In the last month, the 2-year-old Royal Mo has consistently shown strong workouts.
“He has a good foundation, and he’s been good out of the gate,” trainer John Shirreffs said on Friday.
Those lessons could put Royal Mo in the winner’s circle of his debut, a maiden special weight race at six furlongs at Del Mar on Sunday. Shirreffs said he was particularly encouraged by a five-furlong workout in 59.40 seconds by Royal Mo last Monday that he described as “excellent.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Chantal Sutherland was set for a busy Friday morning in the Del Mar stables, with workouts scheduled for each training session.
Then she won Thursday’s sixth race, her first win in 25 months. After that, Friday’s task list became more crowded.
“I’ve been on five so far and have two to go,” she said at 8 a.m., moments after climbing off a horse trained by Jim Cassidy. “Two people called last night.”
Monmouth Park track announcer Frank Mirahmadi is recovering from emergency surgery at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, N.J. Mirahmadi became ill last weekend and had colon surgery Monday.
Mirahmadi said Friday that he credited Monmouth Park medical director Angelo Chinnici with saving his life.
"I was feeling bad Saturday and went and saw Dr. Chinnici, and he wanted me to go to the hospital then," Mirahmadi said. "But I was fighting him off."
Celestine, the winner of the Grade 1 Just a Game on the Belmont Stakes undercard, worked three furlongs in 38.11 seconds Thursday over the Oklahoma training track.
It was her first breeze in five weeks, owing to physical issues.
“She had some sore feet, and previous to that, she broke out in a little skin rash,” trainer Bill Mott said. “It took a while for us to get everything straightened out. She’s back on the work tab, so she’s obviously doing pretty well, and she went well. We just wanted an easy work. It’s the first time she’s breezed in a while.”
Tara’s Tango is likely to run in major stakes around two turns this fall despite winning the $100,345 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for sprinters at Del Mar on Wednesday.
On Thursday, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 4 is a goal he would like to pursue with Tara’s Tango as opposed to sprints.
“We’ll probably plan for two turns,” he said. “It’s encouraging that a filly we feel is a good route horse can run 6 1/2 [furlongs] and win against a good field.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Songbird’s biggest rival for the Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old filly division won’t be joining her in the starting gate for Saturday’s Grade 1 Alabama.
The biggest threat to her championship bid will be participating here Sunday, when Catch a Glimpse heads a field of seven entered for the Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid Stakes.
Catch a Glimpse, a winner of all five of her starts this year, including the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in her last start, is looking for her ninth consecutive victory overall in the Lake Placid, run at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Trainer Brad Cox has been quietly successful during the opening four weeks of the Saratoga meet, having sent out two winners from just five starters. But he will kick into high gear over the next week, sending out contenders in three upcoming stakes, including likely favorite Green Mask in Saturday’s $100,000 Troy Stakes.
DEL MAR, Calif. – At the age of 7, Finnegans Wake is a senior member of trainer Peter Miller’s massive stable – and one of the most well respected.
Finnegans Wake has won 8 of 36 starts and earned $1,594,320 in his career. Last year, Finnegans Wake won three stakes, including the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs.
Finnegans Wake has yet to win a stakes this year but has trained well enough in recent weeks to leave Miller encouraged about the horse’s chances in Saturday’s $250,000 Del Mar Handicap.
“He’s acting like his old self,” Miller said.
Jockey Ted Gondron, who launched a riding comeback in July at Lone Star Park, registered his first win in nine years last Saturday at the Gillespie County Fair in Fredericksburg, Texas. Gondron won a maiden special weight with Ty’s Agenda.
Gondron made his comeback July 22. He had previously last ridden in a race Sept. 28, 2007, at Retama Park. Ty’s Agenda was Gondron’s 11th mount back. He was aboard the winner for Cyndi Bauerle and trainer Danny Pish.
Secret Passage, a promising son of Curlin who was fourth in the $100,000 Prelude Stakes this month at Louisiana Downs, could run next in either the Super Derby or the Oklahoma Derby, said trainer Donnie Von Hemel.
Secret Passage went 2 for 2 last year, with both wins coming at two turns at Remington. He won a maiden special weight by going last to first in his debut in October and then accounted for an allowance in his season finale Nov. 12. Secret Passage was making his first start at 3 in the Prelude.
