DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Mark Glatt is certain Silent Bird belongs in graded stakes, and even though the 5-year-old has not raced in five months, Glatt is looking to Saturday’s Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar to provide proof.
Silent Bird won five consecutive races, from January 2016 to January of this year, before finishing fourth in his graded stakes debut in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on March 11.
Santa Anita will offer 21 stakes for its 19-day autumn meeting from Sept. 29-Oct. 29, six fewer than during the 2016 meet, which included the Breeders’ Cup.
This year, the Breeders’ Cup is at Del Mar on Nov. 3-4. Six stakes typically run at Santa Anita during a Breeders’ Cup meeting have been transferred to Del Mar.
The most significant change is that Santa Anita has eliminated the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile. The City of Hope Mile was run with a purse of $200,000 in past years as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Mr Havercamp remained unbeaten in his second start when he won an allowance over 1 1/16 miles on turf by 8 1/2 lengths at Woodbine on Aug. 13. Now, with two wins by a combined 12 lengths, Mr Havercamp will make his stakes debut in his next start, trainer Catherine Day Phillips said.
While the $125,000 Vice Regent Stakes over a mile on the Woodbine turf for Ontario-sired 3-year olds on Sept. 23 would be a logical local target, Day Phillips said she had a spot at Saratoga in mind – the Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Sept. 2.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Mark Casse-trained Listenlindalisten doubled up last week by taking the Eternal Search Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Woodbine’s Tapeta. Two weeks prior, Listenlindalisten had recorded her first stakes score in the Passing Mood Stakes, a race originally scheduled for turf but moved to the Tapeta following heavy rain.
Casse said he was confident Listenlindalisten could handle the short comeback.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse recorded his meet-leading ninth stakes win of the season Saturday when Conquest Panthera got by pacesetter Dowse’s Beach in the final strides to win the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes. Casse will likely run two horses in next month’s Grade 1, $800,000 Woodbine Mile, including World Approval, who won the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 12.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Moonshine Memories will go from a maiden race win in her debut at Del Mar on Saturday to the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 30, trainer Simon Callaghan said on Sunday.
Moonshine Memories, a filly by Malibu Moon, led throughout a six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday, winning by a length over favored Tyfosha. Callaghan said the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Sept. 2 will arrive too soon.
“I think we’ll wait for the Chandelier,” Callaghan said. “I was nervous if we had her ready. I think she’s a good filly.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Unique Bella, considered the leading 3-year-old filly in the country last winter, worked three furlongs in 36.40 seconds at Del Mar on Sunday for an expected return to racing this fall.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said the Grade 3 L.A. Woman Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Oct. 8 is a target for Unique Bella, who won three consecutive stakes at Santa Anita from early January to early March before being rested because of a sore shin.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Hunt was still on the racetrack following a win in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on Saturday when trainer Phil D’Amato’s thoughts turned to the Breeders’ Cup Turf on the same turf course on Nov. 4.
D’Amato met winning jockey Flavien Prat on the track for a report on how Hunt felt in the longest race of his career, at 1 3/8 miles on turf. The distance was a test of stamina, especially in advance of the BC Turf at 1 1/2 miles.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The three fillies separated by a nose and a neck at the finish of Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks may meet again in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 14.
Race winner Dream Dancing prevailed by a nose over Beau Recall, who was a neck in front of Madam Dancealot in a furious finish in a field of 12.
Mark Casse, who trains Dream Dancing for John Oxley, said late Saturday he would look strongly at the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth, which is run at 1 1/8 miles on turf for 3-year-old fillies.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Good Samaritan, the Grade 2 Jim Dandy winner, worked five furlongs in 1:01.67 Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track, his final serious move before next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes.
