ELMONT, N.Y. – Final Frontier and Shekky Shebaz, who have traded decisions in the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational and Lucky Coin Stakes, are likely to meet again in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
Final Frontier finished second to Shekky Shebaz in the Lucky Coin, and flipped the script in the Belmont Turf Sprint, beating that rival by three-quarters of a length. Final Frontier earned a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Filly and mare turf sprinters comprise such a narrow niche that no Breeders’ Cup event has been created for them (yet, anyway). Lacking such opportunity, it looks like the absolute best of this specialized division – with barely any exceptions – will be on hand Friday at Keeneland for the Grade 3, $150,000 Franklin County Stakes.
Morticia, an earner of $989,669, could be making her final career start as part of an oversubscribed field in the 23rd Franklin County. In all, 16 were entered, but only as many as 14 can start in the 5 1/2-furlong race.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Final pre-race works were recorded last weekend for most of the 3-year-old turf fillies intended for the sixth and final Grade 1 race of the Keeneland fall meet, the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on Saturday.
The Chad Brown trio of Cafe Americano (48.40 seconds), Cambier Parc (49.80), and Regal Glory (49.80) all were sent through half-mile breezes over the Keeneland main track last Saturday as they prepared for the 36th QE II, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for which 12 have been invited. Entries were to be drawn Wednesday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Eight years ago, trainer Steve Asmussen won the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park with My Miss Aurelia, who came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs and become the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011.
Asmussen will try to complete that same double with Wicked Whisper, who on Sunday won the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette by 2 3/4 lengths to earn her spot in the starting gate for the $2 million Juvenile Fillies on Nov. at Santa Anita.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Chad Brown knows anything can happen in a horse race, but he can’t help but be confident in Sistercharlie’s chances to repeat in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.
MIAMI – Brian Cohen, president of Arindel, has confirmed that Onyx is a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf if she is able to get into what is expected to be a full field on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.
Onyx is perfect in three starts on grass, including a three-length victory in the Our Dear Peggy Stakes at Gulfstream on Sept. 28. She earned a career-high 72 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort, which would put her right in the mix with the majority of the leading U.S. candidates for the event.
MIAMI – Jockey Leonel Reyes proved that the three victories he registered on opening day of the 2019 Gulfstream Park West meeting were no fluke when he came back Saturday to post four more wins, including a natural hat trick with Dixie Spirit, Royal Spirit, and La Australiana in races 5 through 7 on the card.
La Australiana, the 5-2 favorite, captured the afternoon’s main event, a first-level allowance race on the turf for trainer Juan Avila.
MIAMI – Under normal circumstances, Gunnevera would be preparing for a trip to California and another shot at the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But this has not been a normal season for the 2018 Classic runner-up, who has not started since his third-place finish to Thunder Snow on March 30 in the Dubai World Cup.
ARCADIA, Calif. – From a $40,000 claimer in February to a Grade 3 winner Saturday, Lady Ninja has had a quite transformation this year.
After winning Saturday’s Grade 3 L.A. Woman Stakes at Santa Anita, Lady Ninja is being strongly considered for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint here at seven furlongs on Nov. 2.
“I think she can do seven-eighths and I think she’s an improving horse,” trainer Richard Baltas said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Toinette won her second stakes in the last year in Saturday’s $77,275 Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares, and her trainer, Neil Drysdale, said Sunday he also was encouraged by the fifth-place finish by La Sardane.
