DEL MAR, Calif. – Inspiressa will have her career debut in a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies in Sunday’s fourth race at Del Mar.
She has already become a sentimental favorite for trainer John Sadler after an incident during training hours here on July 18 when Inspiressa narrowly avoided a collision that caused the death of two horses.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 17 may have its largest field in six years.
Racing officials said on Friday that Bal Harbour, second in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup at Monmouth Park on July 20, is a likely runner, bringing the list of candidates to 11. The 2013 running had 12 starters.
Bal Harbour is trained by Todd Pletcher and would be his first starter at a Del Mar summer meeting. Pletcher had six runners at Del Mar on Breeders’ Cup weekend in November 2017.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Laz Barrera won the 1978 Triple Crown with Affirmed, a feat that went unmatched for 37 years. That same year, Laz’s niece, Carmen Barrera, went to work at the New York Racing Association. For the better part of four decades, her impact on New York racing has been similarly unparalleled.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Bolo, the winner of the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 27, worked five furlongs on turf in 1:01.60 at Del Mar on Thursday under jockey Florent Geroux, who flew to California specifically for the workout.
Bolo is expected to start in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf on Aug. 18.
:: Get PPs, Clocker Reports, picks, and more from DRF's Saratoga/Del Mar One-Stop Shop
DEL MAR, Calif. - The disqualification of Jamming Eddy from first to second in Wednesday’s seventh race at Del Mar led to the promotion of 17-1 Asaro to first-place and a single ticket payoff of $373,586 in the pick six.
The winning ticket was purchased for $960 at the Lake Elsinore, Calif., satellite facility, according to Del Mar officials.
:: Get PPs, Clocker Reports, picks, and more from DRF's Saratoga/Del Mar One-Stop Shop
DEL MAR, Calif. - A series of quick workouts and a brilliant pedigree have led to heightened expectations for the career debut of Garth, who starts in a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Saturday.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Garth will start from the rail in a field of six and is expected to be a strong favorite. Thursday morning, Baffert was optimistic that Garth will perform well, judging from the colt’s recent workouts.
“He’s been working heads up with Eight Rings,” he said.
As of Wednesday morning there were 11 horses confirmed for Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile. Anyportina-storm, who has dominated the local handicap division, figures to be favored in the most prestigious race at Emerald.
Trained by Blaine Wright, the 5-year-old son of City Zip is coming off a decisive front-running win in the $50,000 Budweiser Stakes on June 30. With a sharp half-mile in 48 seconds Monday, Anyportina-storm seems primed for a big performance in a race Wright very much wants to win.
SARATOGA SPECIAL, N.Y. – Homerique, a multiple graded-stakes-winning filly in the U.S. in 2019, will not race again this year, trainer Chad Brown said Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, she had a setback, a minor ankle injury, and we’ve stopped on her for the season and plan on running her as a 5-year-old next year,” Brown said.
Homerique, a 4-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate owned by Peter Brant, had been under consideration for the Beverly D. before the setback.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Seven last-out maiden winners and one horse who lost his debut by a nose make up the eight-horse field entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special for 2-year-olds at six furlongs.
Green Light Go, a son of Hard Spun, could go favored because his 3 1/4-length debut win on July 4 earned a field-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure. Zyramid, a son of City Zip, was a sharp 2 3/4-length winner here on July 13.
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Maximum Security, a multiple Grade 1 winner, was credited with a half-mile workout in 54 seconds Wednesday at Monmouth Park, which was basically how fast he went the last half-mile of a one-mile gallop. Afterwards, trainer Jason Servis told the Monmouth Park publicity office that he won’t decide until Aug. 19 or 20 whether to run in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 24.
“I just want to make sure he is 100 percent,” Servis said. “He’s still not there yet.”
