LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As night fell on June 9 at Belmont Park, if there was any certainty to racing in 2018, it was that Justify would be Horse of the Year.
Accelerate said hold my Belmont Jewel.
Accelerate polished off the Pacific Classic, Awesome Again, and, on Saturday here at Churchill Downs, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, giving him a record that would unquestionably make him Horse of the Year had there not been a Triple Crown winner this year.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Arnaud Delacour had a good weekend. He came a head short of having a great one.
On Friday, at Aqueduct, No Dozing romped to a 9 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap, setting him up for a likely next start in the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile here on Dec. 1.
On Saturday, at Churchill Downs, Chalon was in front in midstretch only to be run down by 25-1 shot Shamrock Rose in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
“We were very happy,” Delacour said Monday. “They both ran very well. That’s all we can ask for.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Danny Gargan grew up on First Street, just a couple of miles from Churchill Downs, and has worked countless racetrack jobs in reaching his current age of 47, including jockey agent, bloodstock agent, and assistant trainer.
Having moved several years ago to New York, where his career as the trainer of a public stable has flourished, Gargan was ecstatic to win with his first-ever starter at Churchill when Divine Miss Grey dominated the Saturday nightcap, the Grade 2 Chilukki Stakes.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tom Van Berg has never experienced a day quite like it. Nor will he ever again, most likely.
“I still can’t comprehend it,” Van Berg said Monday, nearly 72 hours after he enjoyed the greatest day of his off-and-on training career. “It went about as well as a day can go.”
Disco Partner, third in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint for the second year, may make another start this year, trainer Christophe Clement said Monday.
Clement said he would talk to owners Frank and Patricia Generazio about running Disco Partner back in the $125,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship on Nov. 24 or possibly taking a big swing in the Group 1, $2.5 million Hong Kong Sprint on Dec. 9 at Sha Tin.
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Following a successful return to the races in the $200,000 Cherokee Run Stakes on Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup card at Churchill Downs, Audible was scheduled to ship to South Florida on Tuesday to prepare for the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 15.
The Harlan’s Holiday will be his next step toward the $9 million Pegasus, also at Gulfstream, on Jan. 26.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Solidify built on his career-debut victory Sept. 23 with a win in his graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes on Oct. 21 to remain unbeaten in two starts. Trainer Reade Baker said both Solidify and Inclusive, who was fifth in the Grey, will be pointed toward the $100,000 Display Stakes for 2-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles here Dec. 8.
Solidify has rallied strongly from off the pace in both of his starts. Baker said Solidify has shown that he has ability in his training throughout the year.
“He was looking to do that all summer,” he said.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Bill Tharrenos recorded his first stakes win since 2015 last Wednesday night at Woodbine when he sent out first-time starter My Silencer to victory in the $100,000 Frost King Stakes over seven furlongs on Tapeta.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Favorites dominated Santa Anita's 20-cent Rainbow pick six, which paid $601 to 10,466 ticketholders on Sunday when a mandatory payout led to widespread interest.
The program began with a 21-day carryover of $1,143,194 in the Rainbow portion of the bet, which is paid only if there is a single winning ticket, or on a day with a mandatory payout. Bettors added $6,745,114 to the pool Sunday, the final day of the track’s autumn season.
Track officials had projected earlier in the week that the pool would exceed $6 million.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Storm the Hill’s affinity for Santa Anita’s turf course may keep the 4-year-old filly from racing until early January.
Storm the Hill won her third stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday in the Grade 3 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes on the hillside turf course. By Get Stormy, Storm the Hill has won 5 of 23 starts and earned $338,735, with all the wins coming in seven starts on turf at Santa Anita.
