Texas Chrome is back at Lone Star Park after running third to Gun Runner in the Grade 3 Matt Winn last Saturday at Churchill Downs. He got a chance at graded rivals following a 10-length win in a division of the $75,000 Texas Stallion Stakes on May 15. For the Matt Winn, Texas Chrome earned a career-high Beyer of 89.
“We tested him,” said J.R. Caldwell, who trains Texas Chrome for Keene Thoroughbreds. “He stood up and tested well.”
Jose Valdivia Jr. could only finish ninth in the Coventry Stakes on June 14 at Royal Ascot, but he still was grateful for the chance to ride a race at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting.
“Other than the weather, it was unbelievable. The atmosphere of the place was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” said Valdivia, who won the Belmont Stakes in 2011 and the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2001. “When they talk about the sport of kings, that’s what it’s like. After riding there, you want to keep coming back every year. Now I know what Wesley means when he says he goes for that.”
The winners of the two $100,000 turf stakes last Sunday at Canterbury Park, Aztec Brave in the Mystic Lake Mile and Secret Someone in the Lady Canterbury, left town in good condition and will move on to comparable races later this summer.
More Than Most is headed to trainer Bret Calhoun’s division at Churchill Downs after establishing herself as a 3-year-old filly of note at Lone Star Park. She won her second straight stakes race of the season last Saturday night, when she defeated older rivals in the $50,000 Lane’s End Stallion Scholarship Stakes.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Javier Castellano will serve a three-day suspension starting Sunday for a careless-riding infraction in the second race on June 17.
Castellano was aboard Ethan Hunt, who tightened things up on Three to Thirteen entering the turn of a maiden special race for 2-year-olds. Three to Thirteen clipped heels and unseated jockey Eric Cancel.
Ethan Hunt finished third but was disqualified to last.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Upstart finished third in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap dominated by Frosted, and he is being pointed to another meeting with Frosted in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Whitney on Aug. 6 at Saratoga.
“It’ll be a salty race,” trainer Richard Violette said. “Frosted is Frosted, but if ever he’s going to react to a race, it might be in his next start.”
Frosted won the Met Mile by 14 1/4 lengths and earned a 123 Beyer Speed Figure. Upstart was beaten 15 1/4 lengths.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Preakness winner Exaggerator, who finished 11th in the Belmont Stakes, is in light training as his connections try to freshen him up for the second half of the year.
On Wednesday, Exaggerator jogged two miles on the Belmont training track, one day after he galloped over the main track. Exaggerator walked Sunday and Monday and is scheduled to have walk days Thursday and Friday before galloping again on Saturday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – By the Moon found herself in a tough spot to make her first start off an eight-month layoff when she ran fourth in the Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct in April. The top three finishers from that race – Paulassilverlining, Cavorting, and Bar of Gold – each came back to win a stakes in their next start. Cavorting actually won two stakes.
The Ohio Derby continues its rise back toward graded-stakes status Saturday with a solid field of 10 entered in the $500,000 race at Thistledown.
Heading the entries is Mo Tom, the GMB Racing-owned colt trained by Tom Amoss who exits a creditable eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Mo Tom, as has been the case nearly all season, found trouble in the Derby, losing momentum and ground when steadied on the far turn before coming home with decent energy.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Taris, who was held out of the $300,000 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday because of a sore foot, returned to racetrack training on Wednesday.
Trainer Simon Callaghan said Taris jogged at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old mare will be pointed for the $500,000 Ballerina Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 27. Callaghan said he had hoped to try Taris against males in the Grade 1 Triple Bend at seven furlongs until the mare missed training time this month.
