ELMONT, N.Y. – Long-awaited and much-needed rain hit the New York area Sunday night, creating wet, messy racetracks that curtailed most serious training at Belmont Park Monday morning with two notable exceptions.
Untapable, last year’s Kentucky Oaks winner and champion 3-year-old filly, and Shook Up, the runner-up in this year’s Kentucky Oaks, put in easy breezes over a sealed, sloppy training track in preparation for Grade 1 stakes this Saturday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Bob Baffert said Bayern had to “really show him something” in his work on Monday at Churchill Downs to earn a spot in Saturday’s Met Mile at Belmont Park. And, sure enough, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic champion did just that.
Working in company with stablemate Cat Burglar, Bayern breezed five furlongs from the half-mile pole in 59.38. He began a half-length in front of Cat Burglar nearest the rail and finishing well clear on the turn. He then extended his advantage, galloping out six furlongs around the bend in 1:13.03 with Martin Garcia aboard.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Shaman Ghost, winner of the Grade 3 Marine Stakes on May 16, will skip the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes on June 14 and instead train up to the $1 million Queen’s Plate on July 5, trainer Brian Lynch said.
With his win in the Marine, Shaman Ghost has now reeled off three straight victories, and Lynch said he is pleased with the Ghostzapper colt’s form heading into the Queen’s Plate.
“Moving forward is good for him,” he said. “It’s nice to be heading into the big races with him in form.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Unbridled Juan, who was considered a major contender for the $1 million Queen’s Plate, will join trainer Brian Lynch’s string at Belmont Park in the coming days.
Unbridled Juan was heavily favored in a first-level optional-claiming event over 1 1/16 miles in his first start on Polytrack here May 10, but he wound up third behind Queen’s Plate nominees Field of Courage and Breaking Lucky and earned a 73 Beyer Speed Figure.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Roger Attfield has gotten off to a strong start at the Woodbine meeting with nine wins from his first 26 starts, and he looks to have strong representation for the first big day of the 2015 season on June 14 in the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes and the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Lucky J Lane can keep a weekend streak of stakes wins alive for trainer Richard Baltas when the 4-year-old makes his stakes debut in next Saturday’s $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes at Santa Anita.
Over the last two weekends, Baltas has had a stakes winner, scoring in the $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap with Majestic City in Texas on May 25 and in Saturday’s $400,250, Grade 1 American Oaks with Spanish Queen.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Owners Lee and Susan Searing and trainer John Sadler have parted company after a 17-year relationship, Lee Searing and John Sadler said Sunday.
Lee Searing said all of his runners have been transferred to Peter Eurton.
With Sadler, the Searings won such races as the Grade 1 Santa Monica Stakes with Switch in 2011, the Grade 2 Robert Lewis Stakes with Candy Boy in 2014, the 2006 Melair Stakes with She’s An Eleven, and the 2006 El Cajon Stakes with Cindago.
ARCADIA. Calif. - Si Sage, the winner of the Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes at Santa Anita on April 26, has been sidelined by a recent bout with colic that required hospitalization, trainer Darrell Vienna said on Sunday.
Vienna said Si Sage did not need an operation and that the 5-year-old is back at his barn at Santa Anita. Vienna said there are no specific race plans.
“I’ll watch out how he’s doing and I may turn him out for a little while,” Vienna said.
Catch a Flight, the winner of Saturday’s $200,750 Californian Stakes for older horses, is a changed horse since his American career began last winter.
The Grade 2 Californian was Catch a Flight’s third win in his last four starts, and second consecutive stakes win. The victory makes him the early favorite for the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 27.
Trained by Richard Mandella, Catch a Flight was third in a Group 1 on turf in Brazil in April 2014, but has improved significantly since arriving in California.
