Fri, 11/08/2019 - 12:56

Acclimate likely for Hollywood Turf Cup

Emily Shields
Acclimate, who finished ninth in the Breeders' Cup Turf, is being pointed to the Nov. 29 Hollywood Turf Cup.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Phil D’Amato said that Acclimate, who was ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last Saturday, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup going 1 1/2 miles here on Nov. 29. He won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap going 1 3/8 miles on turf this past summer.

Acclimate was one of three horses D’Amato ran in the Breeders’ Cup. He said that Bowies Hero, who was fifth in the Mile after capturing the Grade 1 Shadwell Mile, “will get 45 days of paddock rest, and then we’ll look to campaign him next year.”

Fri, 11/08/2019 - 12:50

Sunday maiden race could produce stakes runners

DEL MAR, Calif. – A maiden race for 2-year-olds going long on the turf on Sunday at Del Mar might produce horses who could come back by closing day Dec. 1 in the Grade 3, $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes.

Both the maiden race and the DeMille are at a mile. Four of the 11 horses in the maiden race, the last of nine races on the card, are making their debuts, and several who have run have shown promise, but the one who is likely to attract the most attention is newcomer Royal Act, an American Pharoah colt who has been held in high regard for months.

Fri, 11/08/2019 - 09:50

Pirate's Punch sharp for allowance

Coady Photography
Pirate's Punch won back-to-back starts earlier this year before finishing third in the Super Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Pirate’s Punch took the highly regarded Gray Magician to the limit in his last race, furthering his sharp recent form over dirt.

Off his neck loss behind Gray Magician on Oct. 11 at Keeneland, Pirate’s Punch looks as good as any of the nine entered in the ninth race here on Sunday, a $99,000 second-level allowance that anchors a 10-race card to close out another five-day race week here.

Fri, 11/08/2019 - 09:50

Renay Borel has first winner as trainer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Renay Borel notched the first win of her training career when Flatoutandfoxy rallied to win the fifth race Wednesday at Churchill. Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel, the trainer’s husband, was aboard the 3-year-old filly for owner Carson McCord.

Renay Borel, 32, is a native of Bradenton, Fla. She had worked for years as an exercise rider prior to bearing the couple’s son, Chase, in September 2017.

Fri, 11/08/2019 - 09:50

Beschizza heading early to Fair Grounds

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Adam Beschizza led the Fair Grounds jockey standings entering Thursday's card.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Adam Beschizza is leaving this circuit to arrive early at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, where the 2019-20 meet begins Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28. Beschizza was the leading jockey at the 2018-19 Fair Grounds meet.

Beschizza had hoped to resume riding at Churchill after recovering from a fractured collarbone suffered in an Oct. 9 spill on the Keeneland turf course, but circumstances were such that “it just made more sense for him to get all settled in” at Fair Grounds, said agent Liz Morris.

“He’d really like to be leading rider again,” Morris said.

Fri, 11/08/2019 - 09:46

Dennis' Moment, none worse for Breeders' Cup Juvenile stumble, heads to farm for a break

Barbara D. Livingston
Dennis' Moment (right) was favored in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but stumbled out of the gate and lost all chance.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dennis’ Moment left the Dale Romans stable at Churchill Downs early Thursday for WinStar Farm, where the star-crossed colt will get about 45 days off before being reunited with his trainer in Florida sometime next month.

Romans said the Albaugh Family Stables colt was examined “really closely” by equine veterinarian John Garrity prior to being sent to WinStar in Versailles, Ky.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:50

Haikal works for return from long layoff

Debra A. Roma
Haikal earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95 for his victory in the Gotham Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Haikal, who won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in the spring, worked four furlongs in 50.90 seconds on Wednesday morning over the Belmont Park training track as he gets closer to a return to the races.

Haikal started five lengths behind a stablemate and made up all but one at the wire. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said the workmate, Qaabil, started too far in front at the beginning of the work.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:50

Tax forgos Kentucky trip for Discovery Stakes

Susie Raisher
Tax works a half-mile over the Belmont training track in 50.40 seconds on Friday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After flirting with the idea of sending Tax to Churchill Downs for Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Commonwealth Turf for 3-year-olds, trainer Danny Gargan said the goal for the Jim Dandy winner will be the Grade 3, $250,000 Discovery on dirt on Nov. 30 at Aqueduct.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:46

Full field for Atlantic Beach Stakes

Coady Photography
Embolden wins the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial Downs by 3 3/4 lengths.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The $100,000 Atlantic Beach for 2-year-olds going a mile on Saturday is a popular race as 14 were entered. Only 12 will be permitted to start in the six-furlong turf stakes.

The field includes Freewheeler, Embolden, and Jack and Noah, the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers behind Four Wheel Drive in the Grade 3 Futurity on Oct. 6 at Belmont. Four Wheel Drive won last week’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

Wed, 11/06/2019 - 14:40

Purses at Texas tracks, starting with Sam Houston, will increase dramatically in 2020

Sam Houston has announced significant upgrades to its purse structure for the 39-date meet that opens Jan. 10. The track, which is running seven more dates than last year, races through March 28.