ARCADIA, Calif. – Bellafina and Game Winner, the projected favorites in Breeders’ Cup races for 2-year-olds on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs, had their penultimate workouts Friday at Santa Anita.
Bellafina, who has won three graded stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:00 in company with the 3-year-old Kazan, who was timed in 1:00.60.
Game Winner, who has won two graded stakes, worked six furlongs in 1:13 in company with the 3-year-old stakes winner Ax Man, who was timed in 1:13.40.
As decision time looms for Mind Your Biscuits, he continues to work toward the Breeders’ Cup at host track Churchill Downs, going six furlongs in 1:15 on Friday.
Mind Your Biscuits, trained by Chad Summers, worked in company with Imperative, a multiple graded stakes winner trained by Anthony Quartarolo. With Mind Your Biscuits on the outside, the duo turned in splits of 13.40 seconds, 26.60, 39.40, and 51.80. They galloped out seven furlongs in 1:28.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ben Colebrook doesn’t have anything against winning with logical horses, but the results from his first 19 starts at the Keeneland fall meet argue otherwise.
Colebrook’s $10.22 return on investment for every $2 win bet was highest among all trainers (minimum six starts) through the first 10 cards of this 17-day meet and stems from three winners that paid hefty mutuels – Knicks Go ($142) in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on opening weekend, followed by K Choice ($26) and Examiner ($26.20) on Thursday.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Less than 24 hours after enjoying the greatest day of his nascent training career, John Ortiz got a quick humbling.
“I was missing a groom when I got to the barn this morning,” said Ortiz, who notched his first graded victory Thursday when saddling Zulu Alpha to win the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland.
“I wound up mucking five stalls, galloping four, and cooling out three. This game will bring you back to earth pretty quick.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – In her first two starts in the United States, Lady Prancealot finished second in $100,000 turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar and Santa Anita.
For her third U.S. start, trainer Richard Baltas is aiming for the top of the division. Baltas hopes to run Lady Prancealot in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, a $1 million race at a mile on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Well Defined and Cookie Dough earned spots in the Breeders’ Cup with runaway victories in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality and My Dear Girl divisions of this year’s Florida Sire Series. But they aren’t the only juveniles who are Breeders’ Cup-bound exiting a one-sided victory on the rich Sire Series card Sept. 29 at Gulfstream Park.
Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who has not ridden since December 2016, pleaded guilty to domestic abuse in a San Diego county court on Tuesday and was given probation for three years and ordered to undergo domestic violence counseling, according to a report by a San Diego television station.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Buoyed by the success of winning two races in 11 days with Blacktype, trainer Christophe Clement will wheel Sea Foam back on 20 days’ rest when he starts in Saturday’s $300,000 Empire Classic at Belmont Park.
Sea Foam was one of 11 horses entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Empire Classic, the richest of eight stakes restricted to New York-breds on an 11-race New York Showcase Day program.
Jerry Hollendorfer’s depth in the 2-year-old division is such that even with two of his best colts getting a break, he will still be represented by two horses in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.
With Instagrand and Rowayton on the farm, Hollendorfer will send Gunmetal Gray and Dueling to Churchill Downs for the Juvenile. Remarkably, they will be the first two horses the Hall of Fame trainer has started in the Juvenile.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Martin Garcia resumed working horses this week at Santa Anita after being sidelined for three weeks following a fall during training hours on Sept. 26.
Garcia, who was at Santa Anita for workouts Tuesday and Wednesday, was booked on one mount for Thursday’s program. Garcia is not scheduled to ride on Friday’s eight-race program, but his agent, Thom Mitchell, said he was hopeful to book mounts this weekend.
