Tue, 11/11/2014 - 16:12

13 pre-entered for Delta Jackpot, 17 for Princess

Debra A. Roma
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Take Charge Brandi is nominated for the Starlet.

Delta Downs took pre-entries for its richest races of the meet on Tuesday, with Wake Up Nick, Conquest Tsunami, and Mr. Z among 13 runners pre-entered in the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Take Charge Brandi led the list of 17 pre-entries for the Grade 3, $400,000 Delta Downs Princess.

The Jackpot, for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, and the Princess, for 2-year-old fillies at a mile, will share an afternoon card on Nov. 22. Delta will take final entries for both races next Tuesday, said the track’s director of racing, Chris Warren.

Tue, 11/11/2014 - 15:28

R and R for East Hall, but not for Mr. Jordan

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
East Hall closed out his season with this win in the Florida Millions Preview Classic.

MIAMI – East Hall and Mr. Jordan, the two stars of Saturday’s Florida’s Millions Preview card at Gulfstream Park West, came out of their respective races in good order, although only Mr. Jordan is likely to race again this year.

Tue, 11/11/2014 - 15:17

Little Daddy finds his calling

Barbara D. Livingston
Little Alexis is recuperating from a reaction to an injection.

Lost a bit in all the hoopla surrounding Saturday’s Sunshine Millions Preview program was the performance the previous afternoon of Little Daddy, who returned to the main track and turned back from a mile to seven furlongs to trounce a strong group of second-level optional claimers by 8 1/4 lengths for owner-trainer Carlo Vaccarezza. The multiple-stakes-placed Little Daddy received a career-best 94 Beyer Figure.

“He ran a huge race and I think we have found his niche,” said Vaccarezza. “He looks like he wants to go between three-quarters and seven-eighths.”

Mon, 11/10/2014 - 14:45

Mutin bound for sunshine, stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Mutin, winning an Aqueduct allowance on Sunday, is being considered for the Fort Lauderdale at Gulfstream Park in January.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mutin is headed to south Florida and likely a stakes race after winning Sunday’s featured allowance race at Aqueduct.

Making his first start since January, Mutin rallied from next-to-last under Irad Ortiz Jr. to win a third-level allowance race by three-quarters of a length over Sky Blazer.

It was the fifth win from nine starts for Mutin, but his first since May 2013.

Mutin, a son of Kentucky Dynamite, was making his first start for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. He ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.48 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96.

Mon, 11/10/2014 - 14:38

Hawthorne Gold Cup next for Effinex

Barbara D. Livingston
Effinex upsets the Empire Classic at Belmont on Oct. 18.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Effinex, the upset winner of the Empire Classic Handicap at Belmont last month, is likely to make his next start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup, said racing manager Russell Cohen. The Hawthorne Gold Cup is run at 1 1/4 miles over the Hawthorne main track.

Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Effinex worked six furlongs in 1:15.55 on Sunday over the Belmont training track.

Mon, 11/10/2014 - 14:36

Sweet Reason eyes Comely

Barbara D. Livingston
Sweet Reason, a three-time Grade 1 winner, finished eighth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Sweet Reason, a multiple Grade 1 winner who was eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint last time out, may not be done with her 3-year-old season just yet.

Trainer Leah Gyarmati said Monday that she is considering running Sweet Reason in the Grade 3, $400,000 Comely Stakes for 3-year-old fillies here Nov. 29.

Mon, 11/10/2014 - 13:51

Brooklynsway might face males next

Michael Burns
Brooklynsway wins the Princess Elizabeth on Nov. 2 at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After her victory in the Princes Elizabeth Stakes on Nov. 2 at Woodbine, trainer John Ross said Brooklynsway would be pointed to the $150,000 Ontario Lassie Stakes on Nov. 30, but he added that running her against males in the $250,000 Coronation Futurity on Nov. 29 is a possibility.

“Her numbers were pretty nice,” he said. “She’s a pretty happy filly, and she’s come out of the [Princess Elizabeth] real good. I’m going to take a look at [the Coronation Futurity] and maybe consider it, but definitely the Ontario Lassie.”

Mon, 11/10/2014 - 13:51

Casse string to be spread out this winter

Barbara D. Livingston
Lexie Lou, shown winning the Autumn Miss on Oct. 25 at Santa Anita, will start in either the Hollywood Derby or Matriarch Stakes next.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Mark Casse is closing in on his eighth straight training title at Woodbine, as he leads all trainers with 84 wins for the meet. With the end of the season quickly approaching, Casse said he will have horses spread out across Florida, California, and Oaklawn Park for the winter.

Several of Casse’s horses who have had success at Woodbine this season are already in California and have their next starts picked out.

Mon, 11/10/2014 - 13:02

Court notches confidence-boosting hat trick

Tom Keyser
Jon Court rode three winners on Sunday at Churchill Downs. The veteran rider will turn 54 on Nov. 23.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A down period of several months actually isn’t very long for a journeyman rider of nearly 35 years to endure. But after Jon Court enjoyed a breakthrough Sunday at Churchill Downs by riding three winners, he couldn’t even remember the last time he had enjoyed such a good day.

“I really can’t think of my last big day like that,” Court said Monday. “This latest injury, it really seemed to have that sense of drag.”

Mon, 11/10/2014 - 12:43

Pirate's Trove will return to favored Polytrack in Bessarabian

Michael Burns
Pirate's Trove wins the Etobicoke on Sept. 1 at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Pirate’s Trove has shipped to Woodbine for a pair of stakes wins on Polytrack this season in the Duchess and Etobicoke stakes and appears poised for a return engagement in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Bessarabian Stakes.

Pirate’s Trove was undefeated in three starts heading into her last race on dirt at Keeneland in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes on Oct. 18, but she didn’t appear to handle the surface and finished last of 11.