SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After getting a bit of a break following her convincing 4 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on opening day, Catherinethegreat got back to serious business here Thursday, working five furlongs in 1:00.20 in company with stablemate Moon Colony in preparation for the Grade 1 Spinaway on Sept. 1.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Collected, the winner of the 2017 Pacific Classic, worked three furlongs in 37.20 seconds at Del Mar on Thursday, his first workout in nearly seven months.
Collected, who was second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar last November, has not raced since finishing seventh in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in January. Trained by Bob Baffert for Speedway Stable, Collected is expected to resume racing this fall. He was rested through the spring and early summer.
A 5-year-old, Collected has won 8 of 14 starts and earned $2,966,500.
DEL MAR, Calif. – There is a mandatory payout in the $2 pick six at Del Mar on Saturday, although there will be no more than a two-day carryover because the bet paid off to a single-ticket winner on Wednesday.
The pick six will be held on races 6-11, which includes the day’s three graded stakes – the Del Mar Handicap (race 6), Del Mar Oaks (race 8), and Pacific Classic (race 10).
Through the first 21 days of the meeting, the pick six has been hit by a single ticket six times.
The pick six also will be disbursed on closing day, Sept. 3.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Martine Bellocq, who suffered severe burns in the wildfire that struck the San Luis Rey Downs training center last December, will be honored between races at Del Mar on Saturday with the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award.
The annual award is presented for meritorious service and dedication to racing, and is named in honor of the legendary Hall of Fame rider. Pincay is scheduled to present the award.
DEL MAR, Calf. – Wednesday was an eventful afternoon for trainer Neil Drysdale’s stable.
Around noon, the 5-year-old horse Cashman arrived at Del Mar from a quarantine facility in Los Angeles. Cashman, a minor stakes winner in Germany last month, will have his American debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Rushing Fall runs in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid Stakes, it will be her first start in more than three months. That was not by design.
After getting beat a neck in the Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 4, Rushing Fall was removed from consideration for a trip to Royal Ascot in June. There was some thought about the Belmont Oaks in July, but trainer Chad Brown said he “didn’t feel like her energy level was where it needed to be.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Monomoy Girl left her Saratoga barn shortly after 5:45 a.m. Wednesday to begin her trip back to Kentucky, where the four-time Grade 1 winning 3-year-old filly will be based for the remainder of the summer. There is no truth to the rumor that Ken McPeek drove her to the airport.
Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico will put on 32 trial races for the $3 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses between Friday and Saturday. The track drew 311 entrants to vie for the 10 spots in the finale Sept. 3.
There will be 16 trials apiece Friday and Saturday. The horses with the five fastest 440-yard times from each program will advance to the All American. First post for each card is 11 a.m. Mountain.
Friday’s program drew Sunnysyde, winner of the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Futurity in June at Remington Park.
Jockey Timothy Thornton built his career in Illinois, but after a brief retirement decided to reboot in his native Louisiana. The decision has led to his best year in the saddle.
Thornton, 31, is the second-leading rider in wins in North America this year through Tuesday. He’s also on pace to win his second straight riding title at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La.
“I decided I might as well go home and give Louisiana a try, and Louisiana has been great,” he said.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Got Stormy, the winner of three consecutive turf stakes since early June, will not fly from Saratoga for Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks, trainer Mark Casse said on Wednesday.
“I had planned to send her but I thought she was a little on the flat side in the last few days,” he said. “I’m not going to fly her to California if I’m not 100 percent happy with her. I was kind of looking forward to going out there.”
