It was fitting that Kathleen O’Connell picked up the 2,000th training win of her career with a 2-year-old. She long has enjoyed working with young horses and has had significant success with them on the track.
Wishful Quality lifted O’Connell to the milestone Wednesday at Delaware Park, where the filly won her debut in a photo. Wishful Quality came back along the rail for a head victory in the maiden special weight and returned $53.80.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Jeremiah Englehart will send out three of the seven runners entered for next Wednesday’s $150,000 Joseph A. Gimma Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies at seven furlongs.
Englehart on Friday entered Party Like Grandma, winner of the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 25; Ma Meatloaf, runner-up in the Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes on Sept. 8; and Cartwheelin Lulu, a debut winner at Finger Lakes on Aug. 16.
ELMONT, N.Y. – All the ingredients were in place for Diversify to have a strong workout Friday morning, and the multiple graded stakes-winning New York-bred delivered by sizzling five furlongs in 58.90 seconds over Belmont’s main track in preparation for the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 29.
Before Friday, Diversify had just one workout since his powerhouse victory in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 4 at Saratoga. Due to several days of wet tracks, Diversify’s last several days consisted mostly of jogging, with the exception of a gallop on Thursday.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Blackjackcat, third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last November at Del Mar, recently resumed training with Mark Glatt.
A three-time stakes winner last year, Blackjackcat was rested after a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile in June at Santa Anita.
“He’s about ready to breeze,” Glatt said.
Owned by Al and Sandee Kirkwood, the 5-year-old Blackjackcat has won 6 of 18 starts and earned $588,415. He was beaten 1 1/4 lengths by World Approval in the 2017 BC Mile.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Mended, a $12,500 claim who won 10 consecutive races and became a stakes winner in 2017, has been retired, trainer John Martin said Friday.
Mended finished last of five in the Tranquility Lake Stakes on Aug. 24 at Del Mar. She was recently shipped to Kentucky’s Taylor Made Farm, which bought a 50 percent share in the 5-year-old mare from owners Troy and Maritza Onorato.
“It was time to give her a vacation and bring her back, or retire her,” Martin said. “We didn’t want to push her.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Pavel, winner of the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap in June at Churchill Downs, has resumed training with Doug O’Neill at Santa Anita and is on schedule for the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November.
O’Neill said Thursday that Pavel rejoined his stable earlier this month following a weeklong break at a local farm in late August. Pavel was second to Accelerate in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 18 at Del Mar.
Owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Pavel will not start before the BC Classic on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs, O’Neill said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Monomoy Girl is scheduled to breeze Sunday morning at Churchill Downs with regular rider Florent Geroux aboard in the star filly’s final prerace work heading into the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx Racing in suburban Philadelphia.
“Her gallops this week have been phenomenal coming out of the nice, stiff breeze she had last Sunday,” trainer Brad Cox said early Friday. “She’s got her game face on.”
All-sources handle at Kentucky Downs hit a record high for the sixth straight year when more than $36.4 million was bet during the five-day meet that ended Thursday at the turf-only track in Franklin, Ky.
That figure was up 20 percent over the previous record of $30.2 million from last year. By comparison, the track’s record handle in 2013 was $12.8 million, so wagering has nearly tripled in the intervening years.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Tatters to Riches, the winner of the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 25, is scheduled to start in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park on Sept. 30, co-owner Tim Cohen said Thursday.
Trained by Jeff Mullins, Tatters to Riches has won 3 of 4 starts and earned $133,545. Tatters to Riches is unbeaten in two starts this year, an optional claimer at Del Mar on Aug. 4 and the Shared Belief Stakes at a mile.
