Ontrack handle declined for three recently completed race meets in Northern California: Stockton, Fresno, and Golden Gate Fields summer.

Ontrack handle on live racing at the 19-day Golden Gate meet (Aug. 15-Sept. 14) dropped 10.1 percent from last year’s meet of the same length. All-sources handle on Golden Gate races increased 4 percent. Ontrack attendance for the meet fell by more than 25 percent.

Stockton’s six-day meet (Sept. 19-28) showed a 12 percent drop in ontrack handle on live racing from last year, and a 2 percent drop in all-sources handle on Stockton races.

Santa Anita 

Main track: Fast 

Weather: Hazy

Temperature: 65

ARCADIA, Calif. - Tuesday proved to be a relatively quiet morning - in Southern California, at least - on the Breeders’ Cup workout front. One Lucky Dane, who is expected to join his Bob Baffert-trained stablemate American Pharoah in the Juvenile, was the only potential Breeders’ Cup starter to work at Santa  Anita, going six furlongs in company with jockey Rafael Bejarano aboard.[bc_video_id:339789:]

Apprentice riders Brayan Pena and Carson Sullivan come off fine showings at the Big Fresno Fair meeting and are hoping to make an impact at the Golden Gate Fields fall meet, which began last Thursday.

Pena went 6 for 27 and tied for third in the standings at the nine-day Fresno meet, which ended Oct. 13. Sullivan finished the meet 3 for 11, putting him in a tie for seventh in the standings.

Pena, 24, rode the first winner of his career on Sept. 6 in his Northern California riding debut. He called the victory “the most exciting moment of my life.”

ELMONT, N.Y. - V. E. Day, the Travers winner, worked seven furlongs in 1:27.23 Tuesday morning over the Belmont Park training track, his last serious move before the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

Entering the track following the second renovation break, V. E. Day backed up to the quarter pole before galloping through the stretch alongside a stable pony. V. E. Day broke off into his work at the half-mile pole and worked three furlongs past the wire over a fast track. He galloped out a mile in 1:40.58, completing one circuit over the training track.

ALBANY, Calif. - Shared Belief was scheduled to have four works here at Golden Gate Fields between last month’s Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita, and next week’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, also at Santa Anita. But there was no doubt the work on Tuesday morning was the most important, according to trainer and co-owner Jerry Hollendorfer, and Shared Belief responded with a sharp drill that indicates he will be the deserved favorite in the $5 million Classic Nov. 1.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Two-time Sovereign Award-winning jockey Luis Contreras and agent Anthony Esposito have parted ways, Esposito said Monday.

“He told me that he was going to make a change,” Esposito said. “I’m ready to move on. I’ve been doing this for 25 years and I’m not ready to retire yet. Hopefully I’ll get a new job from here or I’ll look into bringing a fresh face to Woodbine again.”

Contreras will now be represented by Don Parente, who also has the book of journeyman rider Sheena Ryan.

Daddy D T earned his best Beyer Speed Figure on dirt in the FrontRunner but won his maiden on the grass in the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf, giving him the option of running in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile or the Juvenile Turf. Trainer John Sadler said Monday that the Santa Anita-based Daddy D T would be pre-entered in the Grade 1, $1 million Juvenile Turf, to be run on Oct. 31. 

“For the Breeders’ Cup we’re going on the grass because he’s already a proven commodity on the turf,” Sadler said.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – As the 17-day Keeneland fall meet enters its final four-day stretch, races are tight for top honors among jockeys and trainers.

Wednesday begins with five riders within one win of each other atop the standings: Rosie Napravnik and Shaun Bridgmohan have 11, followed closely by Corey Lanerie, Julien Leparoux, and Paco Lopez, with 10 each.

Graham Motion and Todd Pletcher are deadlocked atop the trainer standings with six wins each, followed by Wesley Ward (five) and eight others with four apiece.

Departing set for Fayette start

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trainer Michael Matz said Somali Lemonade has been retired just short of $1 million in earnings.

“There wasn’t really anywhere sensible to run her, and she’s done enough,” Matz said. “There’s been talk she’ll be bred to Frankel, but that’s not confirmed yet.”

Somali Lemonade, a 5-year-old mare by Lemon Drop Kid, won four graded stakes, most notably the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga in July. Overall, she won 6 of 24 starts and $981,796 for owner Caroline Forgason.

ELMONT, N.Y. - When trainer Linda Rice looks over the fall stakes calendar for filly and mare sprinters, she finds opportunities few and far between. So, she is considering running her New York-bred filly La Verdad against males for her next start.

Rice said La Verdad, who won Saturday’s $150,000 Iroquois Stakes for New York-breds, could run in either the $350,000 De Francis Dash at Laurel Park on Nov. 15, or the Grade 3, $300,000 Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct on Nov. 27. Both races are at six furlongs.

“I don’t see a lot around for fillies and mares,” Rice said.