Fri, 07/08/2016 - 13:40

Majestic Heat gets green light for Yellow Ribbon

Shigeki Kikkawa
Majestic Heat, winning an optional claiming race on June 17, will seek her first stakes win in next weekend's Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The three-time champion Beholder is not the only stakes-winning female bound for Del Mar in trainer Richard Mandella’s stable.

Mandella has high hopes for Majestic Heat, who will start in next Saturday’s $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf. The promising 4-year-old Majestic Heat returned from an eight-month layoff to win an optional claimer at a mile at Santa Anita on June 17. On Friday, Majestic Heat worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.60, according to Santa Anita clockers.

Fri, 07/08/2016 - 13:30

Racing Club II goes for three with Shooting Jacket

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Hastings Racing Club was so successful in its inaugural year in 2015 that a second club has been formed this year. The original club had 200 members; one of its horses was Square Dancer, who was the local Horse of the Year.

The club grew to 300 this year, and with even more people clamoring to join, the second club was formed with its membership fully subscribed at 200.

Fri, 07/08/2016 - 13:00

Neshama rested for Bison City Stakes

Michael Burns
Neshama (No. 7) captured the first jewel in Canada's Triple Tiara with her win in the Woodbine Oaks.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine Oaks winner Neshama will seek her third consecutive victory in Sunday’s $250,000 Bison City Stakes over 1 1/16 miles for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine. The Bison City is the second jewel in Canada’s Triple Tiara series.

The Bison City will be Neshama’s first start since she won the Woodbine Oaks on June 12. Trainer Catherine Day Phillips said Neshama was sent to the farm for a week after the Oaks before resuming her training.

Fri, 07/08/2016 - 12:50

Bronc D C stands out in CTBA Futurity

Bronc D C pops off the page Sunday in the $40,000 CTBA Futurity at Arapahoe Park. He is one of just two winners in the nine-horse sprint for 2-year-olds, and he owns the field’s best career Beyer Speed Figure. Bronc D C also is a half-brother to a pair of local stakes winners, among them E F Five.

The six-furlong CTBA Futurity is restricted to horses bred in Colorado.

Bronc D C is one of three starters in the field from trainer Kenneth Gleason, the others being the maiden winner Sherman T and the multiple-placed Earl the Pearl.

Fri, 07/08/2016 - 12:07

Prairie Meadows stakes winners fan out

Coady Photography
Smack Smack (right), winner of the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker, will be pointed to the $175,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap on Aug. 6.

Smack Smack, who won the Grade 3, $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap on July 2, came out of his 16-1 upset win in good shape and will be pointed to the $175,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap on Aug. 6, trainer Don Von Hemel said.

The race at Albuquerque is attractive, Von Hemel said, because it’s contested at 1 1/8 miles, the distance of the Cornhusker and a trip at which Smack Smack is 3 for 4.

Fri, 07/08/2016 - 11:46

Cherry Wine, Cupid head Indiana Derby probables

Barbara D. Livingston
Cherry Wine, runner-up in the Preakness, is part of an expected large field for next Saturday's Indiana Derby.

Cherry Wine, the Preakness Stakes runner-up, and Cupid, who won the Rebel Stakes so impressively in March, head the list of prospective starters for the Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby, the most important race of the season at Indiana Grand.

The Derby tops a six-stakes card next Saturday, with entries taken Wednesday. Also on that program is the Grade 2, $200,000 Indiana Oaks.

Fri, 07/08/2016 - 11:36

Wickedizaswickeduz, If You Like It drop in class for Sunday claimer

Wickedizaswickeduz will appreciate the class relief when she runs in a $15,000 claiming race that will serve as the featured race at Emerald Downs on Sunday. The six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares appears to be a wide-open event, and a case could be made for or against most of the eight horses entered. It goes as race 7 on a 10-race card that begins at 2 p.m. Pacific.

Fri, 07/08/2016 - 10:22

Creator targets Jim Dandy Stakes

Michael Amoruso
Creator, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, outfinishes Destin to win the Belmont Stakes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Creator is being pointed to the Jim Dandy Stakes on July 30 after bouncing out of his Belmont Stakes victory in excellent fashion, trainer Steve Asmussen said this week before leaving Louisville for Saratoga.

Elliott Walden, president of WinStar Farm, confirmed the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga as the next target for Creator, the gray colt who was up in the final strides to win the Belmont on June 11.

Thu, 07/07/2016 - 14:58

Little Mike will run in allowance Sunday

Barbara D. Livingston
Little Mike will make his first start in more than two years in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance Sunday.

Little Mike, the multiple Grade 1 winner who has gone unraced for more than two years, is scheduled to make his comeback Sunday in a $44,000, classified allowance at 1 1/16 miles on turf. The race was originally in the condition book for Saturday.

Bred, owned, and trained by Carlo Vaccarezza, Little Mike has had nine recorded workouts at Palm Meadows since early April. The 9-year-old Little Mike has earned $3.54 million, much of that coming from victories in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and Arlington Million in 2012.

Thu, 07/07/2016 - 14:00

Simon enjoys racing full time in Florida

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Killer Bird, who sold for just $10,000 as a 2-year-old, won the Barely Even Stakes for trainer Charles Simon last weekend.

Chuck Simon liked his year-round arrangement at Gulfstream Park – and that was even before he won back-to-back stakes last weekend at the south Florida track.

“It’s getting better all the time,” Simon said with a laugh.

Yes, winning makes it all more fun. As trainer and co-owner, Simon won the $75,000 Miesque’s Approval last Saturday with Aire Bueno, then came right back Sunday to upset the $75,000 Barely Even with 19-1 shot Killer Bird. Both horses were ridden by Matthew Rispoli.