Sun, 07/06/2014 - 15:04

Multiple next-race options for Minorette, Mr Speaker

Barbara D. Livingston
Mr Speaker earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Belmont Derby.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The Breeders’ Cup is the major objective for the winners of Saturday’s two seven-figure Grade 1 turf races for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park, but how each horse gets there remained an unanswered question on Sunday morning.

Sun, 07/06/2014 - 12:17

Shared Belief will face elders in Pacific Classic

Benoit & Associates
Shared Belief, making his first start on dirt, remains unbeaten in five starts by taking the Los Alamitos Derby under Mike Smith

CYPRESS, Calif. – Shared Belief will make his stakes debut against older horses Aug. 24 in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Sunday, a day after the gelding’s win in the $500,500 Los Alamitos Derby.

Hollendorfer said he prefers the Pacific Classic over 1 1/4 miles on the Polytrack synthetic surface to a start in major stakes for 3-year-olds on the East Coast later this summer.

“Our interest is the Pacific Classic,” he said. “I’m not real interested in putting him on a plane.”

Sun, 07/06/2014 - 09:14

Tonalist breezes five furlongs in prep for Jim Dandy Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Tonalist, the Belmont Stakes winner, continued preparation for his upcoming start in the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes on July 27 by breezing five furlongs in 1:02.02 Sunday morning over Belmont Park’s main track.

Sat, 07/05/2014 - 19:23

Pick six carryover of $177,447 for Sunday at Belmont

ELMONT, N.Y. – Upset victories Saturday by Mr Speaker ($49) in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby and Zivo ($29.40) in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap helped produce a two-day pick six carryover of $177,447 into Sunday’s card at Belmont Park.

Saturday’s card began with a carryover of $34,793 when the wager was not hit Friday, and an additional $250,276 was wagered into the pool Saturday.

Logical winners Dowse’s Beach ($6.30) and Clearly Now ($6.40) began the sequence, but double-digit prices completed the sequence. The consolation payout (5 of 6) was $11,887.

Fri, 07/04/2014 - 19:09

Kaigun on verge of breakout race in United Nations

Barbara D. Livingston
Kaigun has come of age after being gelded midway through his 3-year-old season.

Kaigun has taken his game to a new level in his last three starts. It's possible he will finally be rewarded in Sunday's Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park.

Kaigun has always been a useful horse. He won three of his first nine starts, a Polytrack maiden and a turf allowance at Woodbine and a second-level optional claimer on the grass at Gulfstream Park in February.

Fri, 07/04/2014 - 15:41

General Jack points to Secretariat Stakes

Coady Photography
General Jack, shown winning the 2013 Shakopee Juvenile at Canterbury, will contest Wednesday's $200,000 Centaur Stakes at Indiana Grand.

The Centaur at Indiana Grand has produced a candidate for the Secretariat, with the victorious General Jack pointed toward the $500,000, 3-year-old race here, according to trainer Mike Maker.

General Jack, winning his third race and his second in a row, won the one-mile Centaur by three lengths, and his time of 1:37.13 on firm turf produced a 92 Beyer.

“We’re going to point to the Secretariat with him,” Maker told Arlington publicity. “He just keeps improving off each race.”

Fri, 07/04/2014 - 15:34

Constitution resumes galloping

Barbara D. Livingston
Constitution (right), ridden by Javier Castellano, beats Wildcat Red in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Constitution, the winner of the Florida Derby in March, has resumed galloping at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., and is scheduled to return to trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn at Saratoga in early August, said WinStar president Elliott Walden.

Constitution underwent surgery to have a screw implanted into a shin fracture shortly after it was announced April 19 that the colt was injured and would not make the Kentucky Derby.

“His recovery has gone very well,” said Walden. “I’d expect he might be up to a breeze in about three weeks.”

Fri, 07/04/2014 - 15:33

As Stopshoppingdebbie's streak mounts, so does the pressure

Erin Palmer/Emerald Downs
Stopshoppingdebbie ran her record to 6 for 6 with this victory in the Hastings Handicap at Emerald Downs.

AUBURN, Wash. – Ask Tom Wenzel about pressure and he turns the conversation away from his stable star, unbeaten filly Stopshoppingdebbie, and toward the other horses in his barn – the ones in dire need of a victory, the ones whose owners want to know why their equine star can’t run as fast as she can.

Fri, 07/04/2014 - 15:31

On Fire Baby takes it slow

Barbara D. Livingston
On Fire Baby, winning the Grade 1 La Troienne last month, will look to make it two graded stakes wins in a row in the Fleur de Lis.

On Fire Baby has not breezed since finishing a disappointing fifth as the favorite in the June 14 Fleur de Lis, and trainer Gary “Red Dog” Hartlage said he is “just taking my time” with his stable star.

“She’s out here cruising around every day, just kind of taking it easy,” said Hartlage, who will remain based at Churchill through the fall. “We have nothing planned for her. Whenever she starts looking to jump over the rail, that’s when we’ll start thinking about her next race.”

Fri, 07/04/2014 - 15:24

American Derby coming together with strong field despite competing races

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – There was a $200,000 turf race for 3-year-olds, the Centaur, Wednesday at Indiana Grand, and Belmont Park this weekend hosts a $1.25 million race, the Belmont Derby, in the same division. Even so, the $200,000 American Derby, part of the July 12 Million Preview card at Arlington, has a chance to come together as a decent race.

As of Friday, there were seven more-or-less confirmed starters for the American Derby, the local prep for the Grade 1 Secretariat on Aug. 16. The group, if it holds, is headed by shippers from New York, California, and England.