LEXINGTON, Ky. – Rusty Arnold says he doesn’t have much to run this fall at Keeneland, which is somewhat ironic. Arnold is closely identified with his hometown track, and he’s enjoying his best year yet in a remarkable training career dating to his late teens.
“I do like Keeneland,” quipped Arnold, 64, “but I also like the money they were giving away last month at Kentucky Downs and Churchill Downs.”
Preakness Stakes winner War of Will is under consideration for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita, trainer Mark Casse said Monday.
“We’re going to look at the Dirt Mile and also the Breeders’ Cup Classic,” he said. “We’re going to point toward both, just kind of see how things go.”
McKinzie will have a new rider in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
Trainer Bob Baffert on Tuesday said that he has decided to make a switch from Mike Smith, who has ridden McKinzie in all 13 of his career starts. This follows a second-place finish as the odds-on favorite in the Awesome Again Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, the colt's fourth second-place finish this year in six starts.
Totally Boss punched his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint by winning the Grade 3 Runhappy Turf Sprint on Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs, a Win and You’re In event.
The gelding had previously won the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint Stakes on Aug. 4 at Ellis Park, putting himself in line for a $1 million bonus if he could add wins in the Grade 2 Woodford Stakes on Oct. 4 at Keeneland and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
The most important cluster of preps toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint will come within a span of just a few hours this Sunday. The Futurity at Belmont, the Indian Summer at Keeneland, and the Speakeasy at Santa Anita figure to significantly impact the composition of the field.
A pair of key preps for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint will be run Saturday and will go a long way in determining just who the top challengers will be to the likely favorites Covfefe and Come Dancing.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine has joined forces with its industry partners to launch a trial for new techniques on urging horses with the whip. The trial begins Oct. 18 and goes through the end of the meet on Dec. 15.
The new Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario rule limits urging in Thoroughbred racing to underhand use of the crop only. It also does not allow contact with the crop in the cocked position and prohibits any hits to the horse’s belly or surrounding area.
Trainer Peter Miller ended all speculation when telling Daily Racing Form on Monday that Roy H will not be back to defend the Breeders' Cup Sprint title he won in 2017 and 2018 in November at Santa Anita.
Roy H has been fighting foot issues since he was scratched from the Dubai Golden Shaheen earlier this spring. The 7-year-old son of More Than Ready had his first work back on September 21, going three furlongs in 38.40 at San Luis Rey Downs, at which time Miller said all would have to go perfectly from that point on for Roy H to make it back to the Breeders' Cup.
Remington Park handled $3,086,572 from all sources on its 13-race Oklahoma Derby Day program, an all-time live handle record for the track, said track spokesman Dale Day. The card was increased to 13 races this year after being at 12 since 2016, according to Day.
There were eight stakes Sunday. Remington offered an all-stakes pick four on races 10-13 that had a minimum guaranteed pool of $75,000. The final pool was $254,167. The winning numbers were 9-10-11-3 and the 50-cent bet returned $578.35.
Asmussen, Santana set records
Owendale may have put himself in the Breeders’ Cup.
The winner of the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sunday night at Remington Park, Owendale could make his next start in one of two Breeders’ Cup races, trainer Brad Cox said Monday. The horse is under consideration for either the $6 million Classic or the $1 million Dirt Mile, both Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
Owendale was scheduled to fly home to his Churchill Downs base Tuesday.
“First and foremost, we want to see how he comes out of the race,” said Cox, who trains Owendale for Rupp Racing.
