Beginning next Saturday on the Haskell Invitational card, Monmouth Park will increase purses 5 percent.
Thanks to a $10 million purse subsidy from the state this year, purses at Monmouth were already forecast to average $500,000 per race day this meet.
Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development, which operates Monmouth on behalf of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, said the purse increase was the result of strong business at the meet.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Ian Wilkes was a man on the move Friday.
Wilkes had just driven to Saratoga from Kentucky and then was headed to the Albany airport to fly back to the Midwest where he was to saddle With Dignity in Saturday’s Indiana Oaks. Following that race, Wilkes was headed back to Saratoga where on Sunday he was to start two horses on the card, including Bohemian Bourbon in the $100,000 Coronation Cup, a turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mia Mischief, among the leaders of the older female dirt sprinters in the country, worked five furlongs in 1:00.15 Friday morning over the Oklahoma training track. She is pointing to the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap here on July 24.
“She’s training so good,” trainer Steve Asmussen said.
Mia Mischief has won three of four starts this year, including the Grade 1 Humana Distaff and the listed Roxelena Stakes, both at Churchill Downs.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Listing and Comical, the two Southern California invaders who won opening-day stakes at Saratoga, are scheduled to ship back to California on Wednesday and could make their next start at Del Mar.
Listing, who won the Grade 3 Quick Call Stakes by a half-length over Elektronic, could run next in the Grade 3, $100,000 Green Flash at Del Mar on Aug. 17, said owner Paul Reddam.
“He’s definitely coming back,” Reddam said. “As far as his schedule goes, everybody dreams about the Breeders’ Cup so we’ll dream about it.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Gary Contessa was pleased enough with how Theitalianamerican trained Friday morning to enter the maiden in Wednesday’s $100,000 Rick Violette Stakes.
On Thursday, Contessa said he didn’t enter the colt in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes because he was not happy with the colt’s bloodwork. Contessa said he planned to take more blood from Theitalianamerican on Monday before deciding whether to run.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Supermason, who registered six of his seven stakes wins at Lone Star Park, has been retired, owner Brad Grady said Friday.
The 7-year-old won 13 of 39 starts overall and earned $417,455. He is a Texas-bred gelding by Grasshopper.
“Supermason was our family’s first stakes winner, on Valentine’s Day at Sam Houston,” said Grady, who raced Grade 1 winner Girvin. “He’s special in that regard. He’s named after our young son.”
Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La., has canceled Saturday night’s program that included the $50,000 John Henry Stakes, according to director of racing Chris Warren.
Warren said the John Henry, a 1 1/16-mile turf race that drew Grade 3 winner Mocito Rojo, would be brought back for July 20.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford Stakes for 2-year-olds drew a field of only five. It wasn’t supposed to be that way.
Several would-be starters were sidelined for a variety of reasons.
Trainer Gary Contessa was planning to run the maiden Theitalianamerican, but Contessa said he didn’t like the results of the colt’s bloodwork. Theitalianamerican finished second in a New York-bred maiden race and the Tremont.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mitole, a winner of seven consecutive races, including the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 8, has been confirmed for the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga on July 27, trainer Steve Asmussen said Thursday.
“I love how he’s doing. I feel the Vanderbilt is a good spot for him,” Asmussen said.
