SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Riposte, the Juddmonte Farms-owned, Bill Mott-trained mare who has won two graded stakes this year on the turf, will not race again this year, and her racing future will be decided at a later date.
Riposte, winner of the Sheepshead Bay and New York Stakes – both Grade 2 stakes at Belmont this spring – has been turned out at Juddmonte Farms in Kentucky, according to Garrett O’Rourke, the operation’s U.S.-based racing manager.
Trainer Ron McAnally’s stable suffered a difficult blow on Friday when Quick Casablanca was sent to a local vet clinic to be treated for colic, the day before a scheduled start in the $200,000 Del Mar Handicap.
Quick Casablanca is expected to recover, but will not race for several months, at best.
Meanwhile, McAnally will send Miss Serendipity in the $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap over 1 1/16 miles on turf on Sept. 1.
Miss Serendipity won the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita on May 26, but was a troubled sixth in the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes here on Aug. 10.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Itsmyluckyday, runner-up to Moreno in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes, will be equipped with blinkers for the first time when he faces Moreno and several others in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga, trainer Eddie Plesa said.
“The last couple of races, he’s got to looking to the outside,” Plesa said by phone from Monmouth. “Just a little fine tuning, looking to do something different. I’m always looking for a way to improve them. Hopefully, it won’t hurt him.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Princess of Sylmar came out of her fifth-place finish in Friday’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign with a case of the thumps, an affliction associated with an electrolyte imbalance, trainer Todd Pletcher said Saturday morning.
“It’s probably more common in endurance horses from the research I’ve done,” Pletcher said. “It’s something we’ll see occasionally through the year from various horses. Most of the time, they don’t perform up to standards. It’s the first time we recognized it with her.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In Royal Delta, Bill Mott trained the champion older female for the last two years. In Close Hatches, Mott may have the next older female champion.
Close Hatches certainly strengthened her hold on the older filly and mare division Friday with a dominant, front-running five-length victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga. It was the fourth win in as many starts this year for Close Hatches and her third Grade 1 success this year to go along with the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn and the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The 2-year-old filly Her Emmynency had one of the fastest workouts over five furlongs at Del Mar on Saturday, zooming around the track in 59.60 seconds. If Her Emmynency races like she is working, she could win the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante over seven furlongs next Saturday.
Trained by Mike Stidham, Her Emmynency won her debut in a maiden race on Aug. 2 for owners Ike and Dawn Thrash.
“She worked phenomenally,” said Chris Davis, Stidham’s assistant. “It seems the farther she goes, the better she’ll be.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown and the owners of Dayatthespa have decided to scratch from the Grade 2, $250,000 Ballston Spa Stakes on Saturday and await the $150,000 Yaddo Stakes for New York-breds on Sunday. Both races are 1 1/16 miles.
Following rain on Thursday and overcast conditions on Friday, during which the turf dried only marginally, the courses were listed as "good" for the beginning of Saturday's Travers Day card.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Sylvea Gregory said Remembertobreathe came out of his second-place finish Aug. 16 in the Grade 3 Canadian Derby in great shape and will make his next start Sept. 14 in the Grade 3, $150,000 British Columbia Derby at Hastings.
“He’s sharp, happy, and doing fantastic,” said Gregory.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The usual names are among the leading owners this summer at Saratoga: Michael Dubb, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Mike Repole, and Chester and Mary Broman.
Wait. Chester and Mary Broman?
Yes, the Bromans, longtime breeders in New York – and mostly of New York-breds – are enjoying a spectacular summer at Saratoga, having won 7 races from 20 starts through the first 31 days of the 40-day meet, placing them fourth in the owners’ standings. Dubb leads the standings as at least a part-owner of 11 Saratoga winners.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Del Mar is expected to draw its second-biggest crowd of the season for Sunday’s Pacific Classic program, an audience that could rival the 42,021 who attended opening day July 17.
The track needs a big audience to reverse business declines at the meeting. Through Aug. 17, the 24th day of the 36-day meeting, average attendance was 17,226, a decline of 8 percent from 2013.
