CYPRESS, Calif. – California Chrome’s workouts are getting serious.
With four weeks remaining before his summer debut in the $200,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar, California Chrome worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 at Los Alamitos on Saturday. The exercise equaled his longest workout since he returned to training in early May following a win in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 26.
Jockey Richard Eramia did not compete this past week at Louisiana Downs because he was serving a suspension for a riding infraction, according to his agent, Rick Mocklin. Eramia is due to resume riding Wednesday.
Mocklin said the infraction stemmed from a race in which Eramia’s mount, who had finished second, was disqualified and placed third. It was a weeklong suspension that covered the four-day race week at Louisiana Downs.
Eramia, who keeps a home near Lone Star Park, is a perennial leading rider at Louisiana Downs.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Jim Byers is back in the game.
Byers, an announcer who took a break from racing of more than 15 years to work in other sports, is back calling races on a regular basis this meet at Lone Star Park.
“It’s been great to be back in it,” said Byers, 55. “It kind of feels like I’ve been in it all along, even though there was a 16-year gap when I didn’t do it regularly. I had to relearn some things I hadn’t dealt with in a long time, but it didn’t take too long to shake the rust off.”
Danzing Candy, who finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby on May 7 after setting the early pace, is a likely starter in the $100,000 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita on July 2, trainer Bob Baffert said.
Danzing Candy was trained by Cliff Sise Jr. through the Kentucky Derby and transferred to Baffert after the race by owners Jim and Dianne Bashor and Ted Aroney. A colt by Twirling Candy, Danzing Candy has won 3 of 6 starts and earned $358,650.
Dortmund, the six-time stakes winner who was third in the 2015 Kentucky Derby behind American Pharoah, is nearing his 2016 debut.
Trainer Bob Baffert said this week that Dortmund is a candidate for the $200,000 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on July 23. The same race is a goal for California Chrome, the winner of the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March.
Dortmund has been in steady training with Baffert’s division at Los Alamitos in recent weeks. He worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds there on Thursday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Chalon beat 2-year-old maiden fillies at Santa Anita on Thursday in a fashion that left trainer Peter Miller eager for a quick turnaround in a stakes.
On Friday, Miller said Chalon is a candidate for the $125,000 Landaluce Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on July 9, the first stakes of the year for 2-year-old fillies in Southern California.
“She’s bright and bouncing around this morning,” Miller said. “She was extremely professional.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While Gulfstream Park-based fillies such as Best Behavior, Kiss to Remember, Cali Star, and My Miss Venezuela can claim home-field advantage going into next Saturday’s Princess Rooney Stakes, none can boast a better local record than Birdatthewire, who is expected to ship down from Kentucky for the Grade 2 event.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fingers are crossed since there are still quite a few races to be run before it comes to fruition, but make no mistake that Churchill Downs officials have circled closing night, July 2, as a potentially huge night for bettors and the track.
A mandatory dispersal of the Single Six pool will be held on the final six races of a Downs After Dark card that will close the 38-day meet, and if form holds, the Single Six could attract several million dollars in wagering handle atop a jackpot that has been building since May 13.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Last year, trainer Mark Casse looked to have a strong contingent pointing toward the Queen’s Plate. Danzig Moon had run fifth behind American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby, Conquest Curlinate was second in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes, and Conquest Boogaloo was a troubled third in the Plate Trial.
The Downs at Albuquerque will open a 60-date mixed meet Saturday night with an expanded, $2.3 million stakes schedule that includes a new $350,000 race for Quarter Horses and a richer version of its signature offering for Thoroughbreds. The season runs through Sept. 25.
In another major change, the track will race nights most Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at this meet, with first post for the opener set for 6:05 Mountain. There will be day racing on Sundays.
