Fri, 09/25/2015 - 13:41

Square Dancer pointing to Premier’s

Four-Footed Fotos
Square Dancer, 3 for 3 at Hastings since arriving from Emerald Downs, can put himself in positon for Horse of the Year honors at the meeting by winning the Grade 3 Premier's Handicap on Oct. 12.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – There will be more space needed than usual when the annual Thoroughbred Awards Dinner for Hastings is held at the Newlands Golf and Country Club on Dec. 3. The extra room will be needed to accommodate some of the 200 members of the Hastings Racing Club.

One of the horses the club owns, Square Dancer, wrapped up older-handicap-division honors with a win in the $50,000 S.W. Randall Plate on Sept. 13. The club allows members to own a small piece of a horse after paying their $250 annual membership fee.

Fri, 09/25/2015 - 13:11

Ashleyluvssugar faces must-win situation in King Pellinore

Shigeki Kikkawa
Trainer Peter Eurton says Ashleyluvssugar must deliver a huge performance Sunday in order to move on to the Breeders' Cup Turf.

ARCADIA, Calif. – For Ashleyluvssugar to advance to the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31, a win in Sunday’s $75,000 King Pellinore Stakes at Santa Anita is a must.

And not just any win. Ashleyluvssugar needs to give a flashy performance.

“I think we need to see a big performance,” trainer Peter Eurton said on Friday. “There are too many tough horses coming from Europe. A mediocre performance will not work. You have to come up with a lot of dough to run in it.”

Fri, 09/25/2015 - 11:44

Geroux to ride at Keeneland

Debra A. Roma
Florent Geroux wins the Cotillion aboard I'm a Chatterbox on Sept. 19 at Parx Racing.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Florent Geroux will be competing on a regular basis at Keeneland after traveling extensively over the last couple of months when using Arlington Park and Churchill Downs as his bases.

Few jockeys have enjoyed more success during the last eight weeks than Geroux. Since Aug. 1, he has won eight stakes, including a pair of seven-figure races – the Arlington Million and Cotillion – and he set a Kentucky Downs record for mount earnings (nearly $1.2 million).

Fri, 09/25/2015 - 11:39

Castanon set to return from injury on Sunday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jesus Castanon is named on two mounts Sunday at Churchill as the veteran jockey returns from a layoff forced by a tailbone injury that resulted from an Aug. 16 spill at Ellis Park. Castanon, best known for his victory on Shackleford in the 2011 Preakness, also missed eight weeks earlier this year with a similar injury.

Fri, 09/25/2015 - 11:21

Showdown looms for Kentucky Oaks winners in Spinster

Barbara D. Livingston
Untapable is pointing toward the Spinster Stakes on Oct. 4 at Keeneland.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A rare matchup of Kentucky Oaks winners is among the many highlights in store for racing fans when the first Breeders’ Cup meet at Keeneland gets away to a flying start next Friday, Oct. 2, in Lexington, Ky.

Thu, 09/24/2015 - 15:55

Bongard has feel of graded stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Sudden Surprise wins the Funny Cide Stakes by two lengths Friday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Grade 1 Champagne is not being run Sunday. It just feels that way.

Three of the top juveniles to run this summer at Saratoga were New York-breds, and all three – Championofthenile, Get Jets, and Sudden Surprise – are entered and expected to run in Sunday’s $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes going seven furlongs at Belmont Park.

Thu, 09/24/2015 - 15:41

Embellish the Lace out of Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Barbara D. Livingston
Alabama Stakes winner Embellish the Lace will miss the Breeders' Cup Distaff due to an injury, according to trainer Tony Dutrow.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Embellish the Lace, the winner of the Grade 1 Alabama, came out of her fifth-place finish in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx with an injury and will not make the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, trainer Tony Dutrow said Thursday.

Instead, Embellish the Lace will be offered for sale at the Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“She has an injury that will keep her out of the Breeders’ Cup,” said Dutrow, who declined to disclose the injury. “She could be rehabbed and brought back to the races, but [owner Alex Lieblong] has chosen not to do that.”

Thu, 09/24/2015 - 15:41

Ironicus out for year with broken leg

Barbara D. Livingston
Ironicus set a Saratoga course record for 1 1/16 miles winning the Bernard Baruch in August.

ELMONT, N.Y. – By virtue of his track-record performance in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga this month, Ironicus emerged as a top contender for next month’s Breeders’ Cup Mile. Unfortunately, Ironicus will miss the Breeders’ Cup after fracturing the cannon bone of his right foreleg, trainer Shug McGaughey said Thursday.

McGaughey said Ironicus would undergo surgery to have one screw inserted into the bone to stabilize the injury and promote healing. McGaughey said Ironicus would need at least 60 days off but will be pointed to a 5-year-old campaign next year.

Thu, 09/24/2015 - 10:45

Favorite Tale prepping for BC Sprint

Coglianese Photos
Favorite Tale wins the Smile Sprint in July at Gulfstream.

Favorite Tale has been working lights out at Parx since his third-place finish in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 1, but trainer Lupe Preciado has been in search of a race that will serve as a bridge to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland.

It appears he has found his spot in the fifth race on Saturday at Parx.

Wed, 09/23/2015 - 16:46

Breeders’ Cup Sprint: Work All Week taking Phoenix path again

Coady Photography
Work All Week will try to defend his win int he Breeders' Cup Spint on Oct. 31 at Keeneland.

Work All Week took a somewhat unorthodox route while preparing for last year’s Breeders’ Cup, carefully picking his spots while barnstorming the country before ultimately earning a division championship with his half-length victory over Secret Circle in the Sprint.