Fri, 10/28/2016 - 11:50

Breeders' Cup Distaff: Stellar Wind looks superb

Shigeki Kikkawa
Trainer John Sadler says he is not concerned that Stellar Wind will regress following her career-best 110 Beyer Speed Figure in the Zenyatta Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Based on how well she trained the past month and an impressive workout Friday morning at Santa Anita, Stellar Wind will not bounce in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Stellar Wind worked six furlongs Friday, and she could not have looked better.

She worked soon after the 6:30 a.m. renovation, broke off two lengths behind graded stakes winner Hard Aces, collared him in the lane, and finished strongly. Stellar Wind galloped out with run and acts like she is ready to reproduce the career-best 110 Beyer Speed Figure she earned last out.

Thu, 10/27/2016 - 18:06

Churchill Downs doubles third quarter net income

Churchill Downs Inc. had net income of $8.7 million in the third quarter of 2016, approximately double the company’s net income the same quarter last year, according to financial statements released Thursday.

Net revenue for the company was $303.4 million in the quarter, up 8.4 percent compared with revenue of $279.8 million in last year’s third quarter. Operating expenses jumped 3.3 percent, to $276.6 million.

Thu, 10/27/2016 - 17:21

Belmont pick 6 carryover reaches $186,419 for Friday

ELMONT, N.Y. - There will be a pick 6 carryover of $186,419 into Friday’s card at Belmont Park after the wager was not hit for the third consecutive card Thursday.

Double-digit-priced winners True Charm ($22.80) and Angry Moon ($15) left only three horses covered entering the last leg of Thursday’s sequence. But none of the three were around at the finish as Magsamelia ($21.20) slipped through an opening along the rail under Pablo Fragoso to take the finale. There had been a two-card carryover of $82,266 entering the day and an additional $182,798 was wagered on Thursday.

Thu, 10/27/2016 - 15:50

Frostmourne in good spot in Awad Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Frostmourne was no match for Oscar Performance in the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes four weeks ago at Belmont Park. While Oscar Performance heads to Southern California as one of the choices for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, Frostmourne finds a bit softer spot in Saturday’s $100,000 Awad Stakes at Belmont Park.

Frostmourne was one of nine juvenile males entered in the Awad, scheduled for a mile over the Widener turf course.

Thu, 10/27/2016 - 15:46

Maragh hopes to return opening day at Aqueduct

Barbara D. Livingston
Rajiv Maragh suffered serious back injuries in a July 10 race at Belmont.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockey Rajiv Maragh, out of the saddle for nearly 16 months due to injuries, plans to return to race riding on the Nov. 4 opening-day card at Aqueduct.

Maragh suffered multiple back and rib fractures in a spill July 10, 2015, at Belmont Park. After intensive rehabilitation, Maragh has been getting on horses for several weeks, including three horses whom he put through timed workouts Thursday.

Thu, 10/27/2016 - 14:06

Breeders' Cup Classic: Early workers beat the rain

Barbara D. Livingston
Nyquist, under Mario Gutierrez, works seven furlongs in 1:27.60 Thursday at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – On a frenetic morning that saw two Kentucky Derby winners work hours apart at tracks separated by 32 miles, five horses preparing for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 5 turned in drills for the race on Thursday in Southern California, headed by the acknowledged favorite, California Chrome.

Thu, 10/27/2016 - 13:20

Breeders' Cup Distaff: Songbird, Beholder go easy in final prerace workouts

Barbara D. Livingston
Songbird worked five furlongs early Thursday morning.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Songbird is all set for her role as Breeders’ Cup Distaff favorite. Beholder is prepared to play spoiler. She also is ready to become a broodmare.

Songbird glided through an effortless five-furlong workout at 6:45 a.m. Thursday at Santa Anita. One hour later, Beholder worked an easy six furlongs under jockey Gary Stevens, who suspected that Beholder was ovulating, based on her mannerisms.

“I knew when I got on her this morning, the way she was swishing her tail,” Stevens said. “A lot of them get super moody and temperamental.”

Thu, 10/27/2016 - 12:20

Pleaseletmewin sold, out of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

Pleaseletmewin was the last pre-entered horse in the main body of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, but he will not be shipped to California from England after being sold at auction Wednesday.

Pleaseletmewin, a Group 3 winner, will instead head to Qatar to be campaigned this winter. The defection allows J. S. Choice, the first also-eligible among pre-entered horses, to get into the race. If Good Samaritan, whose connections listed the Juvenile as first preference over the Juvenile Turf at pre-entry, also comes out, Kitten’s Cat would land a spot in the 14-horse field.

Wed, 10/26/2016 - 15:50

Clement works Lull, Pure Sensation for Breeders' Cup

Debra Roma
Pure Sensation (left), under Kendrick Carmouche, narrowly outfinishes Power Alert and Mike Smith in the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Lull and Pure Sensation, two of trainer Christophe Clement’s three Breeders’ Cup horses, put in workouts on a crisp Wednesday morning at Belmont Park.

Lull, pointing to the Juvenile Fillies Turf, went an easy five furlongs in 1:02.48, getting her final three furlongs in 36.47 seconds while reaching out nicely with her ears up and under minimal urging. She began her move at the half-mile pole and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.24. Lull just ran second in the Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland two weeks ago.

Wed, 10/26/2016 - 15:46

Texas Chrome headed to Santa Anita for Breeders' Cup

Dustin Orona Photography
Texas Chrome's Oklahoma Derby win was his fourth stakes victory of the year.

Texas Chrome left his Remington Park base in Oklahoma City on Wednesday bound for Santa Anita, said trainer J.R. Caldwell. The horse is being pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 4.

“We timed it like this to make sure he got in, and all’s good,” said Caldwell.

Pre-entries for the Dirt Mile were taken Monday and announced Wednesday. There were 12 horses pre-entered in the race, which has a maximum gate of 12.