DEL MAR, Calif. – After racing in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf two weeks ago, the Japanese mare Nuovo Record took up residence here at Del Mar and on Thursday will attempt to add a United States win to her ledger. She heads the field in the Grade 3, $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap for female turf runners.
The Red Carpet, at 1 3/8 miles, kicks off a Thanksgiving Week schedule of six graded stakes races run over four days. Five are on grass, one on dirt.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gun Runner is scheduled for an easy breeze Monday at Churchill Downs as his connections consider running the standout 3-year-old in Friday’s Grade 1 Clark Handicap here.
David Fiske, racing manager for owner Winchell Thoroughbreds, said Gun Runner will run in the Clark or ship to Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs will add 1,800 new seats in time for the 2018 Kentucky Derby as part of a $37 million renovation project, Churchill Downs Inc. officials announced this week.
The new seating will be part of the Starting Gate Suites, which will comprise luxury suites, interior dining tables, and third-floor grandstand seats, and will encompass 77,250 square feet of new space adjacent to the Jockey Club Suites on the north end of the track.
DEL MAR, Calif. – For the second straight racing day, a single ticket took down the pick six at Del Mar, with Thursday’s winner receiving $31,947.20. According to Del Mar's mutuels department, the winning ticket was purchased through TwinSpires.com.
The pick six handled just $49,250 on Thursday, as patrons treaded lightly after a blockbuster opening weekend that produced two carryovers and, on Sunday, a single ticket worth $1,041.696.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The multiple stakes winner Conquest Enforcer is joining trainer Phil D’Amato’s barn at Santa Anita after being purchased at auction earlier this week for $785,000 in Kentucky.
Conquest Enforcer, 3, a colt by Into Mischief, won four times in seven starts for trainer Mark Casse, with all wins in stakes races, three at Woodbine and one at Belmont. He was sold as part of the Conquest Stables dispersal at Keeneland November.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Richard Mandella made a quick trip to and from Kentucky this week for the sales, but he’ll be headed back soon to visit Beholder, who is scheduled to leave Mandella’s Santa Anita stable early next week to begin her new career as a broodmare at the Spendthrift Farm of owner B. Wayne Hughes.
Mandella joked that he was going to try and talk Hughes into “seeing if she could go to Florida in January,” referring to running her in the inaugural $12 million Pegasus at Gulfstream Park.
DEL MAR, Calif. – While the focus among 2-year-olds on Saturday’s card at Del Mar will be on the featured Bob Hope Stakes, there are a number of promising maidens in two 6 1/2-furlong races. The racing office was forced to split the race into two divisions because 17 horses entered.
Eight are in race 3, nine are in race 7, and both feature a mix of horses who showed promise before brief vacations, or first-time starters who have trained well.
Family Tree, the winner of the Grade 2 Indiana Oaks, and Land Over Sea, the runner-up in the Kentucky Oaks, were among 10 horses entered in the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks. The 1 1/16-mile race will anchor the Land of Enchantment Day card next Wednesday at Zia, which is located in Hobbs, N.M.
The Zia Park Oaks will go as the 10th race, with a scheduled post of 4:15 p.m. Mountain. Others set to start include Ready to Confess, the runner-up behind Family Tree in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks, Victress, and Coniah.
Delta Downs has been something of a hot spot for trainer Mark Casse through the years. Tepin won the first stakes race of her career in the track’s Grade 3 Princess in 2013, and Turf War dead-heated for the win in its signature event, the Grade 3, $1 million Jackpot, in 2007.
There have been other Delta stakes wins for the barn, too, and Casse will attempt to add to his numbers Saturday when he sends out Thirstforlife and Our Stormin Norman in the Jackpot.
Magic Mark, winner of the Harry Brubaker at Del Mar during the summer meet, heads the prospective lineup for the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes for older California-breds going seven furlongs on Sunday.
Magic Mark was third against open company in the Big Bear at Santa Anita last time out Nov. 3.
The Cary Grant was also expected to include Acceptance, Grazen Sky, Image of Joplin, Lucky J Lane, Solid Wager, Tengas Ransom, and Tribal Fighter.
Hoppertunity to Clark
