ELMONT, N.Y. – Master Fencer had some inflammation in his left front ankle Wednesday afternoon, a few hours after he took an awkward step and stumbled toward the end of a workout in preparation for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes here on June 8.
“He’s got just a little bit of inflammation in a left front ankle that he didn’t have yesterday,” said Vincent DiCicco, a veterinarian who is not treating Master Fencer but is monitoring the horse for the USDA while he is stabled in New York.
Wednesday, May 29
BELMONT PARK
Weather: Cloudy
Temperature: 61
Track: Fast
ELMONT, N.Y. – Japanese invader Master Fencer was considered to be one of the “buzz” horses heading into this year’s Belmont Stakes coming off his very encouraging seventh-place finish (placed sixth) in the Kentucky Derby during which he made up nearly 20 lengths on the leaders through the final six furlongs of the race.
Ty Kennedy, a farm boy from Kansas, has been sowing the seeds for a successful career as a jockey over the past several years.
Kennedy turns 25 in July but didn’t start riding professionally until he was 20, having promised his mother he’d give college a try. Kennedy won just one race from 66 mounts during his first season in 2014 but had a decent run as a Southern California bug boy in 2015 and has increased his annual win total every year.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – California trainers who sent split strings to Kentucky this spring got away to a fast start at the Keeneland meet, but things have been different so far at Churchill.
Through Monday, trainers Peter Miller (1 for 22) and Phil D’Amato (0 for 8) were having little impact at this meet. From the West Coast contingent, only Bob Baffert (2 for 14) had registered more than one win at the meet, which began April 27.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – What is this, 2009 or something? Just like that, Julien Leparoux has zoomed to the top of the Churchill Downs jockey standings, buoyed by a hot streak reminiscent of an era when he dominated here.
Leparoux reeled off eight wins from just 11 mounts in a two-day period last weekend at Churchill, booting home three winners Sunday and five Monday. It was a performance to recall some of his best days here, most notably a seven-win day in November 2008 that tied the track record set by Pat Day in 1984.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Code of Honor, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth winner, and Vekoma, the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes winner, are both targeting the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer Stakes at a mile here on July 6 to kick off the second half of their campaigns.
Code of Honor, who crossed the finish line third but was elevated to second in the Kentucky Derby, returned to the work tab on Saturday, breezing three furlongs in 37.33 seconds over the Belmont main track.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Pavel, fourth to Thunder Snow in each of the last two runnings of the Dubai World Cup, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap on June 8, trainer Doug O’Neill said Monday.
Pavel, who won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster in his second start after running fourth in the 2018 Dubai World Cup, is the sixth Grade 1 winner to commit to the race, joining Thunder Snow, McKinzie, Mitole, Promises Fulfilled, and Firenze Fire. Coal Front, winner of the Grade 2 Godolphin Mile, is also confirmed to run.
ELMONT, N.Y. – As Bill Mott perused the past performances for the prospective field for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park, something caught his attention – and his ire.
Mott trains Seismic Wave, who finished fourth in the American Turf on May 4 at Churchill Downs, 1 1/2 lengths behind Digital Age. Mott felt his horse was compromised by the soft ground at Churchill that day.
“I don’t understand these tracks that put firm ground,” when it’s not, Mott said. “[Joel] Rosario said he didn’t really like it that much. The ground was soft.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – The multiple graded stakes winners Catalina Cruiser and McKinzie worked six furlongs Monday at Santa Anita in advance of scheduled appearances in stakes at Belmont Park in early June.
McKinzie, who won his fifth stakes in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes on May 3 at Churchill Downs, was timed in 1:11.80, the fastest of five works at the distance. Trainer Bob Baffert said McKinzie will start in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, a $1.2 million race at a mile on June 8.
“He’s right on schedule,” Baffert said.
