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.
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DRF Past Performances
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.
Bayern and three of the horses he defeated in Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby – including Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome – returned Sunday to Southern California and will most likely be pointed to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday.
“I want to run him in the Classic,” Baffert said Sunday by phone from Southern California. “He has to show me leading up to it he’s holding his form.”
Untapable and Sweet Reason, the top two finishers Saturday in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx, are bound for the Breeders’ Cup.
Untapable is being pointed to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Oct. 31, where she will face older rivals at 1 1/8 miles. Sweet Reason’s plans are still up in the air as trainer Leah Gyarmati said Sunday morning that she and owner Jeff Treadway will discuss whether to point to the Distaff or the $1 million BC Filly and Mare Sprint at seven furlongs Nov. 1.
There aren’t many sprint races contested in New York in which the half-mile is run faster than 44 seconds. In Southern California, there are plenty.
When trainer Mike Hushion sends Artemis Agrotera to Southern California for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 1, he will do so confident his filly can be effective regardless of how fast the early fractions are.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Close Hatches probably doesn’t need any help to work fast, but she got it by way of a tremendously fast surface and a workmate as Close Hatches blazed five furlongs in 57.92 seconds over Belmont Park’s main track Saturday morning at Belmont Park.
Close Hatches, the leading older female horse in training, is preparing for the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 5.
The two-time champion Beholder may be peaking at an ideal time this fall.
On Saturday at Santa Anita, Beholder worked seven furlongs in 1:24.60, her final major exercise before she starts as a heavy favorite in the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles next Saturday.
Beholder won the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes in 2013 and followed with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. The same race on Oct. 31 is the primary goal for the 4-year-old Beholder this year.