Mon, 07/24/2017 - 11:20

Grizzel targets Ontario Colleen Stakes

Michael Burns
Grizzel wins the Grade 3 Selene Stakes at Woodbine on May 21.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Grade 3 Selene Stakes winner Grizzel was a 39-1 longshot when she traveled to Belmont Park for the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on July 8, but her fifth-place finish after holding the lead in the stretch pleased trainer Mike Doyle.

“She ran great,” he said. “It’s unfortunate she didn’t place. I really thought she could run well, and she did. The way it set up, they ran so much faster earlier in the race than they did in the Belmont Derby. She may be suspect in going that far. A mile and an eighth might be as far as she wants to go.”

Mon, 07/24/2017 - 11:16

Blueblood powers Casse's strong start to juvenile season

Michael Burns
Blueblood paid $3.30 in winning the Victoria Stakes on Saturday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Leading trainer Mark Casse is off to a quick start in 2-year-old racing at Woodbine this season, with eight wins from 24 starts. Two victories have come from Blueblood, who is now 2 for 2 after winning the Victoria Stakes on July 8 by three-quarters of a length over five furlongs on the Tapeta.

Mon, 07/24/2017 - 09:04

CHRB to investigate another late-announced gelding

The California Horse Racing Board will conduct an investigation into why Trapalanda was not identified as a gelding until approximately 20 minutes before he won a $50,000 claiming race for maidens at Del Mar on Saturday, track stewards said.

The announcement that Trapalanda had been gelded since his last start was made to the public before he ran in the fifth race, the first leg of the pick six, but long after the start of other multi-race wagers, such as the pick five and the pick three.

Mon, 07/24/2017 - 08:52

Big Macher to continue comeback in Bing Crosby

Benoit & Associates
The 7-year-old Big Macher returns from 18 months on the sidelines to win the Thor's Echo under Rafael Bejarano.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Three years have passed since Big Macher won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar, the track’s leading sprint. Since then, Big Macher has been to Dubai – where he was fifth in the $2 million Golden Shaheen in March 2015 - and gone 18 months between starts because of a suspensory injury.

Big Macher won his comeback race in the Thor’s Echo Handicap for California-breds at Santa Anita on June 11, and will run in the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes on Saturday.

Sun, 07/23/2017 - 20:09

Huge pick six carryover into Monday at Spa

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three days into the Saratoga meet and nobody’s been able to solve the pick six yet.

After Major Force ran down Cookie Crisp in Sunday’s 11th race, it created a three-day carryover of $577,107 into Monday’s nine-race program. The pick six will start on race 4 (2:40 p.m. eastern). There are three turf races in the sequence – including the $200,000 Caress Stakes – but there was rain in the forecast Sunday night into Monday.

Sun, 07/23/2017 - 18:32

Trainer Jorge Navarro sets single-day win record at Monmouth

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Trainer Jorge Navarro (yellow shirt) set a single-day win record with five victories at Monmouth Park on July 23, 2017.

Jorge Navarro set a Monmouth Park record for wins in a day by a trainer when he won half of the 10 races on the Sunday card.

Navarro sent out the winners of races 1, 2, 3, 5, and 9. Valentino's Day finished second, beaten a neck, in race 5 for Navarro but was placed first by the stewards after an inquiry and jockey's objection.

Navarro's winners were Don't Tell ($3.80), Mandeville ($6.80), Bun Bun ($4.40), Valentino's Day ($3), and Fire Mission ($7.40).

Sun, 07/23/2017 - 15:45

Stellar Wind has strong workout for Sunday's Hirsch Stakes

Coady Photography
Apple Blossom winner Stellar Wind is expected to face Vale Dori and Songbird in the Beholder Mile.

DEL MAR, Calif. – There was only a brief celebration among Accelerate's connections Saturday night following the Pacific Classic because of an early work call Sunday morning.

The champion Stellar Wind – like Accelerate owned by Kosta and Pete Hronis, trained by John Sadler, and ridden by Victor Espinoza – worked at 6:30 Sunday morning in preparation for this Sunday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes, in which Stellar Wind is the defending race winner.

Sun, 07/23/2017 - 14:19

Lady Eli campaigns for Eclipse Award with Diana triumph

Debra A. Roma
Lady Eli, left, notched her fifth Grade 1 victory with Saturday's Diana Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Having won back-to-back Grade 1 victories the last two months, Lady Eli has positioned herself for a run at an Eclipse Award that, to date, has been the only thing that has eluded the gutsy 5-year-old mare.

Sun, 07/23/2017 - 14:03

Gun Runner works strong five furlongs in Whitney prep

Barbara D. Livingston
Gun Runner works on the Oklahoma training track Sunday with Florent Geroux aboard.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After a couple of disappointing afternoons to begin the Saratoga meet, trainer Steve Asmussen needed a pick-me-up. He got just that Sunday morning when Gun Runner worked a strong five furlongs in 59.86 seconds over the main track in preparation for his start in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney Stakes on Aug. 5.

Sun, 07/23/2017 - 13:29

Arrogate will rebound in Pacific Classic, Baffert says

Emily Shields
Arrogate will 'be ready for the Pacific Classic,' trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The morning after Arrogate’s stunning loss in the San Diego Handicap, the worst performance of the brilliant colt’s career, trainer Bob Baffert said the horse had come out of the race well, and that he expected Arrogate to rebound in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 19, for which the San Diego is a prep.

“He looks good today. That’s the most important thing,” Baffert said Sunday morning. “He was flat. He didn’t run his race. We’ll re-load.