DEL MAR, Calif. – The young man on the backstretch viewing stand next to the Del Mar racing oval had a question for several passersby, both on foot and horseback, late during training hours Sunday: “How is the turf?”
Soon it became clear why. This was Billy Garrity, who traveled from England for his boss, trainer Richard Fahey, to help oversee the preparation of Ribchester for the Breeders’ Cup Mile and Sands of Mali for the BC Juvenile Turf.
DEL MAR, Calif. – In these parts, “surf and turf” is related to our favorite hometown racetrack, not putting steak and lobster on the same plate. Fortunately, you can combine the best of both worlds this week, for with the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar for the first time Friday and Saturday, you can partake of both this great racetrack and all that the area has to offer in terms of food and fun.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Wesley Ward ran six horses in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup. Two won, three finished second, and the other third. It doesn’t really get much better than that, but Ward is exuding confidence in the three horses he plans to start in Breeders’ Cup races Friday and Saturday.
“All my horses are all training up to the race good. I think it’s as strong a contingent as I’ve brought,” Ward said Sunday morning after his intended Breeders’ Cup runners had worked on turf.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Jamie Theriot has been suspended 15 calendar days for switching saddles without approval or knowledge of racing officials at Del Mar on Aug. 20, according to a ruling published by Santa Anita stewards on Sunday.
The suspension runs from Monday through Nov. 13.
According to stewards, Theriot weighed out with one saddle and then replaced the saddle before the race. Theriot weighed in after the race two pounds over his assigned weight with the second saddle, stewards said.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Adam Kitchingman was fined $1,000 by the Santa Anita stewards Friday after one of his winners at Del Mar tested in excess of the permitted level of cobalt.
The overage was found in a post-race test taken from Unobtainable, the winner of a maiden claimer at five furlongs Aug. 11 as the 2-1 second choice.
California follows the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium’s guidelines for cobalt levels, which is 25 parts per billion, according to Santa Anita stewards. Unobtainable’s test showed 26.1 parts per billion.
ARCADIA, Calif. - A colt with a special name had a dynamic start to his career at Santa Anita on Saturday.
McKinzie, named in honor of the late Los Alamitos racing executive Brad McKinzie, won his debut in a seven-furlong maiden race by 5 1/2 lengths under jockey Mike Smith.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Mor Spirit’s performance in winning the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park four months ago was nothing short of brilliant. But it certainly took a toll on Mor Spirit, who has not run since.
But based on his last two workouts, Mor Spirit has shown trainer Bob Baffert that he is ready to go again. On Sunday at Santa Anita, Mor Spirit worked a solid five furlongs in 1:01.13 from the gate in company with Cat Burglar as he prepares for Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Sharp Samurai extended his winning streak to four races, all in stakes, with Saturday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.
This time, Sharp Samurai showed a different style of racing than his recent victories.
Jockey Gary Stevens had Sharp Samurai disputing the pace throughout the $201,380 Twilight Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf. In his three previous wins, at distances ranging from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/8 miles, Sharp Samurai closed from three or four lengths off the pace and took the lead in the final quarter-mile.
The eight-card Monmouth at Meadowlands all-turf meet that concluded Saturday evening had large increases in average daily handle over 2016, according to figures released by Monmouth Park officials.
While handle was certainly up, the two meets are difficult to compare because this year's meet raced solely on Friday and Saturday nights. Additionally, six-race cards were the norm in 2016. This year's season began with four six-race programs and then added two races per night for the final four dates.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The undefeated Bolt d’Oro breezed five furlongs in 1:01.96 Sunday morning at Santa Anita, his final preparation for his start as the expected overwhelming favorite in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.
