DEL MAR, Calif. – Stellar Wind, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2015 who beat Beholder in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on July 30, worked a half-mile in 49 seconds on Saturday.
The workout was the first for Stellar Wind since the Clement L. Hirsch and represents the start of her preparation for an autumn campaign. Trainer John Sadler said Stellar Wind will have two additional workouts at Del Mar before the stable ships to Santa Anita in early September.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The addition of blinkers has been a major reason for the big strides Mind Your Biscuits has made over the past couple of months. But it was blinkers off here Friday when Mind Your Biscuits, the winner of the Grade 2 Amsterdam, turned in his final prep for next Saturday’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop.
Working in the fog, which shrouded part of the course, Mind Your Biscuits breezed an easy half-mile in 48.16 seconds shortly after 7 a.m. before galloping out five-eighths in 1:01.18, much to the delight of trainer Robert Falcone Jr.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Taris, the millionaire winner of the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs in May and five other stakes in her career, has been sold privately and retired from racing, according to new owner Craig Bernick.
Taris will be owned by Bernick, John Sikura, and Scott Heider and will be bred to Curlin in 2017, Bernick said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Paid Up Subscriber tuned up for her rematch with I’m a Chatterbox in next Saturday’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes by working a strong six furlongs in 1:12.16 on Friday over the Saratoga main track.
“She went beautiful,” trainer Al Stall said. “The track was obviously fast after the break. She eyeballed someone else’s set roughly 100 yards ahead of her. She was very focused and couldn’t have went any better.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Both Destin and Mohaymen were disappointing in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes three weeks ago, leaving their connections searching for answers ahead of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers next Saturday.
It remains to be seen if Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Destin, or Kiaran McLaughlin, the trainer of Mohaymen, have found those answers, but both were pleased enough with their horses’ workouts on Friday to march on to what looks like a wide-open Travers.
In the last month, the 2-year-old Royal Mo has consistently shown strong workouts.
“He has a good foundation, and he’s been good out of the gate,” trainer John Shirreffs said on Friday.
Those lessons could put Royal Mo in the winner’s circle of his debut, a maiden special weight race at six furlongs at Del Mar on Sunday. Shirreffs said he was particularly encouraged by a five-furlong workout in 59.40 seconds by Royal Mo last Monday that he described as “excellent.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Chantal Sutherland was set for a busy Friday morning in the Del Mar stables, with workouts scheduled for each training session.
Then she won Thursday’s sixth race, her first win in 25 months. After that, Friday’s task list became more crowded.
“I’ve been on five so far and have two to go,” she said at 8 a.m., moments after climbing off a horse trained by Jim Cassidy. “Two people called last night.”
Monmouth Park track announcer Frank Mirahmadi is recovering from emergency surgery at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, N.J. Mirahmadi became ill last weekend and had colon surgery Monday.
Mirahmadi said Friday that he credited Monmouth Park medical director Angelo Chinnici with saving his life.
"I was feeling bad Saturday and went and saw Dr. Chinnici, and he wanted me to go to the hospital then," Mirahmadi said. "But I was fighting him off."
Celestine, the winner of the Grade 1 Just a Game on the Belmont Stakes undercard, worked three furlongs in 38.11 seconds Thursday over the Oklahoma training track.
It was her first breeze in five weeks, owing to physical issues.
“She had some sore feet, and previous to that, she broke out in a little skin rash,” trainer Bill Mott said. “It took a while for us to get everything straightened out. She’s back on the work tab, so she’s obviously doing pretty well, and she went well. We just wanted an easy work. It’s the first time she’s breezed in a while.”
Tara’s Tango is likely to run in major stakes around two turns this fall despite winning the $100,345 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for sprinters at Del Mar on Wednesday.
On Thursday, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 4 is a goal he would like to pursue with Tara’s Tango as opposed to sprints.
“We’ll probably plan for two turns,” he said. “It’s encouraging that a filly we feel is a good route horse can run 6 1/2 [furlongs] and win against a good field.”
