Mon, 09/24/2018 - 14:38

Fog of War to miss remainder of year with shin injury

Michael Burns
Fog of War (3) paid $4.20 with his victory in the Summer Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.

The 2-year-old colt Fog of War emerged from his impressive win in the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 16 with an injured shin that will force him to miss the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and preclude him from racing again this year, trainer Chad Brown said Monday.

Mon, 09/24/2018 - 14:36

Imperial Hint sizzles in final Vosburgh work

Barbara D. Livingston
Alfred G. Vanderbilt winner Imperial Hint is likely to be strongly favored in Saturday's Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The main track at Parx may have been slow on Saturday afternoon, but top sprinter Imperial Hint made it look fast Sunday morning when he worked a half-mile in 46.40 seconds in preparation for a scheduled start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park.

The work was the fastest of 18 at the distance over a track labeled “good.” The second-fastest half-mile time Sunday morning was 48.11 seconds.

Mon, 09/24/2018 - 14:30

Diversify better than ever ahead of Jockey Club Gold Cup

Debra A. Roma
Diversify earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory last out in the Grade 1 Whitney.

ELMONT, N.Y. – When it comes to Diversify, Irad Ortiz Jr. has been aboard for the good times and the bad. Entering Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, Ortiz believes the 5-year-old gelding has never been better.

“I think so,” Ortiz said Sunday at Belmont. “He’s doing so good, doing things very easy. I worked him the last couple of times, and the last time I don’t move and he went fast.”

Mon, 09/24/2018 - 13:16

Trainer's second starter becomes first winner

Coady Photography
Rivers Run Deep is the morning-line second-choice behind Dazzling Gem in the third of eight Thursday races.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One never knows when a person’s greatest ambition will be fulfilled at the racetrack. It happened in the first race Sunday at Churchill for Josue Irizarry when he sent out a filly named Miss Altamira to win a maiden-claiming race, giving the trainer his first win with just his second career starter.

“I’m very, very happy,” Irizarry said early Monday from the Thoroughbred training center in Lexington, Ky., where he has Miss Altamira and one other horse in training.

Mon, 09/24/2018 - 12:50

Bradley's emotional week topped by Dogwood upset

Coady Photography
Divine Queen (right) wins the 2018 Dogwood at 51-1 odds on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – What is it about Buff Bradley winning stakes that moves so many people to happy tears – including the trainer himself?

It happened when Brass Hat, implausibly, delighted his many admirers by winning the 2010 Sycamore at Keeneland as a 9-year-old. It happened when Groupie Doll won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita for the second year in a row in 2013. And it happened again Saturday at Churchilll after Divine Queen, ridden by Calvin Borel, pulled a 51-1 upset in the Dogwood Stakes.

Mon, 09/24/2018 - 12:46

Lukas Classic highlights Saturday card

Coady Photography
Mind Your Biscuits breezes five furlongs at Churchill early Friday morning.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Downs After Dark card will put an exclamation point on the 11-day September meet at Churchill Downs when four stakes, led by the Grade 3, $200,000 Lukas Classic, are run Saturday night under the lights.

Mind Your Biscuits and the 2017 Lukas winner, Honorable Duty, are among the older horses expected when entries for the 11-race card are drawn Wednesday. Other probables for the 1 1/8-mile race include Flowers for Lisa, Rated R Superstar, Securitiz, and Toast of New York.

Mon, 09/24/2018 - 12:26

Mr Havercamp getting a brief rest

Michael Burns
Mr Havercamp will target a late fall campaign.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Following his first graded stakes win in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes on Aug. 25, Mr Havercamp added Grade 1 black type with a runner-up finish to Oscar Performance in the Woodbine Mile on Sept. 15. With two hard races under his belt three weeks apart, and warm weather in the Toronto area on Woodbine Mile Day, trainer Catherine Day Phillips said Mr Havercamp would get a small break before resuming his training in a couple of weeks.

Mon, 09/24/2018 - 12:16

Johnny Bear to get another shot in Canadian International

Michael Burns
Johnny Bear is to make his next start in the Grade 1 Canadian International on Oct. 13.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Johnny Bear captured the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes for the second year in a row on Sept. 15, and likely will make his next start in the Grade 1, $800,000 Canadian International on Oct. 13, trainer Ashlee Brnjas said.

Johnny Bear ran 10th in last year’s edition of the Canadian International, but the course was soft and Brnjas said he did not get over the ground well.

Mon, 09/24/2018 - 12:10

Attfield thinking BC Juvenile Fillies Turf for My Gal Betty

Michael Burns
My Gal Betty followed her Catch a Glimpse win (above) with a runner-up effort in the Natalma.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Following her runner-up finish to La Pelosa in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes on Sept. 16, My Gal Betty is under consideration for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2, trainer Roger Attfield said.

“We’re looking into it, anyway,” Attfield said. “Timing-wise it fits okay, so we’re sort of looking at that. I think she’s a pretty nice filly.”

If owner William K. Werner opts to point for the Breeders’ Cup, Attfield said My Gal Betty would most likely train up to the race.

Sun, 09/23/2018 - 16:41

Galilean targets Golden State Juvenile

Benoit Photo
Galilean paid $3.80 in winning the Barretts Juvenile at Los Alamitos on Saturday.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Galilean will stay in restricted company this fall after winning his career debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Barretts Juvenile at Los Alamitos.

The Barretts Juvenile was restricted to horses who went through sales conducted by Barretts. Galilean was purchased for $600,000 by West Point Thoroughbreds at the Barretts April sale of 2-year-olds in training, the most expensive horse at the sale.