SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – D. Wayne Lukas marked his 81st birthday on Friday. The Hall of Fame trainer hopes to celebrate the occasion by winning his seventh Hopeful Stakes on Monday, when he sends out Royal Copy in the Grade 1 closing-day fixture at Saratoga.
As usual, Lukas was atop his stable pony early Friday morning. When someone greeted him with a “happy birthday,” Lukas said, “I’m trying to keep that quiet.”
The undefeated Quarter Horse champion Jess Good Candy, who won last year’s All American Futurity, could make one more start this year to conclude his career, trainer Clinton Crawford said Friday. Jess Good Candy is set to enter stud at the Lazy E Ranch in Guthrie, Okla., in 2017.
Jess Good Candy won the Ruidoso Derby this year at Ruidoso, but despite dominating his trial for the All American Derby, he did not qualify for the finale. He has spent the summer in New Mexico.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association has chosen the veterinarian Patricia Hogan as the first recipient of its newly created EquiStar Award for her dedication and outstanding work on behalf of New York’s retired racehorses.
The EquiStar Award recognizes individuals or organizations that enrich the New York Thoroughbred industry through their compassion, hard work, and generosity.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Whereas the training title is basically decided heading into the final weekend of the meet, there is still some suspense in the jockeys’ race, with brothers Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr. as well as Javier Castellano still in contention.
Thanks to a four-win afternoon Thursday, Jose Ortiz entered the final four days of the meet with a 54-48 lead over his brother. Castellano had 46 wins.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Effinex, who skipped Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodward, worked four furlongs in 50.44 seconds over the Oklahoma training track Friday as he begins preparations for the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 8 at Belmont Park.
In his first work since running fourth in the Whitney, Effinex went his opening quarter in 25.95 seconds and his last quarter in 24.49, and he galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.20.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Anthony Bonomo’s Brooklyn Boyz Stable and his wife Mary Ellen’s MEB Stable have merged operations with Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable and his wife Teresa Viola’s stable. As a result, several horses have been transferred from Dominick Schettino and will be split between trainers Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown.
Troubled by illness and minor injury in recent months, Firing Line may be trained up to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, trainer Simon Callaghan said on Thursday.
Firing Line, second in the 2015 Kentucky Derby, missed the Harry Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 24 because of a strained muscle. The 4-year-old has resumed training, Callaghan said.
Enola Gray is on schedule for a start in the $75,000 Beverly J. Lewis Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Los Alamitos on Sept. 10 after missing a start in late August at Del Mar because of illness.
Trainer Phil D’Amato said on Friday that Enola Gray showed a presence of mucus on Aug. 28 that kept from starting in the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies that day. Enola Gray was the 4-5 favorite on the morning line for the Torrey Pines Stakes. She figures to be a strong favorite in the Lewis Stakes, run at six furlongs.
The $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Monday will have one of its smallest field in years.
Friday, six runners were entered – Chasing Aces, Dynamic Ruler, Klimt, Midnight Pleasure, Straight Fire, and Vegas Itch. Dynamic Ruler and Vegas Itch will be longshots and were late additions to the field.
Klimt won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes on Aug. 13, but Straight Fire, a maiden race winner by 10 1/2 lengths in his second start on Aug. 6, is expected to be favored.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Todd Pletcher has come to terms with the fact that he won’t win his seventh straight Saratoga training title and his 13th overall. Chad Brown is slowly allowing himself to believe he will win his first.
Brown, who has finished second to Pletcher the last five years, entered the final four days of the meet with a 36-27 lead over Pletcher. Brown won his 37th race of the meet when Munchkin Money won Friday’s second race. Brown missed a Saratoga record-tying 38th win when Dujac lost a nose decision in race 3.
