Trainer Rick Violette said Wednesday he is now leaning toward bringing Upstart back in the one-mile, Grade 2 Kelso rather than the 1 1/4-mile, Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, which, like the Kelso, will be decided Oct. 8 at Belmont Park.
“We’ve gotten to the point we’re thinking he’s not a mile-and-quarter horse,” Violette said. “So while I’m not entirely ruling out the Gold Cup, I think it would be more likely we’ll bring him back in the Kelso and then point for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Summer Revolution, whose stock has risen quickly in the 3-year-old division after a pair of impressive victories to launch his career, was given the opportunity to stretch his legs a little Wednesday morning, breezing an easy-as-can-be half-mile in 50.87 seconds over Saratoga’s main track with trainer Rudy Rodriguez aboard.
Summer Revolution, a son of Summer Bird, won his first two starts by a combined 10 1/4 lengths. He earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure easily handling first-level allowance opposition by three lengths, going seven furlongs here Aug. 6.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The private acquisition of Express Himself by owners Pete and Kosta Hronis and trainer John Sadler in July may have occurred at the perfect time.
The addition of Express Himself gives Hronis Racing and Sadler a much-needed runner for the Southern California turf marathon division. The purchase could pay off quickly Saturday when Express Himself makes his American debut in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf.
Saturday is Maryland Pride Day at Laurel Park, with a card comprised solely of races for Maryland-bred or Maryland-sired horses, and will include the Mister Diz and Jameela stakes, a pair of $75,000 turf sprints.
Unlike Maryland Million Day in the fall, Maryland Pride Day will give preference to Maryland-breds over Maryland-sired horses. Ben’s Cat, who has won the last six editions of the Mister Diz, is expected to start.
Fourteen horses were entered Tuesday for the Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Derby, which will be held Saturday at Northlands Park. Only 12 will get to run, with Perfect Gent and Warden of the West on the outside looking in.
Last year, the 1 3/8-mile race was dominated by the 3-year-old filly Academic, who also won the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby. There don’t appear to be any standouts in this well-matched field, though.
The Monmouth Park board of stewards has fined jockey Mario Gutierrez $1,000 for careless riding aboard Nyquist in the Haskell Invitational on July 31.
According to the stewards’ ruling, issued Aug. 6, Gutierrez was fined for violating New Jersey racing rule 13:70-11.1 regarding crossing over or weaving. The rule states, “When clear, a horse may be taken to any part of the course, but no horse shall cross over or weave in front of other horses in such a way as to impede them or constitute or cause interference or intimidation.”
Page McKenney this week will begin a new phase in his recovery from a tendon injury as he has been shipped from trainer Mary Eppler’s Pimlico barn to Nor Mar Farm in northern Maryland.
A rags-to-riches claim by owner Adam Staple in July 2013, Page McKenney would have been favored in the $300,000 Pimlico Special on May 20 but was scratched the morning of the race when Eppler discovered slight filling in a tendon. For the past three months, his exercise has been limited to being hand-walked.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It might well be argued that Da Big Hoss already has become one of the greatest claims in American racing history. The 5-year-old Da Big Hoss has won six stakes and nearly $1.1 million since changing hands some 14 months ago.
The scary part: His connections feel like they might just be getting started.
“That’s the feeling,” said Harvey Diamond, the retired physician who with Jimmy Shircliff heads the Louisville-based Skychai Racing partnership that owns Da Big Hoss. “He might bounce sooner or later, but he does just seem to keep on rolling.”
Hazel Park Raceway will extend its live meet through Oct. 1, adding seven additional dates to its 2016 racing calendar.
The newly scheduled dates are Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10; Sunday, Sept. 18; Friday, Sept. 23 and Saturday, Sept. 24; and Friday, Sept. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 1. Post time for the new dates will be the usual 7:30 p.m. Eastern, except on Sunday, Sept. 18, when racing will begin at 4:30 p.m.
The meet was originally scheduled to comprise 30 days from May 27 to Sept. 3.
Antonio L. “Tony” Diaz, a top Northern California rider and trainer died of cancer Monday at age 67.
Diaz was the leading rider on the Northern California circuit during the 1970s prior to the arrival and development of Russell Baze. He won a number of riding titles at both Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows while scoring 2,505 career wins before his retirement in 1992. His mounts earned more than $20 million.
