Tue, 08/05/2014 - 15:24

Up With the Birds to Arlington Million

Tom Keyser
Up With the Birds is likely for the Arlington Million on Aug. 16 at Arlington Park.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Up With the Birds, among the best horses based in Canada, is a likely runner in the Arlington Million, trainer Malcolm Pierce confirmed Tuesday.

“That’s the direction we’re leaning with him,” said Pierce. “He’ll have one more breeze this Friday, and then we’ll look at pre-entering him. The horse ran a pretty strong race here in his last start. We thought, ‘Let’s give him a try.’ ”

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 15:21

Euro contingent nearly set for Arlington Million Day

Barbara D. Livingston
Magician is expected to start in the Aug. 16 Arlington Million.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The European contingent for the Aug. 16 Arlington Million Day races, headed by 2013 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Magician, seems fairly well set now, and here’s the expected roster of runners as of Tuesday morning, according to the International Racing Bureau:

◗ Million: Magician, Trading Leather, Smoking Sun, Side Glance

◗ Beverly D.: Palace, Just the Judge, Euro Charline, Sparkling Beam

◗ Secretariat: Adelaide, Belisarius

◗ American St. Leger: Dandino, Moment In Time, Havana Beat, Eye of the Storm

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 15:16

A. P.’s Glory next race uncertain

Coady Photography
A.P.'s Glory, winner of the $100,000 Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies last weekend, does not currently have a race target set.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – A. P.’s Glory made it two wins without a loss when she captured the $100,000 Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies by 1 1/2 lengths last weekend, but trainer Jim DiVito and owner-breeder Curtis Green have no particular next race picked out yet for the 2-year-old Mineshaft filly.

“I think she’s going to be better as she goes on,” DiVito said. “It’s still kind of up in the air where we’ll run.”

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 15:09

Alamo Heights targets Super Derby following Prelude win

Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges Jr.
Richard Eramia collects his third stakes win of the card aboard 14-1 longshot Alamo Heights in the Prelude.

Alamo Heights is one of at least three horses from the Super Derby Prelude Stakes last Saturday at Louisiana Downs to target next month’s Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby. Alamo Heights earned a fees-paid berth into the Sept. 6 race for his 1 1/4-length win over favored Ide Be Cool, another Super Derby candidate, along with the fourth-place finisher Gold Appointment.

The Super Derby, at 1 1/8 miles on the main track, is the richest race at Louisiana Downs, and it anchors a program of seven stakes worth $825,000.

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 14:52

Somali Lemonade will tackle Beverly D. next

Barbara D. Livingston
Somali Lemonade will start next in the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes on Aug. 16 at Arlington Park.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Somali Lemonade, an 11-1 upset winner of the Grade 1 Diana Stakes on July 19 at Saratoga, will make her next start in the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes here on Aug. 16, trainer Michael Matz said Tuesday.

“I think we’re going to give it a whirl,” said Matz, who had been monitoring Somali Lemonade’s condition coming out of the Diana before committing her to the Beverly D.

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 14:24

Alvarado comeback gets boost from Whitney Stakes win

Barbara D. Livingston
Moreno scored a front-running upset Saturday in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Junior Alvarado had just ridden one of the fastest horses he’d ever been on to an allowance victory and had one more mount at Aqueduct before he was going to enjoy the Christmas holiday with his family.

Alvarado was in the gate aboard Miss Narcissist for the East View Stakes last Dec. 22 when that filly flipped in the gate, pinning Alvarado’s left ankle against metal. The result was a broken ankle and broken momentum.

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 14:14

Ritvo back at Spa with up-and-coming 3-year-olds

Barbara D. Livingston
Fast Anna is targeting the Grade 1 King's Bishop on Aug. 23 at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Kathy Ritvo is back at Saratoga again this summer. Unlike the past two seasons, when she was here with the top handicap performer Mucho Macho Man, this time she’s in town with a couple of up-and-coming 3-year-old prospects, Fast Anna and the New York-bred Little Daddy.

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 14:02

McLaughlin horses look strong in two weekend stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Sayaad is set to start in Saturday's $500,000 Fourstardave at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin will have major contenders in two of this weekend’s stakes at Saratoga, sending out Sayaad in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Fourstardave and Cavorting in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack.

Sayaad returned from a nearly nine-month layoff to win the Forbidden Apple Stakes over yielding turf at Belmont on July 4, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 103.

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 14:00

Blanc nears return to saddle

DEL MAR, Calif. - Jockey Brice Blanc, idle for the past week after being involved in an accident on the turf course, was out walking at Del Mar on Tuesday morning and said he was scheduled to visit a doctor on Wednesday in hopes of being cleared to ride.

“Hopefully I’ll be back by the weekend, or sometime next week,” Blanc said. “The first two days after the accident were pretty rough. I was really body sore. I’m feeling better now.”

Toro makes a visit

Tue, 08/05/2014 - 13:58

Blue skies for Blue Tone

DEL MAR, Calif. - Trainer Bob Hess Jr. said he’s not going to get overly ambitious just yet with Blue Tone, who returned from a nine-month layoff with a sharp victory in a second-level allowance race on Sunday.

“We don’t want to get in any big hurry with him,” Hess said. “We’ll look for another allowance race or a restricted stakes, whether it’s in three weeks or eight weeks.”

Blue Tone, a 5-year-old gelding by Birdstone, was a powerful allowance winner last summer at Del Mar but had been off since October after suffering a hairline fracture to a hock.