Mon, 10/10/2016 - 11:16

Up With the Birds targets Sycamore

Michael Burns
Nijinsky winner Up With the Birds will skip the Canadian International this year.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Up With the Birds ran second in last year’s Grade 1 Canadian International, but the 6-year-old is not among the probables for Sunday’s edition. Trainer Malcolm Pierce said Up With the Birds is being pointed toward the Grade 3, $100,000 Sycamore Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf at Keeneland on Oct. 20.

Sun, 10/09/2016 - 16:39

Baffert has two prime prospects for Breeders' Cup Sprint

Shigeki Kikkawa
Lord Nelson will be one of the favorites for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

ARCADIA, Calif.- In the morning and afternoon on Saturday, trainer Bob Baffert had his top hopes for the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint on display at Santa Anita.

Drefong, winner of the King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 27, worked a half-mile in 46.80 seconds. In the afternoon, Lord Nelson won his third consecutive Grade 1 in the $300,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

Sun, 10/09/2016 - 16:32

D'Amato has multiple Breeders' Cup options with Vyjack, Obviously

Shigeki Kikkawa
Vyjack coul run in either the Breeders' Cup Mile or Dirt Mile.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The first- and third-place finishes by Vyjack and Obviously in Saturday’s $201,725 City of Hope Mile gives trainer Phil D’Amato a strong roster of candidates for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 5, or a chance to diversify his team in other Breeders’ Cup races.

Sunday, D’Amato said Vyjack and Obviously will be considered for the BC Mile, but that Vyjack is also a candidate for the $1 million BC Dirt Mile on Nov. 4, and Obviously may be pre-entered in the $1 million BC Turf Sprint on Nov. 5.

Sun, 10/09/2016 - 09:21

Keeneland sets fall single-day handle record

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A record all-sources handle for a fall program at Keeneland was established Saturday when $15,926,396 was bet on the 10-race card, surpassing the previous fall record of $14,135,204 set Oct. 6, 2007.

The handle figure does not threaten the all-time single-day record at Keeneland, which was set earlier this year when more than $21.7 million was bet on the Blue Grass Stakes card of April 9. In fact, at least the top 10 single-day records at Keeneland all have come at spring meets.

Sat, 10/08/2016 - 14:04

Made You Look breezes for Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

Barbara D. Livingston
Made You Look wins the With Anticipation Stakes by two lengths Wednesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Made You Look, the winner of the Grade 2 With Anticipation at Saratoga, worked a half-mile in 48.96 seconds over the Belmont turf course Saturday in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

Made You Look was on the inside of stablemate Rock Me Again, a 4-year-old filly. The pair shaded 23 seconds for the final quarter-mile, though Made You Look bobbled a time or two in the stretch.

Sat, 10/08/2016 - 13:56

Keen Ice targets Clark Handicap

Barbara D. Livingston
Keen Ice worked for the first time in five months Friday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though 2015 Travers winner Keen Ice finished third in his return to the races Friday at Belmont Park, trainer Todd Pletcher was satisfied enough with the result that the 4-year-old most likely will be pointed to the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 25.

Keen Ice, in his first start since running eighth in the Dubai World Cup in March, showed late interest in rallying to be third, beaten four lengths, by the loose-on-the-lead Wake Up in Malibu, who ran a mile in a very fast 1:33.27.

Sat, 10/08/2016 - 13:39

Union Strike works for Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

Benoit & Associates
Union Strike will train up to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Union Strike, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 3, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 on Saturday in preparation for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.

Union Strike was held out of the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1 because of sore shins, but trainer Shelbe Ruis said on Saturday that the filly has recovered.

“There was nothing that major going on,” Ruis said. “It was the right thing to do. I think she’ll be ready.”

Fri, 10/07/2016 - 16:07

Runaway Lute will return to statebred company for Sleepy Hollow

Barbara D. Livingston
Runaway Lute breezed for the first time Friday since winning the Rockville Centre Stakes..

Runaway Lute, who won his first two starts against New York-breds before finishing sixth in the Grade 1 Hopeful, will return to statebred company for the $250,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes on Oct. 22, trainer Gary Contessa said.

Runaway Lute won a maiden race and then the Rockville Centre Stakes by a combined 20 3/4 lengths during the Belmont spring/summer meet.

He was freshened for the Hopeful, where he had trouble from start to finish while getting beat 17 1/4 lengths. He fell past the finish line but was uninjured.

Fri, 10/07/2016 - 16:01

Comfort sidelined with bone bruising

New York Racing Association photo
Comfort, with John Velazquez aboard, gets up just in time to win the Seattle Slew Stakes on Saturday.

Comfort, the runner-up to Frosted in the Grade 1 Whitney, is sidelined with “mild to moderate bone bruising,” said Aron Wellman, president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Wellman said Comfort was diagnosed with the problem by Dr. Larry Bramlage shortly after he won the Seattle Slew Stakes at Belmont on Sept. 10. Bramlage recommended the horse be given 60 days off.

Fri, 10/07/2016 - 15:54

Curalina under consideration for Breeders' Cup Filly-Mare Sprint, Distaff

Barbara D. Livingston
Curalina cruises to a 9 1/4-length victory under John Velazquez in the Shuvee Handicap.

Curalina, the three-time Grade 1-winning stakes filly, will be pre-entered in both the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, said Aron Wellman, president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which owns the filly.

Curalina won her maiden at the Filly and Mare Sprint distance of seven furlongs and won the Grade 1 Acorn, a one-turn mile, as a 3-year-old.

Curalina is also a multiple graded stakes winner at the Distaff distance of 1 1/8 miles.