ARCADIA, Calif. – Chalon beat 2-year-old maiden fillies at Santa Anita on Thursday in a fashion that left trainer Peter Miller eager for a quick turnaround in a stakes.
On Friday, Miller said Chalon is a candidate for the $125,000 Landaluce Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on July 9, the first stakes of the year for 2-year-old fillies in Southern California.
“She’s bright and bouncing around this morning,” Miller said. “She was extremely professional.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While Gulfstream Park-based fillies such as Best Behavior, Kiss to Remember, Cali Star, and My Miss Venezuela can claim home-field advantage going into next Saturday’s Princess Rooney Stakes, none can boast a better local record than Birdatthewire, who is expected to ship down from Kentucky for the Grade 2 event.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fingers are crossed since there are still quite a few races to be run before it comes to fruition, but make no mistake that Churchill Downs officials have circled closing night, July 2, as a potentially huge night for bettors and the track.
A mandatory dispersal of the Single Six pool will be held on the final six races of a Downs After Dark card that will close the 38-day meet, and if form holds, the Single Six could attract several million dollars in wagering handle atop a jackpot that has been building since May 13.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Last year, trainer Mark Casse looked to have a strong contingent pointing toward the Queen’s Plate. Danzig Moon had run fifth behind American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby, Conquest Curlinate was second in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes, and Conquest Boogaloo was a troubled third in the Plate Trial.
The Downs at Albuquerque will open a 60-date mixed meet Saturday night with an expanded, $2.3 million stakes schedule that includes a new $350,000 race for Quarter Horses and a richer version of its signature offering for Thoroughbreds. The season runs through Sept. 25.
In another major change, the track will race nights most Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at this meet, with first post for the opener set for 6:05 Mountain. There will be day racing on Sundays.
Texas Chrome is back at Lone Star Park after running third to Gun Runner in the Grade 3 Matt Winn last Saturday at Churchill Downs. He got a chance at graded rivals following a 10-length win in a division of the $75,000 Texas Stallion Stakes on May 15. For the Matt Winn, Texas Chrome earned a career-high Beyer of 89.
“We tested him,” said J.R. Caldwell, who trains Texas Chrome for Keene Thoroughbreds. “He stood up and tested well.”
Jose Valdivia Jr. could only finish ninth in the Coventry Stakes on June 14 at Royal Ascot, but he still was grateful for the chance to ride a race at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting.
“Other than the weather, it was unbelievable. The atmosphere of the place was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” said Valdivia, who won the Belmont Stakes in 2011 and the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2001. “When they talk about the sport of kings, that’s what it’s like. After riding there, you want to keep coming back every year. Now I know what Wesley means when he says he goes for that.”
The winners of the two $100,000 turf stakes last Sunday at Canterbury Park, Aztec Brave in the Mystic Lake Mile and Secret Someone in the Lady Canterbury, left town in good condition and will move on to comparable races later this summer.
More Than Most is headed to trainer Bret Calhoun’s division at Churchill Downs after establishing herself as a 3-year-old filly of note at Lone Star Park. She won her second straight stakes race of the season last Saturday night, when she defeated older rivals in the $50,000 Lane’s End Stallion Scholarship Stakes.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Javier Castellano will serve a three-day suspension starting Sunday for a careless-riding infraction in the second race on June 17.
Castellano was aboard Ethan Hunt, who tightened things up on Three to Thirteen entering the turn of a maiden special race for 2-year-olds. Three to Thirteen clipped heels and unseated jockey Eric Cancel.
Ethan Hunt finished third but was disqualified to last.
