Fri, 01/15/2016 - 14:08

My Year Is a Day will take a chance in Megahertz Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – My Year Is a Day, a stakes winner in France in 2014, was held out of the $200,000 Monrovia Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Jan. 3 in favor of Monday’s $100,000 Megahertz Stakes.

While the Megahertz Stakes at a mile on turf has a distance with greater appeal to trainer Phil D’Amato than the 6 1/2 furlongs of the Monrovia, he admits the race is not necessarily an easier spot.

“I think it will be a salty race,” D’Amato said. “I’ve got to run my filly. I think a mile will be her up her alley.”

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 13:38

Dressed in Hermes returns to training, eyes Robert Lewis

Benoit & Associates
Dressed in Hermes has returned to training and could start in the $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb. 6 at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Dressed in Hermes, the winner of two stakes on turf last year, has recovered from a fever that prevented him from starting in the $100,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 9.

Trainer Janet Armstrong said on Friday that Dressed in Hermes has resumed training and may start in the $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Feb. 6.

“We’ll see how he goes,” she said. “He can have a couple of works before then.”

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 13:24

California Chrome gallops ahead of travel to Dubai

Barbara D. Livingston
California Chrome will travel to Dubai next week.

California Chrome galloped 1 1/2 miles at Los Alamitos on Friday, continuing his preparation for a trip to Dubai next week in advance of the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse on March 26.

When California Chrome leaves, he will be flown to Dubai via Copenhagen and will have a 24-hour journey, trainer Art Sherman said on Friday.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 13:24

Ami's Flatter impresses in return from layoff

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Ami's Flatter earned a 104 Beyer for her allowance race win at Gulfstream on Wednesday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Ami’s Flatter, who finished a distant third in the 2015 Florida Derby, made a triumphant return to south Florida on Wednesday, coming off a six-month layoff to register a convincing four-length allowance victory. He completed seven furlongs in 1:21.58 and received a 104 Beyer Speed Figure, the fastest main-track Beyer recorded in the U.S. in 2016.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 13:24

Mongolian Saturday gets rest, will skip Turf Sprint

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Mongolian Saturday will miss his first scheduled start of the year, the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint on Feb. 6, after being sent to the farm for a short rest, according to trainer Enebish Ganbat.

Mongolian Saturday outlasted Eclipse Award finalist Lady Shipman to register a neck decision in the BC Turf Sprint. He closed out his 2015 campaign six weeks later with a fifth-place finish in the Hong Kong Sprint.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 13:24

Frosted targets prep race in Dubai for World Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Frosted will travel to Dubai to prepare for the World Cup.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Frosted, one of the top 3-year-olds of 2015, is set to head to Dubai on Jan. 23 to point for the $10 million Dubai World Cup, and his itinerary there could find him facing California Chrome more than once.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 12:02

Dates changed for Spiral preps

The two preps for the Grade 3, $550,000 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky have been moved to later in the winter-spring meet, with the $50,000 WEBN Stakes now set for Feb. 20 and the $100,000 Battaglia Memorial now March 12.

The Spiral Stakes on April 2 carries 50 Kentucky Derby eligibility points to the winner.

Turfway racing secretary Tyler Picklesimer said a clerical oversight led to the 6 1/2-furlong WEBN originally being scheduled for Jan. 30 and the 1 1/16-mile Battaglia for Feb. 27.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 11:56

Turfway pricing out Instant Racing machines

Turfway general manager Chip Bach said final pricing quotes are being aggregated by the track’s majority owner, Rock Gaming of Detroit, and that an announcement concerning the installation of some 250 Instant Racing machines at the track could be made soon.

“Hopefully we’ll know something in the next couple of weeks,” Bach said Thursday.

Fri, 01/15/2016 - 11:53

14-year-old mare Missing Sefa retired

Against her better judgment, and with considerable regret, owner-trainer Jamie Grubbs has decided to retire Missing Sefa after being subjected to unfavorable comments on social media for keeping the 14-year-old mare in training.

“A lot of people had positive things to say about her,” said Grubbs, “but with Facebook and Twitter and even people texting me … I can’t take all the negativity. I guess I’m just not thick-skinned enough.”

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 15:28

Jacobson picks up 3-year-old El Charro

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The 3-year-old El Charro, the runner-up in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 2, has been purchased privately by trainer David Jacobson and Sol Kumin’s Head of Plains Stable and will relocate to Southern California, Jacobson said Thursday.

El Charro, a son of Put It Back, had been owned by Golden Legacy Stable and was trained by Juan Rodriguez.