Sun, 08/28/2016 - 15:33

Flintshire destined for Joe Hirsch Classic at Belmont

Ronnie Betor
Flintshire earned a 112 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Sword Dancer on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Flintshire, the other part of Juddmonte Farms’ dynamite double with Travers winner Arrogate, came out of his victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer Stakes in good order and will be pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park on Oct. 1, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday.

Sun, 08/28/2016 - 14:14

Champion Quarter Horse jockey Carter coming out of retirement for All American Futurity

Former champion jockey G.R. Carter Jr., the all-time winningest rider in Quarter Horse racing, is coming out of retirement to ride Koolnfamous in the $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs on Sept. 5, the New Mexico track announced Sunday.

Carter has not ridden since December, but recently worked horses at Remington Park in Oklahoma. Carter began exercising horses at Ruidoso Downs on Friday and said he needs to lose 10 pounds to reach the 120-pound assignment for the All American Futurity.

Sat, 08/27/2016 - 14:07

Accelerate targets Los Alamitos Derby

Benoit and Associates
Accelerate, fresh off a maiden win earlier in the meet, takes the Shared Belief Friday at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Accelerate won his stakes debut in Friday’s $100,690 Shared Belief Stakes for 3-year-olds, a victory that will lead to his graded stakes debut next month.

Trainer John Sadler said on Saturday that Accelerate will be pointed for the $200,000 Los Alamitos Derby, a Grade 2 race at 1 1/8 miles. The Los Alamitos Derby is the most lucrative race of the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos, which runs from Sept. 8-25.

Sat, 08/27/2016 - 13:52

Green With Eddie to miss Del Mar Futurity with injury

Benoit & Associates
Green With Eddie wins the Graduation Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The stakes winner Green With Eddie has been sidelined with a bone chip in an ankle and will not start in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 5, trainer Doug O’Neill said on Saturday.

O’Neill said the injury was diagnosed in recent days after Green With Eddie worked a half-mile in 47.40 seconds Aug. 21.

Owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Green With Eddie has won 2 of 3 starts and earned $115,600. Green With Eddie won the Graduation Stakes for California-breds on Aug. 3 in his most recent start.

Sat, 08/27/2016 - 13:41

Nyquist works for Pennsylvania Derby

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Nyquist, the morning-line Haskell favorite, exercises at Monmouth Park on Thursday morning.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist worked a mile in 1:45.80 at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in San Diego County on Saturday, his first major exercise for a fall campaign scheduled to start in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing on Sept. 24.

The workout was the first for Nyquist in August.

Nyquist has lost two starts since winning the Kentucky Derby on May 7, finishing third in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21 and fourth in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 31. Those are the only losses of his 10-race career.

Sat, 08/27/2016 - 13:11

Casse looks to close meet with juvenile Grade 1 stakes double

Coady Photography
Classic Empire rallies from far back under Julien Leparoux to win the Bashford Manor by three-quarters of a length.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse closed out the Churchill Downs meet with victories in a pair of stakes for 2-year-olds.

Casse will hope to close out Saratoga with victories in this meet’s pair of Grade 1 juvenile stakes with Classic Empire in the Hopeful on Sept. 5 and Pretty City Dancer in the Spinaway next Saturday.

Both horses put in workouts early Saturday morning.

Sat, 08/27/2016 - 12:46

Bradester, Samraat work for Woodward Stakes

Bill Denver /EQUI-PHOTO.
Bradester, with Joe Bravo aboard, wins the $200,000 Monmouth Cup at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – By running in the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup instead of the Grade 1 Whitney, Bradester not only returned to one of his favorite surfaces, but he avoided a meeting with Frosted, who backed up his dominant Metropolitan Handicap victory in June with another sensational effort in winning the Whitney.

The connections of Bradester were using the Monmouth Cup as a prep for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Woodward, where they originally thought they would be able to avoid Frosted.

Sat, 08/27/2016 - 12:29

King Kreesa targets Ashley T. Cole Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
King Kreesa (No. 2) edges Kharafa for the win in the West Point Stakes on Friday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer David Donk's decision to run King Kreesa back on six days' rest in the $150,000 West Point Stakes at Saratoga on Friday paid off handsomely, as the horse set all the pace in the 1 1/16-mile race and showed heart in deep stretch to hold off a strong bid from Kharafa by a nose.

King Kreesa is now 2 for 3 in the West Point, a New York-bred turf race he won in 2014 and was second in last year.

Fri, 08/26/2016 - 14:06

Ring Weekend might swing back in Bernard Baruch

Barbara D. Livingston
Ring Weekend breezes five furlongs Monday ahead of the rescheduled Fourstardave Handicap.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After making just two starts in 17 months, Ring Weekend may make two starts in 16 days, as he is being considered for the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap here on Sept. 5.

Ring Weekend finished last as the 5-2 favorite in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap here on Aug. 20.

“I didn’t feel like he got to run his race the other day, and he’s only run twice this year,” trainer Graham Motion said. “He got pinched at the start and kind of got taken out of his game.”

Fri, 08/26/2016 - 14:06

Kareena among McLaughlin trio for Prioress

Barbara D. Livingston
Kareena goes into the Grade 1 Test off a victory in the Jersey Girl Stakes at Belmont - just like last year's Test winner, Cavorting.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In addition to having two horses for the Grade 1 Woodward next Saturday, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will send out a trio of horses next Sunday for the Grade 2, $300,000 Prioress Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

McLaughlin will send out Kareena, Takrees, and Coniah. Kareena, the dominant winner of the Jersey Girl Stakes on June 10, was dueled into defeat in the Grade 1 Test, finishing sixth of seven behind winner Paola Queen. Kareena was prompted by Off the Tracks through a half-mile in 43.50 seconds before fading in the seven-furlong Test.