On Friday morning at Santa Anita, Patrick Valenzuela worked three horses, continuing a daily routine from the last several weeks.
Later this year, the 62-year-old Valenzuela, who has a lengthy history of personal disruptions in an otherwise accomplished career, hopes to resume riding for the first time since December 2016.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When it comes to the Triple Crown, owner Mike Repole appears to have a case of FOMO.
Fear not, Repole does not plan on missing out on this year’s Belmont Stakes. He has looked deep down trainer Todd Pletcher’s bench of 3-year-olds and has plucked Uncaged from it to run in the $2 million Belmont Stakes on June 7.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Barn 85 at Saratoga has been placed under a 14-day precautionary quarantine by the New York Racing Association and the New York State Gaming Commission due to a reported case of strangles in that barn, according a press release sent out by the NYRA.
The quarantine is not expected to have a significant impact on the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival scheduled to begin Wednesday. The Belmont Stakes is scheduled for June 7.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Danele Durham on Saturday was set to pick up some significant hardware from the Texas Thoroughbred Association during a luncheon at Lone Star.
She is the organization’s 2024 breeder of the year. Durham bred the TTA’s horse of the year, Too Much Kiki, and she owns her dam, Soft Music, who is the TTA’s broodmare of the year.
“It’s a trifecta,” quipped Durham.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Usually Wrong, who won his stakes debut in the $100,000 Chamberlain Bridge last Monday at Lone Star, will likely run back in the track’s $125,000 Grand Prairie Turf Sprint on June 28.
He improved his career record to 5 for 6 when closing with a rush in the five-furlong race run on yielding turf. Usually Wrong is now 2 for 2 on turf.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The versatile Neom Beach became a stakes winner, after a number of close calls, in the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff last Monday at Lone Star. The race was moved from turf to a sloppy main track during a rain-soaked card.
“It was going to fall her way one of these days and [Monday] was the day it happened,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “Lovely mare. It just all came together.”
Neom Beach had placed in stakes on both dirt and turf prior to the Ouija Board Distaff.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Instant Replay likely has more derby starts in his future after winning his second consecutive stakes race last Monday in the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park.
Trainer Brad Cox said Thursday that Instant Replay has emerged from the race in excellent condition and options for his next start include the Grade 3, $300,000 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis and the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. Both races will be run over 1 1/16 miles on July 5.
Kopion, the nation’s leading female sprinter, remains on schedule for the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos on July 5 after working a half-mile in 49.40 seconds at Santa Anita on Wednesday.
Kopion has had two half-mile workouts since a three-length win in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 3.
“We just kept her easy,” trainer Richard Mandella said of Wednesday’s exercise. “Next week, we’ll do more serious stuff. She’s doing great.”
Midnight Mammoth gave race winner Skippylongstocking a fuss in Monday’s Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita before finishing second by three-quarters of a length.
The narrow defeat has left trainer Craig Dollase encouraged about Midnight Mammoth’s summer, and eager to start the 6-year-old gelding in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on July 26.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott said the decision to skip the Preakness with Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty doesn’t put any more pressure on him to win the Belmont Stakes than otherwise already exists.
“It would be the same,” Mott said Thursday morning outside his Saratoga barn. “I feel the normal pressure of wanting to win and just the pressure of keeping him out of trouble and keep him sound and hope he stays sound.”
