Mon, 05/30/2016 - 13:10

Belmont Stakes: Sloppy track welcomes Exaggerator to New York

Barbara D. Livingston
Exaggerator is Curlin's fourth progeny in four years with a top three finish in a Triple Crown race.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Rain and a sloppy track made for an appropriate setting Monday morning, when Preakness winner Exaggerator visited Belmont Park’s main track for the first time as he continued preparations for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes here on June 11.

Shortly before 8 a.m., with heavy showers having turned to lighter rain, Exaggerator came through the paddock tunnel, went off the right way, and, after jogging for an eighth of a mile, galloped about 1 1/2 miles over the sloppy track. Exaggerator pulled up at the 1 3/8-mile pole, walked back through the paddock, and went home.

Mon, 05/30/2016 - 11:48

Casse weighs options for Conquest Enforcer

Michael Burns
Conquest Enforcer, ridden by Patrick Husbands, wins the Queenston Stakes, a prep for the July 3 Queen’s Plate, by 7 3/4 lengths.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Conquest Enforcer made an impressive return to the races here May 21, winning the Queenston Stakes by 7 3/4 lengths and earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure in his first start since October.

“I was very pleased,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He came out of the race great. I don’t think we could have asked for any more. The crazy part is I think he was probably 80 to 85 percent. I had real concerns that he wasn’t ready to run.”

Mon, 05/30/2016 - 11:36

First graded stakes win – with an asterisk

Coady Photography
I'm a Looker (4), ridden by Robby Albarado, and Diva Express, with Julien Leparoux aboard, are inseparable at the finish of the Winning Colors.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Pat Dupuy doesn’t want to be greedy after just winning the first graded stakes of his 26-year training career.

But, boy, with just a little better racing luck, I’m a Looker could have won the Grade 3 Winning Colors outright Saturday instead of settling for a dead heat with Diva Express. Not only did she lose valuable ground when she got away last in the six-furlong race, but the always-critical nod on the wire seemed to favor Diva Express.

“A better head bob and we’ve got it,” said Dupuy. “Oh well. It’s one of those things you can’t change.”

Mon, 05/30/2016 - 11:26

For Tepin, it's on to Royal Ascot

Barbara D. Livingston
Tepin will breeze twice, including Saturday, before going overseas for the Queen Anne Stakes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After some indecision that spiked then subsided over the weekend, Tepin will soon be on her way to England for the June 14 Queen Anne Stakes.

Trainer Mark Casse raised the question of whether Tepin will be at too much of a disadvantage in the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, but after discussions with owner Robert Masterson, he said, “We’re all set.”

Mon, 05/30/2016 - 11:06

Doyle points four fillies to Woodbine Oaks

Michael Burns
Tiz Imaginary, under Luis Contreras, comes from last to score by a half-length in the Fury for 3-year-old fillies.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mike Doyle already had a strong contingent of fillies to run in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on June 12, but he added another to the list of probable starters after Tiz Imaginary won the Fury Stakes on May 22. Doyle is now pointing four fillies toward the Woodbine Oaks: Tiz Imaginary, Lady Angela Stakes winner Crumlin Spirit, Garavogue Colleen, and Dublin Diva.

Mon, 05/30/2016 - 08:09

Golden Pick 6 jackpot approaches $1.1 million

For the 52nd straight day Sunday, there was no single winning ticket on the Golden Pick 6 jackpot wager at Golden Gate Fields. Monday’s pool will begin with a $1,097,935 carryover.

The Golden Pick 6 jackpot pays off when there is a single winning ticket.

Bettors selecting all six of Sunday’s winners shared a $675.40 payoff.

The Golden Pick 6 comprises races 4-9 on Monday, with first post for race 4 at 3:14 p.m. Pacific.

Sun, 05/29/2016 - 21:23

Smooth Roller resumes training

Nikki Sherman
Smooth Roller was given ample time to recover from a tendon injury.

ARCADIA, Calif.- Smooth Roller, a Grade 1 stakes winner last fall who missed the Breeders’ Cup Classic last October because of a tendon injury, has returned to the racetrack, trainer Victor Garcia said on Sunday.

Smooth Roller jogged on the main track on Sunday.

“This is his second day to the track,” Garcia said. “So far, he looks good. Fingers crossed.”

Sun, 05/29/2016 - 21:18

Few willing to face Beholder, Stellar Wind in Vanity

Shigeki Kikkawa
Beholder won her seventh consecutive race in Sunday's Adoration Stakes at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif .- The champions Beholder and Stellar Wind will not have many rivals when they meet for the first time in Saturday’s $400,000 Vanity Mile for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

The Grade 1 race will be the second start of the year for Beholder, the champion older female of 2015. She was the easy winner of the Grade 3 Adoration Stakes on May 8 in her first start of the year and will be favored in the Vanity.

Stellar Wind, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2015, has not started since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland last October.

Sun, 05/29/2016 - 21:06

Songbird under consideration for Summertime Oaks

Shigeki Kikkawa
Songbird, with jockey Mike Smith, solidified her status as the favorite for the Kentucky Oaks with her win in the Santa Anita Oaks.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Songbird, the undefeated champion 2-year-old filly of 2015, continues to progress toward a comeback from an April illness and could start as soon as the $200,000 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita on June 18.

Sunday, Songbird worked five furlongs in 1:00, which equaled the third-fastest time of 47 recorded works at the distance. Songbird was ridden by exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez and was not urged during the exercise.

“We weren’t pushing her,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.

Sun, 05/29/2016 - 17:25

Enola Gray, Gold Rush Dancer headed to stakes at Del Mar

Shigeki Kikkawa
The 3-year-old filly Enola Gray could run next in either the Fleet Treat for California-breds or the Grade 3 Torrey Pines.

ARCADIA, Calif.- The five stakes winners on Saturday’s California Gold Rush Day program at Santa Anita ranged from an unbeaten 3-year-old filly with seemingly unlimited potential to veteran older horses who won their first stakes.

The 3-year-old winners Enola Gray and Gold Rush Dancer may run in graded stakes at Del Mar this summer, while the older horses Ambitious Brew, Avanti Bello, and Bert’s Melody could run in graded stakes or statebred races.