SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – I Spent It and Cavorting, the winners of Sunday’s Grade 2 juvenile stakes at Saratoga, both came out of their races in good order, and now their connections will ponder whether to give them a Grade 1 opportunity sooner or later.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer George Weaver had high expectations for Requite on Saturday, and the 2-year-old son of Warrior’s Reward did not disappoint, winning at first asking by 3 1/2 lengths. He ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.44 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 77.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three potential starters for the Grade 1 Travers worked over the main track here Monday, including Ulanbator and Viva Majorca from the barn of trainer Ian Wilkes.

Ulanbator, who finished fifth after racing forwardly placed in the Jim Dandy, was the first to work, breezing an easy five furlongs in 1:03.39 after loping through an opening three-eighths 39.03 seconds. Ulanbator galloped out extremely well, completing six furlongs into the turn in 1:16.19 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:30.01.

Monday morning trainer Greg Tracy was sitting on the fence regarding running Consecrate in the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby on Saturday at Northlands Park, or opting for the easier spot on the undercard in the $50,000 Sonoma for 3-year-old fillies. In her second start for Tracy, Consecrate crushed her opponents in the $48,980 Northlands Oaks, winning by 11 1/4 lengths. She would likely be a heavy favorite in the Sonoma. Consecrate would also be among the favorites in 1 3/8-mile Derby, however.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Multiple graded stakes winner Five Iron, who faded to sixth after an early pace duel with Really Sharp in the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes in his last start July 19, could run in Saturday’s Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Brian Lynch.

“We’ll certainly look at the race if there’s no speed,” he said. “We got into suicide fractions with Ian Black’s horse [in the Nijinsky], and that certainly took us out of our own tactics.”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse had a big weekend at Woodbine, sweeping all three stakes races with victories by Dixie Twist in the Ontario Debutante, Kaigun in the Grade 2 Play the King, and Lexie Lou in the Wonder Where.

Kaigun’s win in the Play the King was his final prep ahead of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14, while Lexie Lou became the first Queen’s Plate winner since Wando in 2003 to win his or her next start.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The depth of trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s 2-year-old fillies increased Sunday with a debut win by Manahatta and could be further bolstered by Majestic Presence, who stretches out around two turns for her second start in the fifth race Wednesday.

Majestic Presence, a daughter of Majestic Warrior, finished third in her debut behind the highly regarded Luminance, a Bob Baffert-trained filly who, along with Hollendorfer’s first-out winner Tara’s Tango, are considered the leading prospects for the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 30.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The well-bred, lightly raced Unikat won his maiden in impressive fashion over 1 1/4 miles on turf here July 9 and now appears to be a key contender for Sunday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes, the final jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown.

“If everything goes according to plan, we should be on schedule,” said trainer Brian Lynch. “He’s certainly bred to get the distance, and I think he showed that in a nice manner [in his last race]. If he can duplicate that in the Breeders’, he’d have a very happy trainer.”

DEL MAR, Calif. – There is a pick six carryover of $171,914 for Wednesday’s eight-race program at Del Mar.

An 8-1 upset win by Moulin de Mougin in Sunday’s Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes clinched the carryover after eight of nine races were run.
The pool of new money in Wednesday’s pick six could easily exceed $800,000.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Turf racing resumed at Del Mar over the weekend for the first time since July 31, with five races run without incident over a course where four horses were euthanized as a result of injuries suffered in late July.

After three races were run Saturday and two Sunday, several jockeys and trainers said the course met their satisfaction, with some saying that conditions were softer than in late July.

“It’s better than before,” jockey Martin Garcia said Saturday. “It’s longer, and the horses have cushion.”