Mon, 08/12/2024 - 08:30

Hernandez to serve suspension for whip violation

Benoit Photo

Juan Hernandez will serve a one-day suspension Saturday for excessive use of the whip aboard R Heisman in the $101,500 Graduation Stakes.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Juan Hernandez, the leading rider at the current Del Mar summer meeting, will serve a one-day suspension Saturday for excessive use of the whip aboard R Heisman in the $101,500 Graduation Stakes last Friday.

Hernandez was cited for using his whip seven times, once above the permitted level. He was fined $500 for the infraction.

Hernandez will be able to ride Saturday’s stakes, the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks. He is set to ride Zona Verde, who was second in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap on July 20. Stakes mounts are exempt from routine suspensions.

Mon, 08/12/2024 - 08:30

Getaway Car, Gaming give Baffert strong hand for Del Mar Futurity

By Steve Andersen

Benoit Photo

Getaway Car gives trainer Bob Baffert his 11th victory in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Bob Baffert’s grip on the Best Pal Stakes and Del Mar Futurity shows no signs of relenting.

The Hall of Fame trainer won the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes for a record 11th time Sunday with the exciting colt Getaway Car. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Getaway Car, by Curlin, led throughout the $147,000 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs to win by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:10.37. There was no suspense in the final quarter-mile when Getaway Car pulled away.

“This guy has been a lot of fun,” Baffert said. “He’s fast. He’s got a beautiful way of moving.”

Sat, 08/10/2024 - 13:49

Idiomatic, Timberlake drill for upcoming stakes

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

Idiomatic worked five furlongs Saturday morning, in preparation for the Grade 1 Personal Ensign.

Among notable names on Saturday’s work tab were champion Idiomatic and Grade 1 winner Timberlake, who also put in drills over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for upcoming stakes engagements.

Idiomatic, the champion older dirt female of 2023, worked five furlongs in 1:00.53 by herself in preparation for the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 23. Daily Racing Form caught Idiomatic in splits of 13.18 seconds, 24.90, 47.83 and had her out six furlongs in 1:13.00.

Sat, 08/10/2024 - 13:36

Honor Marie will get blinkers, Gaffalione aboard for Travers

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

Honor Marie will get jockey Tyler Gaffalione aboard and will wear blinkers in the Travers.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Honor Marie will have two new variables in place when he runs in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 24. Both were on display Saturday morning when the colt worked in preparation for the 1 1/4-mile race for 3-year-olds.

Equipped with blinkers and with jockey Tyler Gaffalione aboard, Honor Marie breezed a half-mile in 48.11 seconds over a surprisingly fast Oklahoma training track Saturday morning.

Fri, 08/09/2024 - 13:35

Sisterson trying to make Breeders' Cup with Aspen Grove

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

After winning an allowance race Thursday at Saratoga, trainer Jack Sisterton is hoping to get into the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf with Aspen Grove.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Jack Sisterson believes Aspen Grove has the talent to run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 2 at Del Mar. She’ll likely have to do more to get in that field, but on Thursday she may have taken a first step toward doing that.

Aspen Grove won a second-level allowance race at Saratoga, overcoming a pedestrian pace over soft-ish ground to beat Avenue Niel by a neck. It was Aspen Grove’s first win since she captured the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in July 2023 when still racing for the European-based trainer James Stack.

Fri, 08/09/2024 - 13:35

Without Thorpedo Anna, Alabama will draw bigger field

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

After finishing third to Thorpedo Anna in the Acorn, Power Squeeze came back to win the Delaware Oaks.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The absence of Thorpedo Anna is likely to mean Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga will attract a large field. Among the top contenders will be Power Squeeze, who has won 4 of 6 starts this year, most recently the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks, which she won by a nose over Sidamara.

While the narrow margin of victory might not look impressive, Jorge Delgado, trainer of Power Squeeze, believes there was more to the story.

Thu, 08/08/2024 - 15:07

Best Pal Stakes draws a field of five

By Steve Andersen

Coady Media

White Sands is entered in both the Sorrento on Saturday and Best Pal on Sunday, both at Del Mar.

The Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar on Sunday has a projected field of five, including White Sands who is also entered in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes for fillies.

The maiden race winners Getaway Car, Mischief River, and Tiz Happy are scheduled to start in the $150,000 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs along with Ivan the Great, a maiden who was a well-beaten third in the Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 30.

Thu, 08/08/2024 - 15:03

Travers: Thorpedo Anna tops handful of workers

By David Grening

Barbara D. Livingston

Belmont Stakes and Haskell winner Dornoch worked a half-mile Thursday in 47.17 seconds over the Saratoga main track in preparation for the Aug. 24 Travers Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - With the threat of inclement weather creating the likelihood of a wet track in Saratoga all weekend, trainer Kenny McPeek called an audible and decided to move up a workout from Saturday to Thursday for the 3-year-old filly Thorpedo Anna.

After watching the three-time Grade 1 stakes winner breeze five furlongs in 59.40 seconds under exercise rider Danny Ramsey over the Oklahoma training track, McPeek’s confidence in Thorpedo Anna swelled as she prepares to take on the boys in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug 24.

Thu, 08/08/2024 - 15:01

Santa Anita releases ticket prices for California Crown program

By Steve Andersen

Barbara D. Livingston

Santa Anita has released ticket prices for their upcoming California Crown program.

A box seat for the California Crown program at Santa Anita on Sept. 28 will be very pricey.

According to the event’s website, Californiacrown.com, box seats are available for $1,200, while trackside reserved seats past the finish line are for sale for $1,500. A portion of the clubhouse restaurant will have seats available from $750 to $1,000.

General admission tickets are $25.

Thu, 08/08/2024 - 14:41

Owner-breeder Lovingier has a hand in another 2-year-old stakes

By Steve Andersen

Fasig-Tipton

Owner-breeder Terry Lovingier is involved with five of the eight entrants from last weeks CTBA Stakes and is involved with all but one runner in the nine-horse Graduation Stakes this weekend.

As the breeder and co-owner of five of the eight runners in the $101,000 CTBA Stakes at Del Mar last Sunday, it was little surprise that Terry Lovingier was involved with the first three finishers.

A similar scenario may develop in Friday’s $100,000 Graduation Stakes for statebred 2-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs. Of the nine entrants, Lovingier bred five and has an ownership stake in three starters, including the colt Bodacious.

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