SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Givemeaminit finished second in his lone start, but the effort was solid enough for trainer Dallas Stewart to target the Grade 1 Hopeful here Labor Day.
Givemeaminit, a Louisiana-bred son of Star Guitar, finished second to the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Sporting Chance in a July 22 maiden race here going 5 1/2 furlongs. Sporting Chance is also pointing to the Hopeful.
“I love the way my horse is doing,” Stewart said. “Hopefully, a speed situation develops.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher already has Whitney runner-up Keen Ice pointing to the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 7 at Belmont Park. He could have another Gold Cup runner, perhaps Destin, who won a third-level allowance race by a nose over stablemate Donegal Moon on Thursday at Saratoga.
Destin, beaten a nose by Creator in the 2016 Belmont Stakes, won for the first time since the Tampa Bay Derby in March 2016. He was making just his second start of this year. He had finished third in a similar allowance spot at Belmont Park.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Neolithic and Rally Cry both put in a workout Friday morning over the Oklahoma training track as they prepare for a meeting with top older horse Gun Runner in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga.
Neolithic, who won a second-level allowance race here Aug. 5, went four furlongs under jockey Jose Ortiz in 49.39 seconds, in company with the 3-year-old maiden Zap Zap Zap. The two went their first quarter in 25.04 seconds, got their final quarter in 24.35, and Neolithic galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.51.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Del Mar will run 35 stakes at its 16-day autumn meeting from Nov. 1-26, including 20 stakes on Nov. 3-4, when the track hosts the Breeders’ Cup races for the first time.
The Nov. 3-4 programs will feature the 13 seven-figure Breeders’ Cup races and seven stakes worth $150,000 to $200,000 each. The undercard races include two Grade 2 stakes worth $200,000 each – the Las Vegas Marathon at 1 3/4 miles on Nov. 3 and the Goldikova Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf Nov. 4.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Nero, the highly promising colt who was expected to start early in the Del Mar meeting, will have his long-awaited debut in a maiden race Sunday.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Nero has worked quickly in recent months, first at Los Alamitos and in the last month at Del Mar. On Aug. 19, Nero worked five furlongs in 59 seconds from the gate, the fastest of 85 recorded works at the distance that day.
“He’s quick,” Baffert said. “He took a little while to get going. I was going to run him in the first week.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis, who has not ridden since April, recently underwent hip-replacement surgery and is unsure if he will return to riding.
Solis, 53, said Thursday that he began physical therapy last week but is months away from a decision about his future.
“My body is adjusting to the hardware,” Solis said. “I feel like a bionic man. I want to see how I feel about it. I don’t want to say anything right now.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With a 13-race card highlighted by the Travers on Saturday, there will be an additional pick-four wager offered.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Turf races at 1 1/4 miles or longer will be worth $90,000 at Belmont Park this fall, continuing a program that began during the Belmont spring-summer meet, according to Martin Panza, vice president of racing operations for the New York Racing Association.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Chad Brown trained this year’s Arlington Million winner, Beach Patrol. Now, he trains runner-up Fanciful Angel as well.
Fanciful Angel, who was 73-1 in the Arlington Million, was purchased by Sol Kumin’s Head of Plain Partners and Michael Dubb and was transferred to Brown from trainer Marco Botti.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tom’s d’Etat, who was pointing to next Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes following a nine-length allowance win here July 27, is sidelined for the remainder of the year after a chip was found in his left front ankle following a recent workout.
Trainer Al Stall said the horse was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday in Kentucky and likely will resume training this fall in New Orleans.
