BOSSIER CITY, La. – The Pickett Factor was made a slight morning-line favorite over Allied Air Raid for the Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby on Saturday at Louisiana Downs. Entries for the 1 1/8-mile race were taken Wednesday.
The field of seven also includes Prime Engine, the Washington invader who will break from the rail, and Mobile Bay, who will break from post 7 under Edgar Prado.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With its lone winner being the obvious exception, the Dale Romans stable was unusually quiet at Saratoga this summer when sending out just 12 starters.
The low profile was partly by design and partly forced by circumstance. Romans still is looking to assemble the caliber of horsepower that earned him the Eclipse Award for top trainer in 2012.
“We were in kind of a regroup mode after an active winter and spring, looking forward to what we hope will be a big fall – although winning the Travers sure was great,” said Romans.
Wildcat Red, based at Gulfstream for most of the year, is being pointed for the Grade 1, $400,000 Vosburgh on Sept. 26 at Belmont Park, trainer Jose Garoffalo said on Tuesday.
Wildcat Red was a bold fourth to Private Zone in the Forego at Saratoga in his most recent start Aug. 29. He pushed a hot pace in the seven-furlong race, which went in 1:21, and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95.
Perfect Step has had a flawless summer at Gulfstream Park. She’s won all three of her starts at the meet and will attempt to make it four in a row Friday in the $75,000 Hard Worker.
“I think she’ll run well,” said Peter Walder, who on behalf of Matthew Newman and Aventura Stable claimed Perfect Step two starts ago.
A scheduling quirk and a blast of hot weather will present challenges as the San Joaquin Fair in Stockton begins a six-day meeting on Friday.
The heat was only the latest impediment racing officials faced. Only 31 Thoroughbreds signed up for five races on Friday as temperatures were predicted to hit 107 degrees during the first two days of the fair.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Point Piper, the well-bred colt who sprang a $62 upset in the $86,000 Harry F. Brubaker at Del Mar on Aug. 28, will jump into a Grade 1 for his next start, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said on Wednesday.
The $300,000 Awesome Again, one of five Grade 1’s at Santa Anita on opening day, Sept. 26, is the target for Point Piper.
“I think he deserves a chance,” Hollendorfer said.
In fact, Point Piper could be one of the favorites.
Point Piper earned a career-best 95 Beyer when he won the Harry F. Brubaker by a half-length.
Brad Cox could have the biggest day of his 10-year training career Saturday. Led by Allied Air Raid in the Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, he will send out horses in seven stakes among three tracks. It will be Cox’s busiest afternoon since he began training in December 2004.
“To say the least,” said Cox, 35. “Hopefully, it will be a profitable day.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – American Pharoah, the Triple Crown winner, was scheduled to head to Santa Anita early Thursday morning along with the remainder of trainer Bob Baffert’s horses that are still stabled here.
Baffert said he wanted to wait as long as possible to ship American Pharoah, owing to the excessive heat forecast for the area near Santa Anita this week. Temperatures are expected to hover around 100 degrees there all week.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Om, winner of the Del Mar Derby on Sunday, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby on Oct. 24 at Santa Anita, according to trainer Dan Hendricks.
The Twilight Derby, like the Del Mar Derby, is at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Hendricks said Om proved he could handle that distance Sunday, but with important races like the Kilroe Mile and Shoemaker Mile on this circuit, he thinks a mile is where Om will be spotted next year at 4.
