ELMONT, N.Y. – Some horses don’t make seven starts in their entire career.
The 10-year-old Lubash will run in the $125,000 Kingston Stakes for the seventh consecutive year on Monday, when he takes on fellow New York-bred stakes regulars Kharafa and King Kreesa in the one-mile turf race.
Lubash won the Kingston in 2015. He finished second in this race in 2011, 2012, and 2014 and third in 2013. Last year, he finished fourth.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Weekend Hideaway and Empire Dreams, the last two winners of the Commentator Stakes, are both back in the entries Monday for the fifth renewal of the $200,000 Commentator, one of six stakes and 10 races on Monday’s Big Apple Showcase Day program at Belmont Park.
Weekend Hideaway has done his best work sprinting, but last year, trainer Phil Serpe stretched him out to a mile in the Commentator. Taking advantage of a wet surface, Weekend Hideaway galloped to a 3 3/4-length victory. He has not tried a mile since.
Texas Chrome will have a good deal of local support on Sunday when he takes on Southern California invader Danzing Candy in the Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap. Texas Chrome represents the best of his home state’s breeding program, and on June 24 at Lone Star, he will be honored as the 2016 Texas-bred of the Year.
Texas Chrome won a pair of Grade 3 races last year in the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs and the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park. He also won two other stakes last season, including a division of the Texas Stallion Stakes in a 10-length romp at Lone Star.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Saudi Chroma, the most expensive filly at the Barretts March sale of select 2-year-olds in training, will have her stakes debut in early July after an impressive win in her first start at Santa Anita on Thursday.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Saudi Chroma ($7.80) led throughout a maiden race at 4 1/2 furlongs, pulling clear in the final furlong to win by 3 1/4 lengths over Show It N Moe It. Saudi Chroma was timed in 52.08 seconds.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The Shoemaker Mile on June 3 is likely to have a robust field for the richest turf race of Santa Anita’s spring-summer meeting. The Beholder Mile on the same day will have a small field for the richest race of the season for fillies and mares.
Both races are worth $400,000 and are the final Grade 1 races of the meeting, which continues through July 4.
As of Friday, the candidates for the Shoemaker Mile were Bal a Bali, Bolo, Farhaan, Free Rose, Gangster, Mr. Roary, Perfectly Majestic, What a View, and possibly Heart to Heart and Prospect Park.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Classic Empire returned to training for the first time since his gutsy runner-up finish in last weekend’s Preakness by jogging around the Churchill Downs oval early Friday morning under the watchful eye of Norman Casse.
“He was great,” said Casse, assistant to his father, trainer Mark Casse.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kent Sweezey said he was inundated with text messages Thursday evening at Churchill Downs immediately after his first victory as a trainer.
“I had more than 100 before we left the test barn,” Sweezey said. “Not only from my buddies and the people I grew up with, but a lot of people I’ve gotten to know in the industry. It was all really cool.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Catherine Day Phillips recorded a career high in wins at Woodbine in 2016 with 22 victories from 84 starters, highlighted by her first win in the Woodbine Oaks with Neshama. While those accomplishments might be tough to top in 2017, Day Phillips would be off to a great start if Guy Caballero gives her a first victory in the Queen’s Plate here on July 2.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Florida Fabulous, who won her first two starts impressively at Gulfstream Park this winter before finishing 10th in the Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs, is being pointed to the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park on June 10, trainer David Fawkes said.
Fawkes said Florida Fabulous broke poorly in the Eight Belles and that jockey Paco Lopez was never able to get the filly into a good position. Fawkes also said he doesn’t think Florida Fabulous cared for the off track at Churchill.
“Paco said she didn’t care for the track warming up,” Fawkes said.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association announced Thursday that Fox Sports Prime Ticket and Fox Sports San Diego – which broadcasts in the heart of Del Mar country – will air “Saratoga Live” during this summer’s 40-day meet.
In addition, the regional sports networks will broadcast select “Belmont Park Live” shows during the remainder of the current meet.
“Saratoga Live” airs two to 2 1/2 hours of coverage daily throughout the meet, which runs July 21 through Sept. 4. Prime Ticket will air all 40 shows, and Fox Sports San Diego will air 30.
