SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – On Thursday, trainer Jason Servis won his first stakes of the Saratoga meet when World of Trouble won the Quick Call. He will aim at many more over the second half of the Saratoga summer.
On Sunday, which officially kicks off the second half of the meet, Servis will send out Call Paul in the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special for 2-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Der Lu, a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Orb who won first time out last Sunday, could be sent two turns for her next start as trainer Bob Baffert tries to spot his recent 2-year-old filly maiden winners, including Chasing Yesterday and Mother Mother.
“She ran like we thought she would,” said Baffert, who trains Der Lu for Charles and Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp. “She wants to run long. I’d like to run her two turns.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Bob Baffert already has had three impressive debut winners among his 2-year-old fillies at this meet, and he’ll look for a fourth on Saturday in race 6 when The Aurelia Factor makes her first start in a five-furlong race that drew a field of nine.
The Aurelia Factor has worked four times since arriving at Del Mar, with her last three works from the gate, including a five-furlong move in 59 seconds last Saturday.
“She’s quick,” Baffert said Thursday.
Baffert’s filly maiden winners at this meet include Chasing Yesterday, Der Lu, and Mother Mother.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Anonymity is gaining much-deserved attention with her recent wins at Santa Anita and Del Mar.
The 4-year-old filly is unbeaten in two starts this year, both optional claimers, and will have her stakes debut in Sunday’s Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar. The $100,000 Rancho Bernardo provides a class test for Anonymity, who races for Larry Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods.
“We don’t know about her yet,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “She hasn’t run too much. She’s always run better than she trains.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Led by the two-time Grade 1 winner Accelerate, the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 18 is likely to have at least seven starters.
The $1 million Pacific Classic, the richest annual race at Del Mar, is run at 1 1/4 miles. The winner receives a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.
Halfway through his 6-year-old season and Spring Quality’s lifetime running lines still almost all fit in the past performance pages for Saturday’s 36th edition of the Arlington Million.
Six years old, 11 times started.
The gelding’s career has gone along like a teenager learning to drive a stick shift.
Debut at 2. Stop. Some training at age 3, but no races. One start at 4. Stop. Another layoff of nearly a year.
Conquest Mo Money is spending some downtime at the New Mexico farm of his owners, Tom and Sandra McKenna, as they debate whether the multiple stakes winner will race again or launch a stallion career.
“It’s in limbo at this point, but we’ll make a decision soon,” Tom McKenna said Wednesday.
Hence, who won last year’s Sunland Derby over Conquest Mo Money, made a return trip to New Mexico last weekend and rolled to a 6 1/2-length win in the $200,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap. Hence earned one of the best Beyer Speed Figures of his career, a 95.
“He ran a very dominant race,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Hence for breeder Calumet Farm.
Asmussen said plans are to look for a similar kind of race next for Hence, who invaded from Churchill.
Jockey Eddie Martin Jr. has had several memorable moments in the saddle since he won the first race of his career back on Oct. 24, 1980 at Delta Downs. Highlights include a 109-1 upset of the 2012 Louisiana Derby with Hero of Order, as well as other graded stakes wins with Real Cozzy, Precocity, Victor Cooley, Balto Star, Halory Leigh, She Says It Best, and Runway Model.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Mick Halford has saddled more than 1,000 winners at home in Ireland and sent horses out to race internationally, but he is set to have his first North American runner Saturday when Platinum Warrior starts in the Grade 1, $400,000 Secretariat Stakes.
Halford, a former jockey, said all is well with Platinum Warrior, who trained here for the first time Wednesday and has recovered from a minor shipping fever that slightly set him back Sunday into Monday.
