SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After a couple of disappointing afternoons to begin the Saratoga meet, trainer Steve Asmussen needed a pick-me-up. He got just that Sunday morning when Gun Runner worked a strong five furlongs in 59.86 seconds over the main track in preparation for his start in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney Stakes on Aug. 5.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The morning after Arrogate’s stunning loss in the San Diego Handicap, the worst performance of the brilliant colt’s career, trainer Bob Baffert said the horse had come out of the race well, and that he expected Arrogate to rebound in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 19, for which the San Diego is a prep.
“He looks good today. That’s the most important thing,” Baffert said Sunday morning. “He was flat. He didn’t run his race. We’ll re-load.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three horses eyeing the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap turned in their final preps here Saturday morning including the up-and-coming El Deal, who shipped over from his Monmouth Park base to breeze five furlongs in 1:02.04 over the main track with Javier Castellano aboard. The Vanderbilt will be decided here at six furlongs next Saturday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The winners of all three of this year’s Triple Crown races put in workouts about an hour apart Saturday morning at Saratoga as they prepare for the second half of the season and a bid for a divisional championship.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Glorious weather and strong field size led to booming business on opening day at Saratoga as all-sources handle was $20,332,051, an increase of 14.4 percent over opening day 2016 when all-sources handle was 17,763,037.
Attendance was announced at 32,730 down less than 1 percent from last year’s figure of 32,980. However, ontrack handle was $5,016,519, up 6.6 percent from last year’s figure of $4,703,479.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Arlington general manager Tony Petrillo said he hopes a very slow weekend at the entry box is an isolated occurrence and that the pace of Arlington entries will bounce back next week.
Arlington carded only seven races each on its Saturday and Sunday cards this weekend. Saturday’s program drew a mere 47 entrants, Sunday’s 46.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Ignacio Correas’s pair of Grade 1 hopefuls for the Aug. 12 Arlington Million card continue to thrive at Keeneland, with Dona Bruja on track for the Beverly D. Stakes and Kasaqui right on course for the Arlington Million.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Arklow, the Grade 2 American Turf winner who finished last in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby, worked a half-mile in 51.35 seconds Friday over the Oklahoma turf course. He went in company with the maiden 3-year-old filly Time to Flirt. Arklow got his final quarter in 25.13 seconds.
:: Saratoga Clocker Report: Get in-depth workout analysis for the 2017 summer meet
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The racing future of Unified, who finished last in the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship, is uncertain.
He was sent to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., for evaluation after the Belmont Sprint, and according to trainer Jimmy Jerkens, nothing was found to be amiss physically. He will get a little break at Lane’s End Farm, where he will stand at stud next year, before it is determined whether he will race again.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Ascend, the upset winner of the Grade 1 Manhattan on Belmont Stakes Day, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes at Saratoga next Saturday, trainer Graham Motion said.
Motion had also been considering the Arlington Million for Ascend but thought that race would come up significantly tougher than the Bowling Green.
