GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Dance to My Song has been one of the most notable 2-year-old winners to emerge from the Lone Star Park meet, which will close Sunday. He distinguished himself last month, when he won his debut with a Beyer Speed Figure of 71.
The number ranks as the best put up by a 2-year-old at the meet through at least last Saturday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Brian Lynch leaves his top two grass runners Heart to Heart and Oscar Performance at Belmont Park during the summer because he believes both horses thrive there.
With one last opportunity to work them over the Belmont turf Monday before the course closes for the summer, Lynch put the two in company for a strong five-furlong move designed to prepare them for upcoming stakes engagements.
Allen Milligan, who is a private trainer for Keene Thoroughbreds, has brought a division of horses to Louisiana Downs. The group arrived last week from Churchill Downs.
Milligan’s local division includes Holiday’s Angel, who was second to Americium in the $50,000 Opelousas on July 6 at Evangeline Downs. Holiday’s Angel invaded for the race from Churchill.
Milligan said Holiday’s Angel is now being pointed to the $60,000 River Cities at Louisiana Downs. The 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares will be run on the Super Derby undercard Sept. 2.
Analyze This Jet will have a new look for his next start, which is to come in the $60,000 Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs.
Trainer Terry Eoff said the stakes winner has been gelded since running fourth in the $65,000 Prairie Mile at Prairie Meadows June 8. The Prelude, at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, will be run Aug. 4. Analyze This Jet came into the Prairie Mile off a fifth-place finish in an allowance at his base of Lone Star Park.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sunday was a regularly scheduled dark day on the Oklahoma turf course until trainer Todd Pletcher received special permission to work a team on the grass. The multiple graded-stakes placed Stainless and the undefeated 3-year-old filly Cascanueces, who has yet to run in this country, went five furlongs inside the dogs, with Stainless coming out a couple of lengths best.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Steve Asmussen gave his 2-year-olds Bano Solo and Whiskey Echo each an easy three-furlong breeze over the Oklahoma training track on Monday morning, and they are ready to go for Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga.
Bano Solo, a son of Goldencents, and Whiskey Echo, by Tiznow, each was an easy wire-to-wire winner last month of his only start – Bano Solo at Churchill Downs and Whiskey Echo at Belmont Park.
For only the second time in his last 14 starts, long-distance specialist Itsinthepost will run a distance as short as 1 1/8 miles when he heads the field in the Grade 2, $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes for turf runners at Del Mar on Sunday.
Itsinthepost has won four of his last five starts, most recently the Whittingham going 1 1/4 miles on May 26 at Santa Anita. Rather than sit on him until the 11-furlong Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 18, trainer Jeff Mullins decided to turn him back to nine furlongs, the distance at which Itsinthepost won the San Gabriel in January.
Accelerate, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita earlier this year, will carry top weight of 125 pounds in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on Saturday. The San Diego, at 1 1/16 miles, is the major local prep for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 18.
Accelerate’s main rival is likely to be Mubtaahij, who was second in the Lone Star Park Handicap last time out in his only start since finishing third in the Dubai World Cup. He worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Monday morning at Del Mar. He was assigned 121 pounds.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Richard Mandella is hoping the grass is greener for Paradise Woods.
Having seen enough of Unique Bella for now in dirt races, and desirous of trying Paradise Woods on the surface on which her half-brother has thrived, Mandella will move Paradise Woods to the turf for the first time in the $75,000 Osunitas Stakes for fillies and mares on Friday at Del Mar.
Ron McAnally first came to Del Mar as a teenager working for his uncle, trainer Reggie Cornell, back in 1948, and this year’s meeting is particularly noteworthy for him, both because it’s the 70th anniversary of his first visit here, and because he’s here following a bad ankle fracture three months ago.
