ELMONT, N.Y. – Terra Promessa, the 7 1/2-length winner of the Grade 3 Allaire duPont Distaff last Friday at Pimlico, will be kept in two-turn races, meaning she’ll skip the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park on Belmont Stakes Day and likely target Saratoga.
The two opportunities for Terra Promessa at Saratoga are the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee on July 30 and the Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign on Aug. 26. Both races are run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The only bad race Shaman Ghost has run for trainer Jimmy Jerkens came in last year’s Suburban, where he finished fifth. Shaman Ghost will have a chance to atone for that performance when he starts next in the Grade 2, $750,000 Suburban at 1 1/4 miles on July 8 at Belmont Park.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Kenny McPeek should have an active schedule during Belmont Stakes week. In addition to having Preakness third-place finisher Senior Investment for the Belmont on June 10, he is hoping to start Some in Tieme in the Grade 3, $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup at two miles on turf June 9 if the horse is invited to the race.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gun Runner geared up for the Grade 1, $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 17 by working five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Monday for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Monday’s breeze marked Gun Runner’s longest work since resuming training following his runner-up finish to Arrogate in the Dubai World Cup on March 25 at Meydan, where he was beaten 2 1/4 lengths after setting the pace. A five-time graded stakes winner with earnings of more than $4.3 million, he had breezed half-miles in 51 seconds on May 8 and May 15.
ARCADIA, Calif. – There will be no easy comeback race for Avenge when she makes her first start of 2017 in Saturday’s Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita.
Avenge was third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last November at Santa Anita, beaten a length by Queen’s Trust, who finished a nose in front of Lady Eli. Queen’s Trust is in England. Lady Eli is being sent from Chad Brown’s stable in New York for the $300,000 Gamely at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
The competition was very much on the mind last weekend of Avenge’s trainer, Richard Mandella.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Classic Rock, among the more promising 3-year-olds on the grounds now, boarded a van Monday bound for New York, where he’ll test graded stakes waters for the first time June 10 in the Grade 2, seven-furlong Woody Stephens.
Classic Rock, whose connections, owner Reeves Thoroughbreds and trainer Kathy Ritvo, combined to win the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Mucho Macho Man, has won his last three starts, all at seven furlongs, including an overnight stakes by four lengths April 21.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr. has dropped appeals of two suspensions issued in November and March and will not ride for seven racing days at Santa Anita from Thursday through June 2.
Arroyo was suspended five racing days, through Sunday, for causing interference in a race at Santa Anita on April 30. The upcoming penalties are for suspensions issued at Del Mar last November and Santa Anita on March 18.
Arroyo, 40, has won seven races at the spring-summer meeting and is tied for eighth in the jockey standings despite his recent absence.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The California-bred stakes winners Big Macher and Gold Rush Dancer are likely to return from layoffs and meet for the first time in the $100,000 Thor’s Echo Handicap for statebred sprinters at Santa Anita on June 11.
Big Macher, the former maiden claimer who won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar in 2014, has not raced since finishing seventh in the Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar in November 2015. A five-time stakes winner, Big Macher was sidelined with a ligament issue, trainer Richard Baltas said earlier this year.
ARCADIA, Calif. – In March, Saudi Chroma was purchased for $360,000, the most expensive filly at the Barretts select sale of 2-year-olds in training at Del Mar.
Saudi Chroma can justify the big-ticket purchase Thursday in a maiden race for fillies at 4 1/2 furlongs. A California-bred by Lucky Pulpit, Saudi Chroma is owned by Amr Zedan and trained by Doug O’Neill.
“She should be tough first time out,” said Dennis O’Neill, Doug’s brother and the bloodstock agent who bought Saudi Chroma. “She’s doing really well. She’s a smart filly. She’s very fast out of the gate.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Richard’s Boy won his second stakes of the year in the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico last Friday. An attempt at a third stakes win could occur at venues as diverse as Belmont Park, Penn National, or Royal Ascot in the coming weeks.
“We’re keeping all options open,” trainer Peter Miller said Sunday.
