ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – One might think the horses would come out in droves to run for a million dollars, but though it doesn’t usually work that way, a full field is coming together for the Arlington Million on Aug. 12.
As of Wednesday, 14 horses, the most that can start, were considered likely entrants in the Million, for which pre-entries are officially due at midnight Saturday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – California invaders have had success in this decade shipping east for the Grade 1 Test Stakes, and with no suitable options in the 3-year-old filly sprint division at the Del Mar meeting, a trio of West Coast invaders will try to add to that recent history in the $500,000 Test on Saturday’s Whitney Stakes program at Saratoga.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The Grade 1 winner Big Macher was recently sent to a Southern California farm and has likely run his last race.
Big Macher was entered in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 29 but was withdrawn when an injury was detected. Trainer Richard Baltas said on Wednesday that Big Macher is at Katie Mansor’s farm in nearby Hemet, Calif. Mansor is the daughter of Tom Mansor, who owns Big Macher with Brendan Bakir.
“As of now, she’ll take care of him,” Baltas said.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Hillhouse High ran a career-best race in winning the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in April. She was unable to duplicate that effort when sixth in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs on May 6 and was given a vacation for the remainder of the spring.
Three months later, Hillhouse High will start in Saturday’s Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf for fillies and mares at Del Mar. The $200,000 Yellow Ribbon will determine how ambitiously she is campaigned in the coming months.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Klimt, second in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby on July 15, will remain in Southern California rather than heading to Saratoga for his next start.
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Stanley Gold is as resilient as he is disciplined. A strict vegetarian for nearly 50 years, Gold has landed on his feet since being abruptly dismissed in April 2016 by his longtime client, the Jacks or Better Farm of Fred Brei.
The Florida Sire Stakes events will be overshadowed to a certain extent this weekend by the eagerly awaited comeback of Gunnevera, the locally based standout whose star lost some luster with off-the-board finishes in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Gunnevera will be a heavy favorite Sunday in the $100,000 Tangelo Stakes as part of a small field of 3-year-olds.
Trainer Antonio Sano said Wednesday that he has been very pleased with how Gunnevera has matured and filled out since the colt finished fifth in the May 20 Preakness.
The purse of the Apple Blossom Handicap has been raised to $700,000 in the most significant change to the 31-race stakes schedule for the Oaklawn Park meet that opens Jan. 12. Last season, the race was worth $600,000 when won by champion Stellar Wind.
Oaklawn’s stakes calendar, which features four races offering Kentucky Derby qualifying points, will be worth a track-record $8.53 million in 2018.
Point Piper will be back to try to repeat in the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs on Aug. 13.
With Mario Gutierrez aboard last year, Point Piper came from well back to win by 4 3/4 lengths while establishing a track record of 1:32.90 for the one-mile distance.
Point Piper hasn’t won since, but he was the runner-up to California Chrome in the $180,000 Winter Challenge at Los Alamitos on Dec. 17, and he also finished second to the Grade 2 winner Midnight Storm in the Grade 3 Native Diver at Del Mar on Nov. 27.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Bob Baffert likens what happened to Arrogate in the San Diego Handicap to American Pharoah when he got beat in the Travers Stakes two years ago.
“We have to figure out what we did wrong and adjust,” Baffert said Tuesday. “It’s like being in the locker room at halftime and making adjustments.”
