ELMONT, N.Y. – The old saying exhorts horsemen to keep their stock in the worst company and themselves in the best.
Anyway, there was trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul on the Belmont backstretch Sunday, the Hempstead Turnpike just over a vine-choked fence, hanging with stable-hands sipping Coronas in surprisingly intense late-morning sun, a gaggle of roosters yelling at each other on the scene’s periphery.
Jack Sisterson had confidence Coachwhip would be just fine in her first start over a synthetic surface last weekend in the Grade 3 Matron Stakes at Arlington.
“She trains well on dirt and runs well on turf and going into this race we thought the surface wasn’t going to be an issue,” said Sisterson, who trains Coachwhip for her breeder, Calumet Farm. “I’m not right very often.”
Minnesota-bred Mr. Jagermeister is one of the top horses in training this summer at Canterbury Park – only he’s not in training right now.
Trainer and part owner Valorie Lund scratched Mr. Jagermeister from the Honor the Hero Stakes on March 18 because of a wet track, and Mr. Jagermeister now is fighting a hoof abscess.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Everfast won the first race of his career and has lost 10 straight since, but his runner-up finish in the Preakness behind War of Will and the way he has trained since has given trainer Dale Romans the confidence that Everfast is headed the right direction heading into the 151st Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Everfast – a grandson of Belmont winner A.P. Indy – completed his training for the Belmont on Monday at Churchill Downs, where head clocker John Nichols had him going five furlongs in 1:01 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.60 and seven furlongs in 1:28.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Two major preps for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 29 will take place at Woodbine on Saturday, the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies and the $125,000 Plate Trial Stakes for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds. Both races will be run over 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta.
The fields for both events took shape following a series of works from contenders over the weekend. A field of eight appears likely for the Woodbine Oaks, led by the Mark Casse trio of Speedy Soul, Hastalavistababy, and Preferred Guest.
ELMONT, N.Y. – There were 19 horses who raced in the Kentucky Derby, only four of whom came back in the Preakness, only one of whom will run in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday here at Belmont Park. War of Will is the outlier among this crop of 3-year-olds, a horse who will run in all three legs of the Triple Crown.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Giza Goddess, who won the Blue Norther Stakes for 2-year-old fillies in her stakes debut in December, is scheduled to resume training this week after undergoing knee surgery in March.
Trainer John Shirreffs said over the weekend that Giza Goddess has been tack-walking at his stable at Santa Anita in recent weeks and could begin jogging this week. There is a possibility Giza Goddess could start before the end of the summer, he said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – With Lady Prancealot on Saturday and Neptune’s Storm on Sunday, trainer Richard Baltas won turf stakes with 3-year-olds at Santa Anita that could lead to highly lucrative trips out of town next month.
This week, Baltas will be checking his phone for calls from New York and invitations to Grade 1 races at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Belmont Park on July 6.
Sunday morning, Baltas discussed the option of starting Lady Prancealot in the $750,000 Belmont Oaks for fillies on July 6. On Saturday she won the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Prior to Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer John Shirreffs said he hoped Paradise Woods could win as a heavy favorite to achieve consecutive stakes wins for the first time in her three-year career.
The goal will have to wait until the early autumn, at the earliest.
La Force (5-1) beat Paradise Woods by 1 1/4 lengths in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes after the 1-5 favorite stumbled at the start and raced in traffic in a field of five fillies and mares.
