DEL MAR, Calif. – Xoxo, Baruta, and Zipessa are bound for stakes later this summer after impressive wins in optional-claiming and allowance races Friday at Del Mar.
Baruta won a six-furlong allowance race for fillies and mares by 3 3/4 lengths, closing from last of six under jockey Flavien Prat. She was timed in 1:09.61, winning on dirt for the first time since the 2012 season in Brazil at the start of her career.
“It was a race we wanted to try, and it worked,” trainer Richard Mandella said.
STANTON, Del. – Lovely Maria came out of her fifth-place finish in the Delaware Oaks last week in good shape and is pointing to the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga, according to trainer Larry Jones.
The Delaware Oaks was the first start for Lovely Maria since her victory in the Kentucky Oaks 10 weeks earlier. She tired in the stretch of the Delaware Oaks as the 3-10 favorite and was beaten 6 1/4 lengths.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The stakes-winning mare Final Trick has three foals racing on the Sunday program at Lone Star. All of the entrants are by the stallion My Golden Song, and all were bred in Texas. The card closes out the meet at Lone Star.
Final Trick’s first representative is Man of Stature, a 3-year-old who will vie for favoritism in the opener, a first-level allowance at a mile on turf. Cliff Berry has the mount for the partnership of Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsh. Man of Stature is trained by Bret Calhoun.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – As the Lone Star Park meet was coming to a close last year, there was a hopeful feeling that historical racing might be approved to help sagging purses in Texas. And by the fall, rules providing for the electronic pari-mutuel game were adopted by the Texas Racing Commission.
Frosted, the Wood Memorial winner and Belmont Stakes runner-up, worked five furlongs in 1:01.90 on Friday over Saratoga’s main track in preparation for the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy on Aug. 1.
Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch timed Frosted’s opening three furlongs in 36.03 seconds and his final quarter in 25.87. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.16.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who was at Belmont, said Frosted worked by himself after having a fast move in company last weekend.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Janet Reid, who has worked in the horse identification office for nearly 34 years, will be leaving the New York Racing Association when the Belmont meet ends Sunday.
Reid, 58, has been the chief horse identifier since January 2007. Carol Dolan will take over that role beginning with the Saratoga meet.
The house Reid shares with her husband, Pat, went up in flames in March, and they are in the process of having the home rebuilt.
“I felt it important that I stay to oversee the construction,” said Reid, who opted to retire now rather than go to Saratoga.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Tonalist, the runner-up in two graded stakes in his last two starts, worked six furlongs in 1:13.04 over the Belmont main track Friday in preparation for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 8.
With regular rider John Velazquez in the irons, Tonalist worked in company with the maiden Arbitrator, starting a couple of lengths behind and finishing in front. Belmont clockers caught him in fractions of 24.20 seconds for the quarter and 47.75 for the half-mile. The move was completed a furlong past the wire.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher said Friday that despite the imposing presence of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, he has the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational under consideration for Competitive Edge, who suffered his first defeat in five career starts when finishing sixth as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens on Belmont Stakes Day.
“We’ve made no firm decision at this point,” said Pletcher. “He’ll breeze again this weekend. He’s definitely under consideration for the Haskell.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Albeit, C.C. Zipp, and Pretty N Cool will have their first starts in what could be a memorable maiden race for 2-year-old fillies at five furlongs in Sunday’s sixth race at Del Mar.
All three fillies have left their trainers impressed by recent workouts and hopeful that a start Sunday will lead to races such as the $200,000 Sorrento Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 12 or the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 5.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Kung Fu Mambo, who ended a layoff of more than 2 1/2 years with a win in an optional claimer at Santa Anita last month, will have his American stakes debut in the $200,000 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on July 25.
He will be part of a group of older horses using the San Diego as a prep for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 22.
Other candidates for the San Diego are Appealing Tale, Bayern, Catch a Flight, Hoppertunity, and Sahara Sky, who has been running in sprints but will start at a longer distance.
