Sebastian Saez, 17, just lost his bug and began riding at Arlington for the first time about two weeks ago, but he was immediately well mounted and has gotten off to a good start here, winning with five of his first 17 mounts.
Saez is the younger brother of New York-based jockey Luis Saez and the late Juan Saez, who was killed in a fall at Indiana Grand in 2014.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds the last two years and in three of the last five seasons, and while he might win it again this year, it won’t be with Deauville. That’s because the 3-year-old Deauville, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in his last start, will try to beat older horses in the Arlington Million on Aug. 13.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Exaggerator, the winner of the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational and the leader of the 3-year-old male division, returned to the track Wednesday, galloping 1 1/2 miles over Saratoga’s main track.
Exaggerator got a little distracted coming through the stretch the first time as he veered in several paths under exercise rider Peedy Landry, who was basically letting the horse do as he pleased.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Gettysburg, who was used as a pacesetter for stablemate Creator when that horse won the Belmont Stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:01.26 over the Oklahoma training track Wednesday.
Equipped with blinkers, equipment he has not worn in any race, Gettysburg went his first quarter in 25.25 seconds and his last quarter in 23.61. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.62.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Money Multiplier, second in Grade 1 stakes in his last two starts, will take a significant drop in class Friday when he runs in a second-level allowance race at Saratoga.
In May, Money Multiplier finished second to stablemate Wake Forest in the Grade 1 Man o’ War at Belmont. On July 3, he finished second to World Approval in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Despite its hefty $1.25 million purse and the allure of a fees-paid berth in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic in the fall, Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga drew only a six-horse field.
Perhaps the presence of Frosted has something to do with that.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The first three finishers from last month’s 1 1/16-mile Mother Goose at Belmont Park – Off the Tracks, Lewis Bay, and Lightstream – will meet again at seven furlongs in Saturday’s Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga.
Making her fourth start, Lightstream suffered her first loss in the Grade 1 Mother Goose. She was beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Off the Tracks and a length by Lewis Bay. But trainer Brian Lynch is confident that Lightstream can turn the tables on both rivals while turning back in distance for the Test.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The maiden Champagne Room was supplemented to Saturday’s $200,000 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on Wednesday at a cost of $2,000. For trainer Peter Eurton, making the investment was an easy decision.
“She’s doing too good,” he said.
Champagne Room will be part of a small field in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes, which is run at 6 1/2 furlongs. The race is expected to be led by Miss Southern Miss, the runner-up in the Landaluce Stakes at Santa Anita on July 9.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Melatonin, the winner of the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita earlier this year, will miss the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 20 because of a persistent illness, trainer David Hofmans said on Wednesday.
Hofmans expressed concern last weekend that Melatonin would not have sufficient time to be ready for the Pacific Classic.
Noteworthy Peach, the champion Maryland-bred 3-year-old male of 2015, bounced back from his first start following a five-month layoff to win an off-the-turf optional-claiming race at Laurel Park last Saturday. Noteworthy Peach had finished fifth on July 10.
A son of Read the Footnotes trained by Gary Capuano, Noteworthy Peach is now 5 for 12 in his career. Last year, he won the Jennings Handicap for statebreds and was second against open company in the Federico Tesio Stakes.
