LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Five of the six older horses entered in the Homecoming Classic on Saturday at Churchill Downs had their final workouts toward the $125,000 race over the weekend, including a half-mile breeze Sunday by the likely favorite, Departing, who went in 48.80 seconds.
Other preps were recorded Saturday by Perfect Title (five furlongs in 1:00.40), Carve (half-mile in 48.60), and Pick of the Litter (five furlongs in 1:00), and Sunday by Call Me George (half-mile in 49.60).
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine Oaks and Queen’s Plate winner Lexie Lou came up empty in the stretch of her graded stakes debut in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes on Sept. 14, but has come out of the race without issue, according to trainer Mark Casse.
“She’s fine,” he said. “We don’t really have a good explanation. I wish she had run better, but she’s fine.”
Casse hasn’t made a decision as to whether Lexie Lou will be given the rest of the year off or continue racing this season.
“I want to see how she trains,” he said. “We’ll see.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse said Conquest Tsunami would breeze on Monday at Churchill Downs and would be pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Breeders’ Futurity on dirt on Oct. 4 or the Grade 3, $250,000 Bourbon Stakes on turf on Oct. 5, both at Keeneland, with a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup as the long-term target.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Conquest Harlanate and Conquest Typhoon have already booked their tickets to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup with their victories in the Grade 2 Natalma and Grade 2 Summer stakes, respectively, and trainer Mark Casse said both would make one start around two turns before heading to California.
Both the Natalma and the Summer are run over one-turn miles on Woodbine’s turf course, while the Breeders’ Cup juvenile turf races will be contested around two turns at Santa Anita.
Topped by the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, Aqueduct will offer 24 stakes worth $4.9 million during its upcoming fall meet, which begins on Oct. 29 and runs through Dec. 31, the New York Racing Association announced over the weekend.
The stakes schedule virtually mirrors that of previous fall meets, with the exception of three new $100,000 stakes for New York-breds – the Notebook and Key Cents for 2-year-old sprinting males and females, respectively, on Nov. 16, and the Bay Ridge for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 31.
Santa Anita, in a change of plans, will not institute a house rule regarding whipping at its meeting that begins on Friday and will instead await the California Horse Racing Board vote on a proposed statewide rule at its monthly meeting Nov. 20, Tom Ludt, the president of Santa Anita, said in a letter sent late last week to Rick Baedeker, the executive director of the racing board.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After running second behind Trade Storm in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14, Kaigun will head to Keeneland for his next start to face Wise Dan for the third time this year in the Grade 1, $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile on Oct. 4.
Kaigun already has shipped to Kentucky, said trainer Mark Casse.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Los Alamitos completed an 11-day Thoroughbred meeting on Sunday with stronger business than during its summer meeting as well as during last year’s Los Angeles County Fair meet, which was conducted over the corresponding days last year.
Los Alamitos reported average daily handle of $5,786,238 from all sources, 27 percent higher than during last year’s Fairplex meet. Fairplex Park had an average handle of $4,568,812 during its 13-day meeting in September 2013, according to figures released by Los Alamitos.
The smallest field among the graded stakes Saturday at Santa Anita will be the Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles.
Beholder, the two-time champion, will be a heavy favorite against Iotapa, Tiz Midnight, and stablemate Tiz the Key. Trainer Richard Mandella said he plans to run Tiz the Key to give the filly a chance in a Grade 1 race.
Tiz the Key was a troubled 11th in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap on turf in July. She won her only career start on dirt, a maiden race at Santa Anita in April.
ARCADIA, Calif. - American Pharoah went from a fifth-place finish in a maiden race in his debut in early August to the winner’s circle of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in his second start on Sept. 3.
The next leap is equally as significant, a start in Saturday’s $300,000 FrontRunner Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita. The Grade 1 FrontRunner can confirm American Pharoah’s status as a top 2-year-old, and move him closer to a potential start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.
