Mon, 07/30/2018 - 11:46

Rosario picks up mount on Accelerate for Pacific Classic

Shigeki Kikkawa
Accelerate has won three of four starts this year.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Joel Rosario will fly in from New York to replace the injured Victor Espinoza aboard Accelerate in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 18, trainer John Sadler said Monday morning.

Sadler said he and Rosario "have a good history together," going back to when Rosario was a regular on the Southern California circuit. They were the leading trainer and jockey at the 2009 summer meeting here, for instance.

"We won the title here, won some big races together," Sadler said. "He's a good rider. And he was available."

Mon, 07/30/2018 - 10:26

Cooler Mike to chill after Prince of Wales third

Michael Burns
Cooler Mike could return for Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day on Aug. 29.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After back-to-back third-place finishes in the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes, Cooler Mike will skip the third and final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes over 1 1/2-miles on turf back at Woodbine on Aug. 18, trainer Nick Nosowenko said.

Nosowenko said Cooler Mike has already been turned out on the farm for a break from training.

“He came out [of the Prince of Wales] good, so I figured now’s the time to get him some green grass,” he said. “We’ll get him back in a couple weeks and we’ll start all over again.”

Mon, 07/30/2018 - 10:26

Duchess Stakes return spot for Win the War

Michael Burns
Win the War paid $11.20 in winning the Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Win the War made a strong impression in two starts as a 2-year-old last season at Woodbine, winning a maiden race on turf and the Glorious Song Stakes by 11 1/4 lengths on Tapeta. She hasn’t raced since finishing third in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita in January, but is on track to make her return to the races Aug. 11 in the $100,000 Duchess Stakes over seven furlongs on Tapeta, trainer Mark Casse said.

“She’s been training really well,” he said. “We’re really excited to get her started.”

Mon, 07/30/2018 - 10:26

Mr Havercamp on course for Woodbine Mile

Michael Burns
Mr Havercamp wins the Steady Growth Stakes easily as the favorite Saturday at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Mr Havercamp, the fourth-place finisher in the Forbidden Apple Stakes at Belmont Park on July 14, will be pointed toward the Grade 1, $800,000 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 15, trainer Catherine Day Phillips said.

The Woodbine Mile has been a target for Mr Havercamp since his win in the Steady Growth Stakes to kick off his 2018 campaign on June 16, Day Phillips said. Mr Havercamp ran in the Forbidden Apple because he couldn’t make the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine on June 30.

Sun, 07/29/2018 - 15:13

Promises Fulfilled targets Jerkens Memorial

Debra A. Roma
Promises Fulfilled returned $5.00 in winning the Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Promises Fulfilled is headed to the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes following his dominant 3 1/4-length victory over Engage in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes.

Promises Fulfilled avoided a speed duel with Strike Power, took over turning for home and won with authority despite drifting in a bit in midstretch. He covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.18.

“He’s a good horse,” trainer Dale Romans said. “He was right there in 43 and 4, ran three-quarters faster than they did in the Vanderbilt and kept on going.”

Sun, 07/29/2018 - 15:08

Imperial Hint to have one more start before Breeders' Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Imperial Hint wins the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt by 3 3/4 lengths on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Luis Carvajal said he was “still on Cloud Nine” Sunday morning, one day after Imperial Hint gave him, owner Raymond Mamone, and the horse himself their first Grade 1 victory in Saturday’s $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga.

Sun, 07/29/2018 - 12:52

Catholic Boy, Gronkowski put in works for Travers Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Catholic Boy, the winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby last out, breezes half a mile Sunday ahead of the Travers Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Catholic Boy, the Grade 1 Belmont Derby winner, and Gronkowski, the Belmont Stakes runner-up, put in workouts Sunday over Saratoga’s main track in preparation for what appears to be shaping up as a wide-open renewal of the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on Aug. 25.

The connections of Catholic Boy have not fully committed to the Travers, but Sunday marked the colt’s first work on dirt since his final breeze for the Florida Derby back in March.

Sun, 07/29/2018 - 12:35

War Heroine taken out of training due to undisclosed problem

Benoit Photo
War Heroine wins the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes on July 21.

DEL MAR, Calif. – War Heroine, the winner of the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on July 21, has been taken out of training, owner Gary Barber said on Saturday.

“She didn’t come out of it well,” said Barber. “I’m going to give her time.”

Barber did not state the nature of War Heroine’s ailment. Trained by Peter Miller, War Heroine has won 4 of 6 starts and earned $240,945. She won the Sweet Life Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in February.

Sun, 07/29/2018 - 12:30

Paradise Woods getting a break due to bone bruising

Barbara D. Livingston
Paradise Woods finished fourth in the Santa Monica Stakes.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Paradise Woods, winless in three starts this year after winning two Grade 1 races in 2017, will be turned out “for a couple of months” to recover from bone bruising detected in a scan on Friday, trainer Richard Mandella said.

A 4-year-old, Paradise Woods will resume training with Mandella later this year.

“There is the thought of bringing her back next year,” Mandella said.

Sun, 07/29/2018 - 12:25

Jockey Frey out two to three weeks with knee injury

Coady Photography
Jockey Kyle Frey has two Grade 3 wins this year.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Kyle Frey will miss the first half of August after spraining his knee when he was unseated during warmups prior to the eighth race at Del Mar last Friday, his agent, Bill Sadoo, said over the weekend.

“He’ll be out of action for two to three weeks,” Sadoo said. “Until we get a couple of days away, we won’t have a clear idea. It’s so early in the process.”

The incident occurred a few minutes before the start of a maiden claimer on dirt. Frey’s mount, Beat the Chalk, flipped and was withdrawn.