Imperial Hint emerged in great shape from his very convincing victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Smile Sprint, trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. said as he awaited his star’s return to Parx Racing on Monday.
The win was the fourth in a row, all by open lengths, for Imperial Hint and guaranteed him a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“He is on a flight right now to New York, then vans here later this afternoon,” Carvajal said from his Parx headquarters.
More than six months have passed since Los Alamitos hosted a Thoroughbred meeting.
During that memorable two-week season last December, Mastery and Abel Tasman won Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds and 2016 Horse of the Year California Chrome won a made-for-him stakes in his second-to-last start and final win.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine will add a second turf course for the 2019 season.
The new turf course will take the place of the seven-furlong harness track. Woodbine announced earlier this month that it will commit $10 million for improvements to Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ontario, in order to move harness racing there full time next spring. Following the conclusion of the harness meet at Woodbine next April, construction will begin on the new inner turf course.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine handled a record $13,560,678 over the 13-race Queen’s Plate card on Sunday afternoon.
The total handle on the Queen’s Plate card bested last year’s handle of $11,839,883, which was the previous Queen’s Plate-day record. Woodbine’s track record handle of $67,738,890 was set when the track hosted the Breeders’ Cup in 1996.
Handle on the Queen’s Plate itself was $3.72 million, up 10 percent from last year.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Peter Miller has been fined $1,250 for failing to report Fly to Mars was racing as a gelding for the first time when the 3-year-old won the 11th race at Santa Anita on June 10.
The penalty was announced in a ruling issued by Santa Anita stewards Friday. The ruling noted this was the third instance of such an infraction for Miller.
On June 10, the public was not informed Fly to Mars was a gelding until approximately 20 minutes before post time, after he was inspected in the receiving barn where horses are kept before going to the paddock.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Danzing Candy may deserve an eight-week gap between races after a hard-fought victory in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on Saturday.
Danzing Candy fought for the lead at Santa Anita throughout the race, repelling an early threat from Coastline and from Ransom the Moon in the stretch before winning by a neck.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Diamondsandpearls was bought for $1.7 million at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in training in March; she was the most expensive hip of the prestigious sale.
The reason for the big-ticket purchase became apparent Sunday at Santa Anita.
In her debut, Diamondsandpearls led throughout a five-furlong maiden race for 2-year-old fillies to score by an easy 6 1/4 lengths.
“She’s like a first-round draft choice,” trainer Bob Baffert said.
“I thought she ran like we thought she would. Now we know why everyone wanted her.”
ARCADIA, Calif. - Arrogate has been on a steady pattern of Sunday workouts at Santa Anita in recent weeks, a schedule unlikely to change in the buildup to his first start of the summer at Del Mar in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 22.
Arrogate worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 on Sunday. Trainer Bob Baffert said after the work that Arrogate will have his final two workouts before the San Diego at Santa Anita before being shipped to Del Mar.
“It’s all systems go,” Baffert said.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Songbird will make her next start in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on July 15, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said on Sunday.
A two-time champion, Songbird won her only start this year, the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park, on June 10. The $750,000 Delaware Handicap is run at 1 1/4 miles on dirt.
