Sat, 10/29/2016 - 13:46

Miss Southern Miss taking it easy ahead of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Barbara D. Livingston
Miss Southern Miss breezes a half-mile Oct. 22.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Miss Southern Miss will have a quiet week in advance of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Friday.

Trainer Keith Desormeaux said on Saturday that Miss Southern Miss will not have a workout in the days before the one-mile race but will jog and gallop on a daily basis. On Saturday, Miss Southern Miss was jogged on the infield training track.

Miss Southern Miss won the Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 10 to join the list of leading contenders in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Sat, 10/29/2016 - 13:25

Good Samaritan to stay on grass in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

Michael Burns
Good Samaritan wins the Summer Stakes with a 94 Beyer Speed Figure, the best number by a 2-year-old in a turf route this season.

ELMONT, N.Y. – At some point, Good Samaritan will get a chance to prove himself on dirt, but that time won’t be at this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

Good Samaritan, who is 2 for 2, with both victories coming on turf, will run in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita and not in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on dirt, said Elliott Walden, president, chief executive, and racing manager for WinStar Farm, which owns Good Samaritan along with the China Horse Club.

Sat, 10/29/2016 - 12:26

Curalina likely to go in Breeders' Cup Distaff instead of Filly and Mare Sprint

Barbara D. Livingston
Curalina, shown training earlier this month, worked five furlongs in 1:01.30 on Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Barring an unexpected change of heart come entry day on Monday, Curalina will run in Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita and not in the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint, her connections indicated Saturday.

“The filly’s doing great, she’s proven herself multiple times at a mile and an eighth,” trainer Todd Pletcher said Saturday at Belmont. “I guess we’ll have to make a final decision here soon, but most of our conversations have leaned that way.”

Sat, 10/29/2016 - 11:13

I'm a Chatterbox drills for Breeders' Cup Distaff

Coady Photography
I'm a Chatterbox works five furlongs in 59 seconds Saturday.

The light 2016 campaign for I’m a Chatterbox was by necessity. After an eight-start 2015 campaign that went from January through October and included most of the top races for 3-year-old fillies, she needed a break.

“She was tired after her 3-year-old year,” trainer Larry Jones said. “We gave her a pretty good break over the winter, just trying to do what was right for the horse. I’m not saying it was all designed.”

Sat, 10/29/2016 - 09:59

Runhappy puts in fast five-furlong work for Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
Runhappy, under exercise rider Marcus O'Donnell, breezes five furlongs in 58.55 seconds Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Runhappy was sent through his final workout leading into the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile when breezing five furlongs under the cover of darkness Saturday morning at Santa Anita.

Runhappy, the winner of the BC Sprint and the Eclipse Award for top sprinter last year, was timed in 58.55 seconds in a work that came at about 5:20 a.m. Pacific, before many other horses were out for exercise over a fast surface.

“Yay,” trainer Laura Wohlers said afterward. “He looked good down the stretch. It was a nice, strong work.”

Fri, 10/28/2016 - 14:06

Breeders' Cup Turf: D'Amato views Metaboss as live longshot

Barbara D. Livingston
The connections of Metaboss spent $100,000 to make him eligible for the Breeders' Cup Turf.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Twice in recent months, Metaboss has turned into the stretch of a Grade 2 turf marathon at a California track with the rest of the field in front of him.

In the Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 20, Metaboss caught all of his rivals but one, losing by a nose to Ashleyluvssugar. In the John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita on Oct. 2, Metaboss rallied to finish fourth, a length behind Ashleyluvssugar.

Fri, 10/28/2016 - 13:56

Breeders' Cup Juvenile: Three Rules sizzles in five-furlong workout

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Three Rules breezes five furlongs in 57.64 seconds Friday at Gulfstream Park.

Three Rules, undefeated in five career starts, blazed five furlongs in 57.64 seconds Friday morning at Gulfstream Park in his last serious move before the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita next Saturday.

With a strong wind at his back, Three Rules, under exercise rider Patrick Harris, was timed by track clockers in fractions of 21.80 for the quarter-mile and 32.80 for three furlongs, and he galloped out five furlongs in 1:12.40. It was the fastest of 21 moves at the distance, with the second-fastest time 57.88 seconds.

Fri, 10/28/2016 - 13:30

Fewer days, fewer horses result in less business at Northlands

All-sources live handle at Northlands Park was down from last year at the 2016 meet, which concluded last Saturday.

The main reason for the decline, $18.9 million this year compared to $21.4 million in 2015, was six fewer days of racing this year.

The average over the 69 days was $274,337, off by 4 percent compared to 2015, when $286,337 was bet on a daily basis.

Another factor was the decline in average starters per race, 6.82 compared to 7.20 in 2015.

Fri, 10/28/2016 - 13:30

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile: Runhappy shuttles between racetrack, farm

Barbara D. Livingston
Runhappy gets in his daily work at Santa Anita before dawn before shuttling to a nearby farm mid-morning each day.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Runhappy, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner and the nation’s champion sprinter, has had a busy schedule since arriving here at Santa Anita for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, to be run next Friday. He goes out to train well before dawn every morning, and every day has spent time at a nearby farm, taking advantage of outdoor paddocks, a bit of grass on which to graze, and sand pits in which to roll, something he can do in one facility at his home base in Kentucky.

Fri, 10/28/2016 - 12:56

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: La Force needs one more defection to make field

ARCADIA, Calif. – With a five-furlong work in 1:00.40 here on Friday, La Force is being prepared as if she will start in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

It may take the whole weekend to determine whether it was a necessary dress rehearsal.