SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The connections of Kentucky Derby runner-up Commanding Curve hope to take the path of least resistance to the $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 23 by running in Friday’s $100,000 Curlin Stakes instead of Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga.
Commanding Curve was one of 10 horses entered Monday in the Curlin, which is restricted to horses who have not won a graded stakes over a mile this year. The Curlin, like the Jim Dandy, is run at 1 1/8 miles.
DE MAR, Calif. - Frac Daddy, sent to Del Mar because of his aptitude on synthetic surfaces, worked five furlongs in 59.80 seconds on Monday morning for trainer Kenny McPeek in his final drill for the Grade 2, $200,000 San Diego Handicap for 3-year-olds and up on Saturday.
Frac Daddy comes off a second-place finish in the Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine on July 1. Earlier this year, he won the Eclipse at Woodbine, and the Ben Ali at Keeneland. Both those races were run on Polytrack, the same surface as at Del Mar.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Untapable, who will attempt to become the third 3-year-old filly to win the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Sunday, completed her serious preparations for the Haskell by working a half-mile in 50.28 seconds over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track Monday morning.
Working by herself shortly after 6 a.m., Untapable, under exercise rider Mike Callaham, seemed a bit eager galloping to the pole. She went her first quarter-mile in 24.87 seconds and her second quarter in 25.41.
DEL MAR, Calif. – When trainer Bob Baffert got to work on Monday morning at Del Mar, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with Bayern.
Though Bayern was scheduled to work a couple hours later, Baffert was weighing the merits of running him in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell at Monmouth on Sunday, or bypassing that 1 1/8-mile race, keeping Bayern around one turn, and awaiting the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at seven furlongs next month at Saratoga.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Lafontaine (18-1) sprung the upset as the longest shot on the board when he won his stakes debut in the $128,500 Toronto Cup Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday for 3-year-olds over 1 1/8 miles.
Lafontaine tracked the front-running Heart to Heart in third along the rail early and got up in the final strides after a determined stretch drive under Steven Bahen.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Given the success of her sire and dam on the grass throughout their racing careers, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Regal Conqueror would find success on turf as well.
After two out-of-the-money finishes sprinting on the Polytrack to start the year, Regal Conqueror went off at 7-1 in her turf debut in the $150,000 Ontario Damsel Stakes on Saturday at Woodbine. She rallied down the lane under jockey Eurico Da Silva to win by a half-length over Skylander Girl.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After two disappointing results to start the season, 2013 Canadian Horse of the Year Up With the Birds appeared to relish a return to his home track on Saturday as he captured the Grade 2, $236,400 Nijinsky Stakes by four lengths over Dynamic Sky and earned a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure.
Bench Warrant and Lord Nelson are bound for the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3 after winning the first starts of their careers in maiden races over five furlongs on Saturday.
Bench Warrant was timed in 57.97 seconds, winning by 1 1/4 lengths over Remo. Ridden by Tyler Baze, Bench Warrant closed with a rush on the inside in the final furlong.
Miss Serendipity, the winner of the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita in May, will run in the $250,000 John Mabee Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 1/8 miles on turf on Aug. 10.
Trainer Ron McAnally said on Sunday that he prefers the Grade 2 Mabee Stakes to the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 16.
“I thought about going back there, but it’s a long trip,” he said. “With the European horses coming over, it’s not an easy race.”
