LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Most horse trainers, including Dale Romans, don’t like getting too far ahead of themselves. But after Not This Time confirmed his suspicions about the colt’s potential with an 8 3/4-length romp Saturday in the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, Romans couldn’t help himself.
“The key is going to be getting him to the Kentucky Derby at a peak,” Romans said. “Everything will be done with the Derby in mind.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Shakhimat, who won the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland in the spring, will miss the rest of the 2016 season, trainer Roger Attfield said. Shakhimat has not raced since finishing fifth in the July 3 Queen’s Plate.
Following the Queen’s Plate, Shakhimat had minor throat surgery for an entrapped epiglottis, but he also has been dealing with bone bruising, Attfield said.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After running third in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 27, Noholdingback Bear is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.
To get him to Santa Anita, trainer Michael De Paulo and owner Danny Dion are considering two options for Noholdingback Bear’s next start: the Grade 3, $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes for 3-year-olds at Parx on Saturday or the Grade 1, $350,000 Vosburgh Invitational for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park on Oct. 1. Both races will be run over six furlongs on dirt.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Caren completed Canada’s Triple Tiara series with back-to-back wins in the Bison City and Wonder Where stakes and will be looking to win her third straight race in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Ontario Colleen Stakes over a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies, trainer Michael De Paulo said.
De Paulo said Caren got a little break after going gate to wire in the Wonder Where, run over 1 1/4 miles on grass Aug. 7. She resumed breezing Aug. 27 in preparation for the Ontario Colleen and worked five furlongs in a bullet 59.40 seconds on Tapeta here Saturday.
CYPRESS, Calif. - Bitzka went from a maiden claimer to a stakes winner in consecutive starts with a victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Barretts Debutante at Los Alamitos.
She may be bound for a graded stakes in a matter of weeks, trainer John Sadler said on Sunday.
The $300,000 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 1 will be a point of discussion among Sadler and owners Pete and Kostra Hronis, Sadler said.
“It’s not out of the question,” he said. “I’m not promising anything.”
CYPRESS, Calif. - Wild At Heart ran so well in an optional claimer at Los Alamitos on Saturday that she is now rated as a candidate for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.
The lightly raced Wild At Heart ($7.20) had an ideal trip under jockey Mike Smith to finish 1 1/4 lengths in front of 2-5 favorite Perfect Pic, who broke slowly in the six-furlong race.
Unbeaten champion Songbird makes even her workouts look easy.
For the third consecutive time this month, Songbird worked so effortlessly at Santa Anita on Sunday that clockers described her exercise as “breezing,” a rarely used description in Southern California. Most workouts are rated “handily,” to reflect a more significant effort.
Songbird breezed a half-mile in 47.60 seconds, her final major exercise before her 11th start in Saturday’s $1 million Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania. Exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez rode Songbird in the workout.
Nyquist, winless in two starts since his victory in the Kentucky Derby on May 7, worked a mile in 1:38.20 at the San Luis Rey Downs training center on Saturday, his final workout before a start in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing next Saturday.
Trained by Doug O’Neill, Nyquist has not raced since finishing fourth in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 31.
CYPRESS, Calif. – California Chrome’s autumn schedule is set.
The nation’s leading older horse, California Chrome is being prepared for the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1, a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic there on Nov. 5.
The details of California Chrome’s winter schedule are not as certain. California Chrome is scheduled to have his final start in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28 before going to stud in Kentucky.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Exaggerator turned in his final drill before another meeting with familiar rival Nyquist when breezing five furlongs in 1:00.20 over a fast track Saturday morning at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Keith Desormeaux was in from the Keeneland yearling sale to watch the breeze, which came shortly after the regularly scheduled harrow break at about 8:45 a.m. Eastern. Brian Hernandez Jr. was up for the work, although regular rider Kent Desormeaux will be aboard Exaggerator next Saturday in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing in suburban Philadelphia.
