Johannes, California’s leading turf miler this year, will be raced sparingly in advance of an intended start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
Trainer Tim Yakteen said on Wednesday that Johannes is likely to skip the next race for the division – the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 31 – in favor of the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita on Sept. 28.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With heavy rains from Tropical Storm Debby likely to impact racing at Saratoga on Friday and Saturday, the New York Racing Association plans to card the Grade 1 Fourstardave and Grade 1 Saratoga Derby as contingency races for Sunday’s card.
That means, should the weather dictate that turf racing cannot be conducted Saturday, those two races will be run Sunday, as drawn. They would be run as the final two races on the card and be excluded from horizontal wagers such as the late pick five and pick six.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr, who won this year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, was selected as the winner of the Mike Venezia Award, presented annually to a jockey who displays the extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship that personified Venezia, who died as the result of injuries suffered in a spill in 1988. Venezia won more than 2,300 races during his 25-year career.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For the first time in nearly two decades trainer Ian Wilkes did not take stalls at Saratoga for the summer but he won’t go the entire meet without running a horse here.
Wilkes is pointing Just Basking to the Grade 1 Alabama on Aug. 17 and Positano Sunset to the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 24. The Alabama will be run at 1 1/4 miles, the Ballerina at seven furlongs.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Master of The Seas, a three-time Grade 1 winner in the United States, including last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, will scratch from Saturday’s Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga due to a foot bruise. Chris Connett, assistant to trainer Charlie Appleby, announced the news Wednesday.
Depending how quickly the horse recovers, he could train up to the Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14, Connett said.
“It’s on the table,” Connett said. “He’ll have a few easy days and then hopefully we’ll be back to normal with him.”
Colonial Downs announced Wednesday that it will shift the Arlington Million card scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 10, to Sunday, Aug. 11, owing to the forecast of heavy rain from Tropical Storm Debby.
Colonial on Tuesday decided to move its Thursday and Friday cards to Monday and Tuesday, respectively, and on Wednesday, with the possibility that several inches of rain could fall between Wednesday afternoon and Friday night, elected to move Saturday’s 12-race program to Sunday, normally a dark day for the Virginia track.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Subsanador, a well-traveled Group 1 winner in South America and Grade 1-placed this spring in California, is headed to Monmouth Park for the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes on Aug. 17, according to trainer Richard Mandella.
Subsanador won three Group 1s from 12 starts in Argentina before arriving in California, where he initially was trained by John Sadler. After a fourth in the Grade 2 San Antonio and second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, Subsanador was sold privately and transferred to Mandella.
Didia, among the leaders of the female turf division, is being pointed to the Grade 2, $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 7, trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Correas said Tuesday.
Correas said starting in the Mabee, at 1 1/8 miles, gives Didia a run over the same course on which the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf will be held. Also, it is virtually guaranteed she will get firm turf.
Colonial Downs will move its Thursday and Friday cards this week to next Monday and Tuesday, track officials said Tuesday. The cards will go as drawn.
The decision to reschedule was made in consideration of the possible impact caused by Tropical Storm Debby, which could lead to adverse racing conditions as well as hazardous conditions for those shipping or traveling to participate at the New Kent, Va., track.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jockey Javier Castellano will begin serving a five-day suspension Thursday for an incident that occurred in the eighth race July 26. Castellano’s mount, Runningwscissors, drifted into Let It Ride, causing that one to clip heels with Runningwscissors and unseat jockey Eric Cancel. The days correspond with New York Racing Association racing dates.
