Mon, 08/31/2015 - 14:31

Pretty N Cool has final Debutante work

Benoit and Associates
Pretty N Cool follows up her impressive maiden win with a clear score in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes Wednesday at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Pretty N Cool is expected to head a strong field in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante for 2-year-old fillies on Saturday, and she completed her preparation for the race with a five-furlong work in 1:00.40 on Monday under jockey Martin Garcia.

Pretty N Cool is unbeaten in two starts and comes off a win in the Grade 2 Sorrento here Aug. 12.

Others expected for the Debutante include the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained trio of Songbird, Stays in Vegas, and Surfside Tiara.

The Debutante and Monday’s Del Mar Futurity both are at seven furlongs.

Mon, 08/31/2015 - 14:21

American Pharoah to parade at Del Mar

Barbara D. Livingston
American Pharoah and trainer Bob Baffert stand together Sunday morning, a day after American Pharoah finished second in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

DEL MAR, Calif. – American Pharoah will parade between races at Del Mar on Sunday, the track announced Monday.

American Pharoah, the Triple Crown winner, was scheduled to arrive at Del Mar late Monday afternoon after traveling from Saratoga, where he finished second in the Travers Stakes on Saturday. Trainer Bob Baffert said American Pharoah would remain at Del Mar until his barn relocates to Santa Anita on Sept. 8, the day after this meet ends.

Mon, 08/31/2015 - 14:21

Lea switching surfaces for Woodbine Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
Lea has worked twice on turf at Saratoga, including this move on Aug. 17.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Lea, who has made his last eight starts on dirt, including a victory in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream in 2014, will return to turf in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 13, trainer Bill Mott confirmed.

Lea hasn’t raced on turf since August 2013, when he finished third to Wise Dan in the Fourstardave here while trained by Al Stall. He is expected to take on Wise Dan in the Woodbine Mile.

Mon, 08/31/2015 - 14:16

Espinoza fined $15K for Travers attire

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Saratoga stewards fined Victor Espinoza, the jockey of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, $15,000 for wearing promotional material without permission after having been specifically instructed not to do so by the stewards.

Espinoza wore the name “Monster Energy Drink” on his boots and his own name on his pants while riding American Pharoah in the Grade 1 Travers.

Mon, 08/31/2015 - 14:15

Luzzi returns to saddle Wednesday

Barbara D. Livingston
Mike Luzzi rides Wednesday for the first time in 10 months.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mike Luzzi, out of action for 10 months after breaking his leg and pelvis in a paddock accident at Aqueduct on Nov. 2, returns to the saddle Wednesday when he rides Artie Crasher in the eighth race, a $50,000 claimer.

Luzzi is also named on the first-time starter O K by Me in Thursday’s fifth race.

“I’m happy – glad somebody gave me a shot,” Luzzi said Monday. “I wanted to ride a couple of live ones first.”

Mon, 08/31/2015 - 14:10

La Verdad tests for positive clenbuterol; Rice denies administering it

Barbara D. Livingston
La Verdad could be disqualified from this victory in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss for testing positive for clenbuterol.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – La Verdad could be disqualified from her victory in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga on July 29 after she tested positive for clenbuterol, a bronchodilator.

Linda Rice, the trainer of La Verdad, confirmed that she had been notified by the stewards about the positive. Rice said she has requested a split sample of urine and blood be sent out to be tested because she claims she did not treat the horse with clenbuterol.

Mon, 08/31/2015 - 13:46

Injury likely ends Young Brian’s career

Benoit & Associates
Young Brian earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86 in his lone start, which would have made him among the favorites for the Del Mar Futurity.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Young Brian, an impressive debut winner earlier in the meet and expected to be one of the favorites for the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7, was injured in a workout at Del Mar on Monday, and his career likely is over, according to his owner and breeder, John Liviakis.

“He’s done,” Liviakis said. “I really think this was the big horse. I’m lucky to have had him. I’m gonna breed some mares to him.”

Liviakis and trainer Phil D’Amato said the injury was to a sesamoid bone in a front leg.

Mon, 08/31/2015 - 13:31

Breeders’ Cup decision looms for Private Zone

Barbara D. Livingston
Private Zone, winning the Forego on Saturday, is being pointed for either the Breeders' Cup Sprint or the Dirt Mile.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There certainly is no question that Private Zone is the top older sprinter in the East and perhaps in the country following his dominating, 3 3/4-length victory over The Big Beast in Saturday’s Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga. But trainer Jorge Navarro does have some questions to answer regarding Private Zone’s immediate future, specifically if he’ll run again prior to the Breeders’ Cup and, more importantly, which Breeders’ Cup race he’ll compete in – the six-furlong Sprint or the Dirt Mile.

Private Zone returned to his summer base at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

Mon, 08/31/2015 - 11:50

Six stakes on rich Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day

Michael Burns
Pender Harbour, with Luis Contreras aboard, wins the Steady Growth Stakes by three-quarters of a length Saturday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine’s Wednesday night card is filled with stakes action as the track will hold Canadian Millions Sales Stakes Day on a Wednesday for the third consecutive year. The eight-race card offers total purses of $1 million and features six stakes worth $900,000 that are open to graduates of the local yearling sale.

Pender Harbour, a 2009 sale graduate, will be looking to inch closer to the $2 million mark in career earnings as the standout in the $125,000 Elgin Stakes, for colts and geldings ages 3 and up over 1 1/16 miles on Polytrack.

Mon, 08/31/2015 - 10:50

Turf renovation continues at Gulfstream

Gulfstream Park has made significant progress renovating the inside portion of its turf course the past several months, the track announced, as grass racing during the current summer meet continues to be conducted on the outer part of the 180-foot wide course.

The renovation concerns the inside 96 feet of the course. Glenn Ferguson, the track superintendent for Gulfstream, has resurfaced and aerated the course. There will have been no racing on the inside portion of the course for seven months by the time the track opens its championship meet Dec. 5.