Mon, 09/23/2019 - 13:46

Famished switching to turf for Pilgrim Stakes

Ronnie Betor
Famished, a son of Uncle Mo, has worked twice on the turf preparing for his Thursday race.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though Famished was a smart-looking winner on dirt at Saratoga, he will be switched to the turf for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park.

Famished is a son of Uncle Mo out of the Survivalist mare Ravenist. Progeny of Uncle Mo who have been successful on turf include Mo Town, Moon Colony, and Epical.

“The Uncle Mos have run pretty well on the turf. I think the turf division is a little softer than the dirt division, so if you’re entertaining the Breeders’ Cup that might be the way to go,” trainer John Kimmel said.

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 13:26

Anonymity to skip Zenyatta, point for LA Woman Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Anonymity (center) will be kept at sprint distances for now.

Anonymity, third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs last November, will start in the Grade 3 LA Woman Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Oct. 5 and will not start in Sunday’s Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, trainer Richard Mandella said on Monday.

Anonymity, second as the 3-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 11, worked five furlongs in 59 seconds at Santa Anita on Monday. The workout was the fastest of 58 works at the distance.

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 13:26

Chance It works five furlongs for two-turn debut in In Reality Stakes

Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. (right) will try to win his second rich stakes in a week Saturday with Chance It (above) in the In Reality Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – When trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. booked an 8:24 p.m. flight back to Florida Saturday night following the Pennsylvania Derby, he never took into consideration the one factor that could possibly keep him from catching his plane: A delay from speaking to the press should his Math Wizard actually win.

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 12:46

Mr Havercamp to have winter campaign

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Catherine Day Phillips is taking her time with Mr Havercamp, winner of the Forbidden Apple at Saratoga.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Canadian champion Mr Havercamp had been pointing toward the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14, a race he finished second in last year, but was ultimately not entered by trainer Catherine Day Phillips and owner-breeders Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry. Day Phillips said she has not made any firm plans about Mr Havercamp’s next start, but added he would be pointed toward a winter campaign.

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 12:46

Yorkton being pointed to Nearctic Stakes

Michael Burns
Yorkton, shown winning the Bold Venture, will make his next start in the Nearctic Stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Following Yorkton’s second consecutive victory in the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes on Sept. 14, trainer Stu Simon said he would point the 5-year-old son of Speighstown to the Grade 2, $250,000 Nearctic Stakes over six furlongs on turf on Oct. 12.

Simon said he also was looking toward the Grade 2, $175,000 Kennedy Road Stakes on Nov. 23 to close Yorkton’s 2019 campaign. Yorkton ran in both races last season, finishing second in the Nearctic before running fourth in the Kennedy Road.

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 12:40

Sharp workout for Sadler's Joy

Barbara D. Livingston
Sadler's Joy (right) is coming off a near miss in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Sadler’s Joy put in a sharp workout Monday morning, going five furlongs in 1:00.84 over Belmont Park’s main track in preparation for a start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes here on Oct. 5.

Under jockey Jose Lezcano, Sadler’s Joy went his first quarter in 25.59 seconds and his final three furlongs in 35.25. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.13.

“I was looking for a 1:02. Jose said he was doing it pretty easy. He was just in hand,” trainer Tom Albertrani said.

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 12:36

Ortiz brothers set to serve suspensions

Barbara D. Livingston
Jose Ortiz will miss three days beginning Wednesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jose Ortiz and his brother Irad Ortiz Jr. will both be serving three-day suspensions over the next 10 days.

Jose Ortiz will miss this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after dropping an appeal of a suspension handed him for his ride on Hai Bobby in the seventh race at Saratoga on Aug. 28. Hai Bobby came over on a horse in midstretch, creating a chain reaction of bumping. Hai Bobby finished fourth and was disqualified to fifth.

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 12:36

Code of Honor wraps up Gold Cup prep

Ronnie Betor
Code of Honor comes into the Jockey Club Gold Cup off a victory in the Grade 1 Travers.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After Math Wizard upset Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at odds of 31-1, trainer Shug McGaughey admitted to having a fleeting moment of regret about not running Travers winner Code of Honor in that race.

By Monday, though, McGaughey was quite content with his decision to point Code of Honor to Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, a track where Code of Honor has run well and trained superbly over most of his career.

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 12:36

Velazquez to ride Midnight Bisou in Beldame

ELMONT, N.Y. – With Mike Smith staying in Southern California to ride leading Breeders’ Cup Classic hopeful McKinzie in the Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again at Santa Anita, John Velazquez has picked up the mount on Midnight Bisou for Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park.

Smith has ridden Midnight Bisou in 14 of her 17 races, including all six of her graded stakes victories this year. Velazquez rode Midnight Bisou in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff. where she finished third.

Mon, 09/23/2019 - 11:26

Maker makes two $80,000 claims out of the same race

Coady Photography
Trainer Mike Maker claimed Line Judge (above) and Pete's Play Call for $80,000 each out of the seventh race Friday at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Don’t look now, but Mike Maker is at it again. The claiming maven haltered both Line Judge and Pete’s Play Call for $80,000 out of the seventh race Friday and will be looking to replicate the type of success he has enjoyed with similar high-dollar claims such as Furthest Land, Dark Cove, Da Big Hoss, and Hogy.

Owner Michael Hui, who claimed Zulu Alpha here last September for $80,000 and since has won four graded stakes with him, the last three with Maker as trainer, is one of the partners in both of the new claims.