Trainer Michael Stidham is hoping that a strong performance by Her Emmynency in the $100,000 Surfer Girl at Santa Anita on Sunday will stamp her as a serious contender in the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 31.
The Grade 1 Alcibiades on Friday and the Grade 1 Frizette on Saturday will play pivotal roles in determining who moves on to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
The Alcibiades, at 1 1/16 miles around two turns on Keeneland’s new dirt track, has drawn a competitive field of 13, headed by the undefeated Schuylerville Stakes winner Fashion Alert. The Frizette, at a mile around one turn at Belmont Park, includes early division leader Cavorting, the impressive winner of the Adirondack Stakes.
International Star had a less-than-ideal trip when second in the With Anticipation Stakes, which could prove to be a key North American prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 31. His trainer, Mike Maker, is hoping for smoother sailing Sunday, when International Star starts in the Grade 3, $250,000 Bourbon at Keeneland.
There is almost certainly, at this time of year, no horse in Florida who can run with the 3-year-old colt Atreides, and so, unbeaten and essentially untested, it is out into the wider world Atreides goes.
On Thursday, Atreides was scheduled to board a plane and fly north, and when he settles into a stall again, it will be on the backstretch of Indiana Grand Casino and Racing, where Atreides could find his first real challenge Saturday in the Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said plans for Tonito M., who won the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park, are to be determined. The horse returned to his Santa Anita base Tuesday. Tonito M. came into the Oklahoma Derby off a third-place finish in the Los Alamitos Mile.
“We’ll look for another race for him,” Hollendorfer said. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet.”
Hollendorfer said he liked Tonito M.’s off-the-pace score under Rafael Bejarano.
Just three weeks after a successful stakes invasion at Louisiana Downs, Kentucky-based trainer Mike Maker returned to the region Sunday and won the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks with Shanon Nicole. And he’ll be back again later this month with a starter for a major stakes at Retama Park near San Antonio.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A field of 13 2-year-old fillies was entered Tuesday for the Grade 1, $400,000 Alcibiades, the highlight of Keeneland's opening-day card Friday.
Fashion Alert, the winner of the Astoria and Schuylerville stakes in her only two career starts, will be favored when starting from the rail in the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades. Velazquez will ride for Todd Pletcher.
All-sources handle at the 12-day September meet that ended Sunday at Churchill Downs was down 16 percent, according to figures released by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
Gross wagering was $38.8 million and equated to a daily average of $3,234,190. The 2014 schedule matched the same 12 dates run in 2013, the first year that Churchill held a September meet after taking over the spot on the calendar formerly occupied by Turfway Park. Average daily handle in 2013 was $3,857,160.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Papacoolpapacool, the winner of a maiden race for 2-year-olds on turf last Saturday, could make his next start on dirt, trainer Jeff Mullins said.
In Saturday’s race, Papacoolpapacool led throughout a one-mile race, winning by 2 3/4 lengths in his third start. Papacoolpapacool was third in the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf over a mile at Del Mar on Sept. 3.
“He works really well on dirt,” Mullins said. “For obvious reasons, we want to try it. He’ll run all day.”
Papacoolpapacool, by Temple City, is owned by Ali Nilforushan.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Everyone is talking about the new dirt track in place at Keeneland after eight years of Polytrack, but once racing action gets under way this weekend, a major focus will be on a different surface.
That’s because Wise Dan, the reigning two-time Horse of the Year, will be racing on the Keeneland turf Saturday in the richest race in track history, the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile.
