Thu, 10/08/2015 - 15:21

El Kabeir gets serious

Debra A. Roma
El Kabeir, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby, will get a break at KESMARC in Versailles, Ky.

ELMONT, N.Y. – El Kabeir, unraced since running third in the Wood Memorial in April, had his most serious workout since resuming training when he worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds over the Belmont main track Thursday.

El Kabeir started about eight lengths behind stablemate Picture Day and joined him by the wire before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.60.

It was the fourth workout for El Kabeir since a foot injury knocked him out of the Kentucky Derby and prompted his connections to give him a lengthy vacation.

Thu, 10/08/2015 - 15:21

Name from the past returns in Knickerbocker

Barbara D. Livingston
Blingo, shown working at Saratoga last September, will run in the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 12, according to trainer John Shirreffs.

ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s not often you see a horse whose past performances include running lines from Hollywood Park before it became known as Betfair Hollywood Park and then closed.

Blingo, a lightly raced 6-year-old gelding who debuted four years ago at Hollywood Park, makes a return to the races off an 18-month layoff in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park.

Thu, 10/08/2015 - 15:01

Cavorting back to work for Breeders' Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Victories in the Grade 2 Prioress (above) and Grade 1 Test make Cavorting the probable favorite in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Cavorting can be pretty aggressive in her morning gallops, which is why trainer Kiaran McLaughlin doesn’t mind going a long time without working the multiple graded stakes-winning 3-year-old filly.

On Thursday, however, Cavorting got back to work in preparation for a start as the probable favorite in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, breezing four furlongs in 49.01 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.

It was Cavorting’s first breeze since she won the Grade 2 Prioress Stakes by three lengths Sept. 6 at Saratoga.

Thu, 10/08/2015 - 14:41

Racing board stays Desormeaux fine

ARCADIA, Calif. – The California Horse Racing Board has granted jockey Kent Desormeaux a stay of his $2,500 fine for being under the influence of alcohol while riding at Del Mar in late July.

Wednesday’s one-sentence decision from Chuck Winner, chairman of the racing board, was signed by executive director Rick Baedeker and allows Desormeaux to appeal the penalty, which was issued last Sunday by Santa Anita stewards Scott Chaney, Kim Sawyer, and Tom Ward.

Thu, 10/08/2015 - 14:26

Mirage set for stakes debut in Surfer Girl

ARCADIA, Calif. – The 2-year-old filly Mirage won her debut at Brighton Racecourse in England in a $7,600 maiden race at six furlongs in early June. She made quite an impression with that three-quarter-length victory.

Less than two weeks later, Mirage was purchased for approximately $592,000 at the Goffs London sale at Kensington Palace in London.

Nearly four months later, Mirage is ready for her stakes debut Saturday in the $100,000 Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita. Expectations are understandably high for owner Fitri Hay and trainer Simon Callaghan.

Thu, 10/08/2015 - 14:16

Gimme Da Lute works five furlongs toward return

Benoit & Associates
Gimme Da Lute hasn't raced since winning the El Cajon on Aug. 29.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Gimme Da Lute, a winner of four consecutive stakes from early June to late August, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Thursday at Santa Anita.

Trainer Bob Baffert said he does not have a race goal for Gimme Da Lute, who races for Jim Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Gimme Da Lute has won 6 of 9 starts and earned $627,560.

“There are a lot of options,” Baffert said.

Thu, 10/08/2015 - 13:15

Gulfstream Park West opening-day handle up

Gulfstream Park West
The second Gulfstream Park West meeting begins Wednesday.

MIAMI – Opening day of the 2015 Gulfstream Park West meet was deemed a big success by track management, with all-sources handle up 87 percent over the inaugural meeting held under Gulfstream Park auspices at the track formerly known as Calder Race Course last year. Total handle on Wednesday’s 10-race card was $2.4 million.

Thu, 10/08/2015 - 13:01

Perfect Step will try to extend win streak in turf sprint

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photo
Perfect Step wins the Hard Worker Stakes on Sept. 11 at Gulfstream Park.

MIAMI – With little separation between at least a half-dozen members of the field, at least from a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint, bettors may want to look for value rather than choosing the obvious favorites in Saturday’s $50,000 turf-allowance feature at Gulfstream Park West.

Perfect Step, who put a punctuation mark on her current four-race win streak by taking an overnight stakes in her most recent start, and the versatile Katie’s Kiss likely will vie for favoritism in the five-furlong dash for fillies and mares.

Wed, 10/07/2015 - 16:06

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf: QE II could prove more relevant this year

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Sentiero Italia could use the QE II on Saturday at Keeneland as a springboard to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For a race as prestigious as the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland, its next-race impact on the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf has been negligible. Often, a filly or two per year has ventured on to the Breeders’ Cup, but the group has done little once there.

One Queen Elizabeth II winner, Perfect Sting, won the 2000 BC Filly and Mare Turf the year after she won the 1999 QE II, but her performance in the Breeders’ Cup during the year of her QE II triumph resulted in a sixth-place finish.

Wed, 10/07/2015 - 15:36

Legendary back in form just in time for Knickerbocker defense

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Legendary defeats Up With the Birds in last year's Knickerbocker Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Legendary will return to his favorite surface when he seeks a repeat in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park.

Legendary is 6 for 25 in his career but is 3 for 4 at Belmont Park, where in 2014 he won two allowance races during the spring-summer meet and the Knickerbocker at the fall meet at 4-1 in a six-horse field. Though he beat Up With the Birds and Mshawish that day, he faces a deeper group Saturday, including All Included, Mr Speaker, Messi, and War Dancer.