DEL MAR, Calif. – Leucothea, winner of a $62,500 claiming race for maiden fillies by 14 1/2 lengths on Aug. 15, was supplemented to Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at a cost of $10,000 on Wednesday.
The $300,000 Del Mar Debutante is run at seven furlongs and is the championship race for 2-year-old fillies at the track’s summer meeting.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Roy H, the champion sprinter for the last two years, is unlikely to have a prep race in advance of an intended start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita, trainer Peter Miller said.
Miller said Wednesday that Roy H is doubtful for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Oct. 5.
“I think we’re running out of time for the Santa Anita Sprint,” Miller said.
Robby Albarado is set to return to action Saturday at Kentucky Downs after being sidelined 10 weeks by a wrist injury suffered in a June 23 spill at Churchill Downs. Albarado, 45, has a new agent in Rocco O’Connor, who has served this summer as the paddock analyst at Ellis while continuing to represent jockey Chantal Sutherland.
Before the spill, Albarado, a winner of 5,188 races in a career of nearly three decades, had Jake Romans as his agent. Romans is working for Martin Chuan and Channing Hill.
Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel is scheduled to appear in a Harrison County, Ind., court on Oct. 1 on charges of driving while intoxicated following his arrest Sunday night on his way home to Louisville after riding at Ellis Park.
Borel’s agent, Steve Krajcir, said the jockey stopped at a White Castle “for one hamburger” on exit 105 of Interstate 64 in Corydon when he was apprehended by police for making a wrong turn.
Mocito Rojo is likely headed to Kentucky following his win last weekend in the $175,000 Governor’s Cup at Remington Park.
Trainer Shane Wilson said Tuesday the Louisiana-based horse is being considered for the Grade 3, $250,000 Lukas Classic and the Grade 3, $150,000 Ack Ack. Both races will be run Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs.
“I think that’s the next spot, one of them,” Wilson said. “If it looks like we can be competitive, we’ll go up there and take a shot at it.”
ETOBICOKE Ontario – Stronach Stables could have two horses in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile here Sept. 14. Stronach racing consultant Mike Doyle said both American Guru and Silent Poet are under consideration for the $1 million turf event, which is a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In qualifier for the BC Mile on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
Trainer John Sadler, jockey Flavien Prat, and owners Kosta and Pete Hronis – the team that won the Pacific Classic and Pat O’Brien the last two weekends – will seek a sweep of the Sunday stakes at Del Mar with Nolo Contesto in the Grade 2, $250,000 Del Mar Derby and Encoder in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf.
Encoder was an impressive winner first time out going five furlongs, and will stretch out to a mile for his second start.
Sorrento Stakes winner Amalfi Sunrise, who suffered a hind-end injury that took her out of consideration for Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante, is “getting better,” trainer Simon Callaghan said, though exactly what is ailing her has yet to be conclusively identified.
Amalfi Sunrise was injured recently during a routine gallop. Callaghan said that a nuclear scan showed an area of concern, but subsequent X-rays failed to find anything. She has been kept at his Del Mar barn, and is walking every day.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Improbable, winner of the Shared Belief Stakes on Sunday, will have the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 as his major year-end goal, but how he gets there is yet to be determined, trainer Bob Baffert said.
“We’ll wait a week and then decide what to do,” said Baffert, who said he would discuss options with Elliott Walden, the president and chief executive of co-owner WinStar Farm.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mongolian Groom came out of his third-place finish in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 17 so well that trainer Enebish Ganbat immediately began looking for somewhere to run him next.
Ganbat landed on Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward at Saratoga. Mongolian Groom landed here on Sunday to complete preparations for the Woodward, run at 1 1/8 miles.
