ELMONT, N.Y. – Time and Motion, the winner of the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, is pointing to a pair of stakes in December in Southern California, trainer Jimmy Toner said Sunday.
Toner said Time and Motion will run in the Grade 1, $300,000 Matriarch at Del Mar on Dec. 3 and use that as a prep for the Grade 1, $300,000 American Oaks at Santa Anita on Dec. 31.
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ARCADIA, Calif. – Her status as one of the handful of Grade 1 winners in the field makes Union Strike one of the horses to beat Saturday in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita. As a romping winner of the Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 3, she clearly has the credentials to be a major threat in the 1 1/16-mile race.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Takaful, a last-minute entry, made quite the first impression last Saturday at Belmont Park, winning his debut by eight lengths while running more than two seconds faster than another division of a maiden race for juveniles.
Showing good speed away from the gate, Takaful went gate to wire under Jose Ortiz and ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.82. That time was 2.10 seconds faster than Lead Astray’s final time in winning the other division earlier on the card.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Mark Hennig has been on a roll with his 2-year-olds, going 4 for 15 with them at the Belmont Park fall meet, which concluded Sunday. This week at Aqueduct, he will send out his two top prospects, Capitaine in the Grade 2 Nashua on Friday and Cursor in the Grade 3 Tempted on Saturday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – He’s back in the Breeders’ Cup – obviously.
Obviously, an 8-year-old gelding, is set to become just the fifth horse to make five Breeders’ Cup starts when he races in the Turf Sprint on Saturday. And this is no vanity entry. Obviously has won only once in four starts this year, but that win was a strong one, in the Poker at Belmont, and his defeats, two seconds and a third, all were admirable performances.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – When trainer Kevin Attard and owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman claimed Calgary Cat for $25,000 in November 2013, they weren’t thinking they would one day get to run him in the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Attard said the Breeders’ Cup still wasn’t in their plans at the beginning of October, but the 2014 Canadian champion sprinter made a strong statement when he won the Grade 2, $307,800 Nearctic Stakes here on Oct. 16.
ARCADIA, California – Bill Mott was dead lame Sunday morning, but the two horses he worked for the Breeders’ Cup, Carina Mia and Tourist, looked much better.
Tourist, who will be making his third Breeders’ Cup Mile start, worked a half-mile on dirt in 47.89 seconds, out five furlongs in 1:00.56, according to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. Carina Mia, who figures to be among the favorites in the Filly and Mare Sprint, went the same distance in 47.91, out five furlongs in 1:00.74.
ARCADIA, Calif. – California Chrome on Sunday had the kind of trip traveling from Los Alamitos to Santa Anita that those closest to him hope he has in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday.
“No traffic. Zipped right over,” said assistant trainer Alan Sherman, who accompanied California Chrome on the 32-mile journey late Sunday morning.
SANTA ANITA
Track: Fast
Weather: Cloudy
Temp: 67
ARCADIA, Calf. - A relatively quiet Sunday at Santa Anita, where only seven potential Breeders’ Cup starters worked, all pretty much in maintenance mode with less than a week to go before the main event.
The main track was tight and fast with cloudy skies prevailing throughout the morning.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Coasted, a Labor Day weekend stakes winner at Saratoga, will have Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith aboard for the first time in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Friday.
Trainer Leah Gyarmati said the decision was finalized on Sunday. Jose Lezcano had been riding Coasted, who is by Tizway.
“I consider that to be a huge improvement,” Gyarmati said.
