SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sol Kumin has two horses in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, including the morning-line favorite, Exaggerator. But it’s the Grade 2 Ballston Spa, the race immediately after the Travers, that has him most excited.
“To me, this is the most important race of the year,” said Kumin, who along with Jay Hanley races as Sheep Pond Partners. “I don’t think I’ll ever own a horse that means more to us than her.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With rain in the forecast and Frosted tearing down the barn because he’s feeling so good, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin sent Frosted out a day earlier than planned to work four furlongs in 48.97 seconds at the Greentree Training Center here on Thursday.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Magic Mark and Soi Phet won divisions of the Harry Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar on Wednesday to set up a potential first meeting at Los Alamitos next month. Both are candidates for the $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-breds at a mile on Sept. 10.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Miss Sunset, a 2-year-old filly trained by Jeff Bonde, had a perfect day on July 30.
She was on the also-eligible list for a maiden race for California-bred fillies but drew into the field that morning. Starting from the outside in a field of 10, Miss Sunset led throughout and won by 4 3/4 lengths.
“Away she went,” Bonde said.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Peter Miller said he and the owners of Well Measured would not appeal the ruling of a dead heat for the win between their horse and Navy Hymn on Sunday in race 8. The decision came after they viewed the original photo of the finish and were taken through an extensive explanation of the entire photo-finish process on Wednesday.
Champion sprinter Runhappy turned in his first serious workout of 2016 on Thursday, covering three furlongs in 34 4/5 seconds in the predawn darkness at Keeneland.
Trainer Laura Wohlers said her team caught Runhappy, who shipped in to breeze from his base at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, Ky., and exercise rider Marcus O’Donnell galloping out in 46 seconds and 59.
String King is set to make a second start at the Louisiana Downs meet next month in the $75,000 Unbridled, according to Charlie Smith, his breeder, owner, and trainer. The 1 1/16-mile turf stakes will be run on the Super Derby undercard Sept. 10. String King won the race a year ago after capturing his third straight Louisiana Cup Turf Classic.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Saturday’s Travers card here brings together the best of the filly-and-mare route division on the East Coast.
Cavorting, the winner of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at 1 1/16 miles, will attempt to stretch out yet again as she tries 1 1/8 miles for the first time. She will break from the outside in the five-horse field under Javier Castellano.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The best story on Saturday’s 13-race Travers card is the return of Lady Eli, the undefeated filly who overcame a serious bout of laminitis to make it back to the races.
Unraced since winning the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks on July 4, 2015, Lady Eli will take on seven opponents in the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares is race 12, immediately after the Travers.
