DEL MAR, Calif. – Beholder worked three furlongs in 37.40 seconds at Del Mar on Friday, preparing for what are expected to be two tough races at the Santa Anita autumn meeting.
Friday’s exercise was the first workout for Beholder since a second to California Chrome in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 20.
DEL MAR, Calif. – A few days after Arrogate arrived back at Del Mar following his victory last Saturday in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, trainer Bob Baffert brought him out of his stall to show visitors. Baffert joked that Arrogate was “the fastest horse in the world,” then got out a measuring stick to see how tall Arrogate currently stood – just over 16-2 hands, if you’re scoring at home – before remarking about Arrogate’s steel-gray coat, “He looks a lot like Spectacular Bid.”
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The Illinois-bred 4-year-old filly Streamline, unraced since finishing second in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 15, is back on the work tab and readying for a fall campaign that will lead to what trainer Brian Williamson hopes is another successful meet at Oaklawn Park this winter.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Wellabled didn’t take to the main track at Saratoga, ruling out an intended start in the Saratoga Special. Instead, he raced there on turf in the $100,000 Skidmore Stakes over 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 19, setting a frantic pace before getting nailed on the wire and finishing second.
But now Wellabled is back on Arlington’s Polytrack, over which he scored a sharp debut win this summer, and he is set to start next Saturday in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Takeover Target and Reporting Star, both scratched from the Grade 1 Fourstardave two weeks ago, were among the 10 horses entered Thursday for Monday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap.
Takeover Target, trained by Chad Brown, prefers ground with give in it but did win the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes here last summer over firm turf.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Jonathan Sheppard’s streak of winning a race at Saratoga for 47 consecutive years is in jeopardy.
His best chance at the meet, Castle Hill, finished second as the favorite in a steeplechase allowance race on Thursday, making Sheppard winless with 12 starters at the meet. That was his third runner-up finish of the meet.
Sheppard has one starter Saturday, King’s Obsession, in a tough first-level allowance race on dirt, and one starter, War Baby, a 3-year-old filly, in a maiden turf race on Monday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For the first time since 2005, trainer Todd Pletcher will not have a starter in the Grade 1 Hopeful, the traditional closing-day feature at Saratoga.
But they’ll still run the race anyway, with a seven-horse field that includes stakes winners Bitumen, Classic Empire, and Runaway Lute.
Bitumen, trained by Eddie Kenneally, is 2 for 2, including a 1 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Sanford here on opening day.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Coppa will put her undefeated record on the line when she returns to New York for Sunday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Prioress Stakes at Saratoga.
Coppa, a daughter of Yesbyjimminy trained by Phil D’Amato, already shipped from her home base in Southern California to New York once, taking the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont Park on July 9, her third win in as many starts. D’Amato said he thought about running her in the Grade 1 Test on Aug. 6 but thought another ship on relatively short rest would not be prudent.
Gun Pit, second in the Group 1 Round 3 of the Maktoum Challenge in Dubai in March, is a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, according to a statement released this week by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Trainer Caspar Fownes said the BC Dirt Mile became a goal for the 6-year-old Gun Pit after the gelding was removed from consideration for the Korea Cup in Seoul after “he scoped a little bit dirty” this week, the trainer said.
DEL MAR, Calif. – With stakes credentials on three continents, Vale Dori has earned a start in an ultra-tough running of the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1.
On Wednesday at Del Mar, Vale Dori won her first stakes in the United States in the $79,290 Tranquility Lake Stakes for fillies and mares. The win was a prep race for the Grade 1 Zenyatta,where Vale Dori is likely to face two champions from 2015 – Stellar Wind, the champion 3-year-old filly, and Beholder, the champion older female.
“She’s ready now,” trainer Bob Baffert said.
