HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It is no surprise that trainer Mike Maker is loaded and ready for Saturday’s Claiming Crown races, which highlight opening day of the 2017-18 Gulfstream Park championship meet.
Maker said Tuesday he plans to enter 18 horses for the nine Claiming Crown races, with a half-dozen of the horses belonging to his principal owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Maker and the Ramseys have dominated the series since its inception nearly two decades ago, with 15 victories apiece.
Trainer Jeremiah Englehart, who won a pair of stakes Friday at Aqueduct, will send out Indy Union in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle for 2-year-old fillies.
Indy Union, a daughter of Union Rags, enters the Demoiselle off a seven-length maiden win going a one-turn mile at Belmont. Two starts before that, she finished third, beaten three lengths by Caledonia Road, in a seven-furlong race at Saratoga. Caledonia Road came back to run second in the Grade 1 Frizette before winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Joining trainer Dallas Stewart and owner Charles Fipke in a run of Grade 1 success in November was John Velazquez, who guided Forever Unbridled to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and Seeking the Soul to an upset score in the Clark Handicap.
Velazquez actually joined the team when he guided Eskenformoney past the Fipke-owned Verve’s Tale in the last jump of the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm on Oct. 28. Joel Rosario had ridden Verve’s Tale and her trainer, Barclay Tagg, felt he moved too soon in that race.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The roll that trainer Dallas Stewart has been on the last four weeks actually began Oct. 28 at Belmont Park, when Tom’s Ready turned in the performance of his life winning the Bold Ruler Handicap.
Stewart knows Tom’s Ready will have to bring every bit of that effort if he is to end his career a Grade 1 winner when he runs in Saturday’s $750,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Gigantic Breeze, who upset Melmich in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes on Nov. 12, will make his next start in the $200,000 Claiming Crown Jewel at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, trainer Alexander McPherson said.
Gigantic Breeze is eligible for the Claiming Crown after running for a $20,000 claiming tag last November. McPherson said he is hopeful Gigantic Breeze can maintain his strong 2017 form following the long journey to Florida.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – About an hour after Ami’s Mesa was beaten a nose by Bar of Gold in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4, trainer Josie Carroll and owner-breeder Ivan Dalos went from the agony of defeat to the thrill of victory as, back at Woodbine, Gamble’s Ghost won the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes by three-quarters of a length.
It was the third consecutive win for the daughter of Ghostzapper, following an allowance score in October and the Belle Mahone Stakes in September.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ami’s Mesa, second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, is getting a break and will join trainer Josie Carroll’s string at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida in the new year.
“She’s turned out at Wavertree Farm in Ocala,” Carroll said. “She’s going to spend about six to eight weeks turned out.”
After starting from the outside in the 14-horse field in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4, Ami’s Mesa held the lead in deep stretch, but was caught in the final strides by Bar of Gold.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One of the biggest Beyer Speed Figures during the final week at Churchill was earned by Singing Bullet, when his 3 1/4-length victory in a one-mile allowance Sunday translated to a 95. It was yet another big effort for a 3-year-old who showed steady improvement throughout the year.
“We’re excited for what he can do as a 4-year-old,” said Dale Romans, who trains the Hard Spun colt for Stronach Stables. “I guess we might have to look for a stakes for him at Gulfstream off that race.”
Turfway jockeys in transit
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Frankie Pennington, the leading rider at Parx Racing in suburban Philadelphia every year since 2014, is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks after undergoing surgery Sunday following a spill from Diamond King in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill the previous day.
Pennington suffered a groin injury in the incident and was “still pretty sore” early Monday, said Butch Reid, trainer of Diamond King.
“He was going to ride home with us today but doesn’t feel he’s ready to do that yet, so he’s going to fly home later this week,” Reid said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One time might be a fluke. Two times in a row, however, is something entirely different.
After earning his first Churchill Downs training title at the 11-day September meet, Brad Cox won another one when outlasting 18-time Churchill titlist Steve Asmussen on the final program of the 21-day fall meet. Both trainers sent out one winner apiece Sunday, giving Cox a 13-12 edge after an uncoupled Asmussen entry finished second and sixth in the final race of the meet.
