ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Uncertainty had surrounded Oscar Performance five weeks prior to his Saturday victory in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, when he was pulled up in the stretch and vanned off in the Arlington Million. But Oscar Performance took the Woodbine field gate to wire, and both assistant trainer Erin Lynch and jockey Jose Ortiz were emotional afterward.
“After Arlington, he gave us a really bad scare, so for him to come back and do this, it’s a big deal,” Lynch said.
CYPRESS, Calif. – The 2-year-old Mucho Gusto sold for $625,000 at May’s Fasig-Tipton Midtlantic 2-year-olds in training sale in Maryland. On Thursday at Los Alamitos, Mucho Gusto will have his career debut in a maiden special weight race at six furlongs.
Mucho Gusto, who is by Mucho Macho Man, is trained by Bob Baffert and will be ridden by Joe Talamo, who has been working the colt. Mucho Gusto will start from the rail in a field of seven.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Om, a four-time stakes winner and millionaire, was recently transferred from longtime trainer Dan Hendricks to Peter Miller with the intent of preparing the 6-year-old for a start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.
A winner of 6 of 27 starts, Om was last of 13 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 19 in his final start for Hendricks. Owned by K.B. Sareen, Om was sent to Miller in the weeks following that race and has had two workouts at Miller’s base at San Luis Rey Downs, including five furlongs in 1:01.80 last Friday.
Catalina Cruiser, the undefeated multiple graded stakes winner, has settled into a consistent pattern of workouts this month in the buildup to an expected start in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.
On Sunday at Santa Anita, Catalina Cruiser worked a half-mile in 48.20 seconds, his second workout since trainer John Sadler’s stable relocated from Del Mar to Santa Anita after Labor Day weekend.
CYPRESS, Calif. - Less than nine months after the start of his career, apprentice jockey Heriberto Figueroa won his first stakes Saturday with Kim K in the $100,000 Barretts Debutante at Los Alamitos.
For the 18-year-old Figueroa, the stakes win was his latest career milestone at Los Alamitos. At the track’s summer meeting, Figueroa tied for the riding title with fellow apprentice Assael Espinoza, a first for both jockeys.
ELMONT, N.Y. - No one solved the pick 6 at Belmont Park over the just-completed three-day race week, resulting in a carryover of $326,010 when racing resumes Wednesday.
There was a carryover of $89,989 entering Sunday’s card after no one hit the wager on Friday or Saturday. There was an additional $414,086 wagered into the pool on Sunday.
Most tickets were dead after the first leg when Magical Tale upset a maiden turf sprint at 52-1, returning $107.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Audible, the Grade 1 Florida Derby winner, worked three furlongs in 38.34 seconds Sunday morning over Belmont Park’s main track. It was his first work since he finished third in the Kentucky Derby on May 5.
“Looks good, gained some weight, filled out nicely, been moving well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We’re just off to a starting point. Take it week by week.”
North America's leading 3-year-old filly, Monomoy Girl, turned in her final workout Sunday for the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, which will be held Saturday at Parx Racing. The Brad Cox-trained daughter of Tapizar is scheduled to be flown from Louisville to Philadelphia on Wednesday along with other Kentucky-based horses scheduled to race on Parx's premier card of the year.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot was hit Saturday at Gulfstream Park, returning $244,778.
The Rainbow 6, which is a 20-cent wager, had not been solved for nine days heading into the card Saturday. The jackpot carryover into Saturday's card was $154,833.
The sequence ran on races 7-12. It opened in the seventh race with $92 winner Independent Worker. The other winners during the sequence were First and Three ($33.40) in the eighth, Richie’s Sister ($47.40) in the ninth, Dreamy Martini ($16.40) in the 10th, American Frolic ($6.80) in the 11th, and First Off ($3) in the 12th.
