ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Graham Motion has several horses under consideration for stakes races on the Aug. 11 Arlington Million card, but Colonia, a sharp winner of the $100,000 Hatoof Stakes here Saturday in her North American debut, is not among them.
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DRF Past Performances
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon did not have the best of it in the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 30, as she was shuffled back at the start and was eased into the stretch. Trainer Catherine Day Phillips said Dixie Moon came out of the race with no issues and will fight another day.
CYPRESS, Calif. – The 2-year-old colt Owning won his debut in a maiden special weight race Sunday in a style that left owners Paul and Zillah Reddam and trainer Simon Callaghan planning for graded stakes at Del Mar next month.
Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Owning ($8.60) was always near the front and pulled away in the final furlong to win the 5 1/2-furlong race by 2 1/2 lengths over Tariq. Owning was timed in 1:04.20.
“We couldn’t ask for much more,” Callaghan said. “He broke sharp and placed himself nicely and drew off.”
John Martin, a leading trainer in Northern California, will have about a dozen horses at Del Mar this summer, his largest stable there.
Martin, who won training titles at two meetings at Golden Gate Fields last year, said Sunday that he was finalizing the runners who will be sent to Del Mar and expects to send 12 to 14 horses total. The summer season begins July 18 at Del Mar.
“It’s a meeting I need to be at, and I need to make it work,” Martin said. “I have some nice horses, but I need to place them strategically.”
Battle of Midway, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar last November, worked three furlongs in 39.20 seconds at Santa Anita on Saturday, his first major exercise since returning to training earlier this year.
Battle of Midway was sent to stud in Kentucky last winter but was found to be subfertile, leading to a decision to place the 4-year-old back in training.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said little was expected of Battle of Midway in Saturday’s workout.
“It was slow,” Hollendorfer said. “That was by design. He’s coming off a layoff.”
The champion Unique Bella has been in no hurry in recent workouts.
On Saturday at Santa Anita, Unique Bella breezed five furlongs in 1:03.80, a time three or four seconds slower than what she is capable of producing. The times are of little concern to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who said Unique Bella is on course for the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on July 29.
“She didn’t work very fast, but she worked well,” Hollendorfer said.
CYPRESS, Calif. – The three-race winning streak Marley’s Freedom has amassed since mid-April has left owners Ron and Barbara Perry hoping they have a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs in November.
Marley’s Freedom won her first stakes in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer by 7 1/4 lengths at six furlongs at Santa Anita on May 27 and took the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths over Skye Diamonds at 6 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos last Saturday.
Jose Ferrer won six races at Monmouth Park on Sunday to take sole possession of the top spot in the jockey standings, and Jorge Navarro padded his lead in the trainer standings with a record-tying five wins.
Ferrer and Paco Lopez came into the day tied with 29 wins. Lopez was shut out on Sunday's 12-race card. Although Ferrer has never won a Monmouth riding title, he has 1,073 career victories at the Jersey Shore track.
The record for wins on a Monmouth Park card is seven. Lopez accomplished the feat twice in 2014.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The connections of Dwyer Stakes winner Firenze Fire appear ready to resist the temptation to try two turns again and will likely run him in the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 25, trainer Jason Servis said.
Firenze Fire, 11th in the Kentucky Derby, rolled to a nine-length victory in the Dwyer, running a mile in 1:33.74 and earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 107.
Servis said he spoke with owner Ron Lombardi on Sunday morning, and both seemed on board with the Jerkens.