SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Last year, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer won the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga with the heavily favored Songbird. This year, the Hall of Fame trainer will try to pull off an upset when he sends out It Tiz Well in Saturday’s 137th running of the prestigious race for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/4 miles.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Mike Smith was out early Monday morning at Del Mar to watch Arrogate in his final drill for Saturday’s Pacific Classic, but the morning also included a showcase for two of the horses he will be riding the following Saturday, Aug. 26, at Saratoga, as both West Coast and American Anthem continued to train forwardly for the Travers card.
West Coast is headed to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers itself. He worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 under jockey Martin Garcia, who reported to Baffert via radio after the work that West Coast was “not even blowing. Nada.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – All eyes were on Arrogate on Monday morning at Del Mar, as he completed his preparation for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic with a half-mile work in 47.60 seconds.
“He’s fit,” said his trainer, Bob Baffert. “He’s ready. He cruised around there. We’re set.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Earlier this decade, Nick Cosato tried to leave racing. He had worked as an agent for several prominent riders in Southern California, but was ready for a different career.
A year later, Cosato had another change of heart. He returned to racing, this time as the founder of the Slam Dunk Racing partnership.
“I couldn’t get this out of my blood,” Cosato said last weekend. “Racing is my passion.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Arrogate worked a half-mile in 47.60 seconds on Monday morning at Del Mar in his final tune-up for the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Saturday.
Martin Garcia was aboard Arrogate, who broke away from the pony just past the five-furlong pole and had a full head of steam by the half-mile pole. Clockers had him in fractions of 24.20 seconds for the opening quarter, 35.20 for three furlongs, and had him galloping out five furlongs in 1:00 and six furlongs in 1:14.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Hailey’s Prize will stretch out around two turns for the first time and make her stakes debut in Wednesday night’s $125,000 Eternal Search Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year old fillies, to be run over 1 1/16 miles on Woodbine’s Tapeta.
Hailey’s Prize’s 10 starts have come in sprints. Trainer Kevin Attard said he expected Hailey’s Prize would handle the stretch-out well.
“She should handle a mile and a sixteenth,” he said. “She’s just a real competitor. She tries each and every time.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – The single-ticket jackpot carryover in the pick six will start at $82,395 at Del Mar when racing resumes Wednesday.
A largely formful card Sunday resulted in 19 tickets hitting the pick six for $6,996.60 apiece. There were 762 tickets with 5 of 6, returning $37.40.
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DEL MAR, Calif. - College football season begins in a couple of weeks, and preparation for that kept Kirk Herbstreit from being at Del Mar on Sunday to watch the first horse he’s ever owned, Soul Streit, make his debut.
But he was on the phone to trainer Bob Baffert immediately after the race, with shouts of joy after Soul Streit stamped himself as a possible Del Mar Futurity prospect with an eye-catching victory.
DEL MAR, Calif. - The days of Grade 1 dirt races are over for Hard Aces.
Next weekend, Hard Aces is expected to start in Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf - and not the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on dirt the same day.
Hard Aces had his final major exercise Sunday, working five furlongs in 1:00.60.
“We’ll keep him away from the Grade 1 horses,” trainer John Sadler said Sunday. “It’s time to try something a little marathony.”
DEL MAR, Calif. - Del Mar reached the halfway point of its summer meeting over the weekend with a gain in handle and field sizes, but a decline in attendance compared to the same period in 2016.
All-sources handle, including on-track, simulcast and account wagering sources, showed an increase of 7.2 percent through Saturday, the 19th day of the 36-day season, according to track Chief Operating Officer Josh Rubinstein.
Ontrack handle increased 4.9 percent, while out-of-state handle rose 10.1 percent.
