Mon, 08/19/2019 - 12:00

Stall targeting another Super Derby win

Coady Photography
Trainer Al Stall is still looking for his first victory at the current Fair Grounds meet.

Trainer Al Stall will attempt to win the Super Derby for an unprecedented fourth time next month when he saddles Rescind in the richest race at Louisiana Downs.

The Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby is Sept. 7.

Rescind put himself in the 1 1/16-mile race when he won a first-level allowance at Louisiana Downs with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 76 on Aug. 12. The score came following a local maiden special weight win. Both races were at two turns on turf, the grass becoming an option after desired main-track races did not fill for Rescind.

Mon, 08/19/2019 - 11:50

Attfield targeting different stakes with Mr. Hustle, Pleasecallmeback

Michael Burns
Mr. Hustle was a 2 1/2-length winner of Sunday's Soaring Free Stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Owner William Werner’s one-two finishers in Sunday’s $103,600 Soaring Free Stakes, Mr. Hustle and Pleasecallmeback, may go their separate ways this fall, according to trainer Roger Attfield.

Mr. Hustle extended his unbeaten record to three races when scoring by 2 1/2 lengths in his turf debut in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds. Attfield said the $235,000 yearling purchase, a Kentucky-bred son of Declaration of War, is headed to the Grade 1 Summer Stakes here Sept. 15. The one-mile turf event is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series Win and You’re In race.

Sun, 08/18/2019 - 17:13

Omaha Beach could resume training this week

Debra A. Roma
Trainer Richard Mandella wants to make sure Omaha Beach's throat is completely healed before he begins training again.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Omaha Beach could resume training by the end of the week after his summer schedule was disrupted over the weekend by illness, trainer Richard Mandella said.

Widely considered one of the nation’s leading 3-year-olds, Omaha Beach will miss a scheduled start in the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile at Del Mar on Sunday. Mandella said on Sunday that Omaha Beach had shown improvement over the weekend and that a blood test “was good.”

Sun, 08/18/2019 - 16:18

Regal Glory, Varenka could see rematch at Keeneland

Barbara D. Livingston
Varenka (left) and Regal Glory could be rematched in the Grade 1 QE II this fall at Keeneland.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Somewhat lost in all the commotion surrounding the prevailing weather conditions, breathtaking ending, and ultimate controversy over the final result of the photo finish was the fact both Varenka and Regal Glory ran their eyeballs out before dead-heating for first in Saturday’s Grade 2 Lake Placid.

Sun, 08/18/2019 - 15:45

Elate, Channel Maker work in company for weekend stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Elate (left) and Channel Maker are bound, respectively, for the Personal Ensign and Sword Dancer on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Elate, the 2017 Alabama winner, worked a solid half-mile in 48.44 seconds Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for a start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign Stakes.

Sun, 08/18/2019 - 15:34

Dunbar Road could face older in next start

Barbara D. Livingston
Dunbar Road was assigned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 94 for her win in the Alabama.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Dunbar Road came out of her victory in Saturday’s Grade 1 Alabama in good order, and while trainer Chad Brown said the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita is a likely year-end goal, how he gets the 3-year-old filly there is undetermined.

“We never really planned beyond the Alabama,” Brown, who trains Dunbar Road for owner Peter Brant, said Sunday morning.

Sun, 08/18/2019 - 14:34

Sadler mapping route to BC Classic for Higher Power

Emily Shields
Higher Power earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 107 for his victory in Saturday's Pacific Classic.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The lawn jockey in the center of the paddock at Del Mar for the past year has been painted in the colors of Hronis Racing, who won last year’s Pacific Classic with Accelerate. After Saturday’s win by Higher Power, there’s no need to ask Sherwin Williams.

“We saved them money,” trainer John Sadler said Sunday morning. “They don’t need to paint it.”

Sun, 08/18/2019 - 12:04

Concrete Rose to miss rest of 2019 with fracture

Debra A. Roma
Concrete Rose will point toward the Jockey Club Oaks after winning Friday's Saratoga Oaks.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Concrete Rose, the leading 3-year-old turf filly in the country, will miss the remainder of the year due to a hairline fracture in her right foreleg, trainer Rusty Arnold said Sunday.

Arnold said Concrete Rose seemed to be a little off in her training, but it took three sets of X-rays before the hairline fracture was detected. Arnold said veterinarians Dr. William True Baker, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, and Dr. Larry Bramlage, of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, both diagnosed the fracture after evaluating X-rays.

Sun, 08/18/2019 - 11:49

Amalfi Sunrise taken out of training, will miss Debutante

Benoit Photo
Amalfi Sunrise drew off to a six-length victory in Saturday's Sorrento Stakes.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Amalfi Sunrise, the unbeaten winner of the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar earlier this month, has been taken out of training and will undergo diagnostic tests in coming days, trainer Simon Callaghan said Sunday.

It was not immediately clear how long Amalfi Sunrise would be sidelined, but the setback will prevent a start in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 31.

“She’s going to need some time off,” Callaghan said. “It looks like it might be a tibia. She’s sore behind. We’ll do some diagnostic work this week.”

Sat, 08/17/2019 - 14:46

Tacitus more focused with blinkers in final work for Travers

Barbara D. Livingston
Tacitus, outside with Jose Ortiz aboard, works with Seismic Wave at Saratoga on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Bill Mott believes he has seen improvement from Tacitus since he began training him in blinkers following his second-place finish in the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga last month. Seeking a second opinion, Mott had jockey Jose Ortiz put Tacitus through his final workout Saturday morning in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes.

After guiding Tacitus through a five-furlong move in 1:00.49 over the Oklahoma training track, Ortiz was on board with the equipment change.