginobili, fourth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 2, is likely to make his turf debut in the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes at five furlongs at Santa Anita on Oct. 6.
Trainer Richard Baltas said on Friday that the surface switch is being strongly considered for Ginobili, the impressive winner of a maiden special weight race at six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 17. Baltas ruled out a start in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 27 for Ginobili.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Omaha Beach will make his first start since the Arkansas Derby by racing at Churchill Downs – just like he was meant to.
Of course, there’s one small detail that has changed from the original plan: timing. Instead of the 145th Kentucky Derby – the May 4 race from which Omaha Beach was scratched as the morning-line favorite – the colt will return to action next Saturday night (Sept. 28) under the Churchill lights in the 27th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Ack Ack.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Los Alamitos was granted an additional week of Thoroughbred racing in December 2020 at Thursday’s California Horse Racing Board meeting after discussions between officials of Southern California racetracks and the Thoroughbred Owners of California.
Los Alamitos was allotted four weeks of racing for 2020 at the racing’s board meeting in August – June 25 to July 5, and Dec. 3-13. The December meeting will now include an additional week of racing, through Dec. 20.
The defection from Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby of morning-line favorite Maximum Security due to colic not only makes that race more wide open, but it would seem to also open up the race for 3-year-old male champion.
War of Will, the Preakness winner, could potentially get back in the conversation for divisional honors were he able to win the Pennsylvania Derby, the headliner on a 13-race card at Parx. But even his trainer, Mark Casse, goes into Saturday’s race with some trepidation following next-to-last finishes in both the Belmont Stakes and Jim Dandy.
ELMONT, N.Y. – On Tuesday, trainer Jimmy Jerkens sent out Preservationist and Green Light Go for significant, stamina-building workouts in preparation for their respective upcoming engagements.
Preservationist, the Grade 1 Woodward winner, went seven furlongs in 1:28.15 as he points to the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 28. Preservationist began the work at the half-mile pole and came to the wire in 50.95 seconds. He picked it up once past the wire going his next quarter in 24.88 seconds. His final eighth of the move was 12.32 seconds.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Pending expected approval from the New York State Gaming Commission, racing at Belmont Park will continue through Oct. 27, and first post on weekdays will be 1 p.m. starting next Wednesday.
Owing to construction of a hockey arena behind the west end of the grandstand, NYRA officials had previously announced that the final 14 days of the Belmont meet – Oct. 11-27 – would be conducted at Aqueduct. Also, first post on weekdays since the meet began on Sept. 6 has been 3 p.m. with NYRA forced to card only eight races due to limits on available daylight.
