Mon, 07/14/2014 - 13:43

Hardest Core might test deeper waters after Cape Henlopen score

Hardest Core’s victory in the $50,000 Cape Henlopen Stakes on the Delaware Handicap undercard last Saturday made him a horse to follow in the coming months.

After being hard held early, Hardest Core was simply galloping as he completed 1 1/2 miles on turf in the Cape Henlopen, leaving his nearest of 10 rivals three lengths back. He earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure and is now 2 for 2 for trainer Eddie Graham since being purchased out of last November’s Keeneland breeding stock sale for $210,000.

Mon, 07/14/2014 - 09:29

Untapable confirmed for Haskell

Tom Keyster
Untapable (outside), in company with 3-year-old colt Wizardly, breezes five furlongs on Monday morning on the Oklahoma training track under Rosie Napravnik.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Look out, boys – here she comes.

Having dominated her own gender in four consecutive graded stakes – including Grade 1 staples such as the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose – the 3-year-old filly Untapable will take on males in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 27, trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. The other option for Untapable would have been this Sunday’s Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga.

Sun, 07/13/2014 - 16:18

Plenty of options for Doinghardtimeagain after Great Lady M. win

CYPRESS, Calif. – There was no urgency to plan a stakes at Del Mar for Doinghardtimeagain after she won Saturday’s $200,500 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos. She could run in several races.

In her career, which includes five stakes wins, Doinghardtimeagain has won stakes in sprints and around two turns on synthetic and dirt tracks and has placed in stakes on turf. That has left owners Tom and Debbie Stull and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer with numerous choices.

Sun, 07/13/2014 - 15:43

Many Million Preview Day runners could point to Arlington Million card

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The protagonists from Million Preview Day on Saturday at Arlington could all return for corresponding races on the Aug. 16 Arlington Million card.

That includes Divine Oath, who scored his first stakes win in the American Derby, rallying from sixth, splitting horses in upper stretch, diving to the rail, and catching Our Channel in the final yards. The victory was one of three in graded stakes Saturday for jockey Florent Geroux.

Sun, 07/13/2014 - 14:21

Elliott will ride for Casse at Del Mar

Coady Photography
Stewart Elliott, second in the rider standings at Keeneland this spring, is going to try his hand at Del Mar this summer.

DEL MAR, Calif. -- Jockey Stewart Elliott, best known for winning the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes on Smarty Jones,

will ride at Del Mar this summer, with his clients including trainer Mark Casse.

.Elliott was flying to California on Sunday and is scheduled to work horses on Monday.

Del Mar has a Polytrack surface, similar to what was in place this spring at Keeneland, where Elliott had great success, finishing second to Julien Leparoux while winning with 21 percent of his mounts.

Sun, 07/13/2014 - 14:05

Candy Boy headed to West Virginia Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Candy Boy, most recently second in the Los Alamitos Derby, will point to the Aug. 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer.

DEL MAR, Calif. -- Candy Boy, second to Shared Belief in the Los Alamitos Derby on July 5, is likely to head out of town for the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Racetrack on Aug. 2, trainer John Sadler said Sunday morning at Del Mar.

 Candy Boy won the Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita earlier this year, then was third to California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby before finishing 13th in the Kentucky Derby after severe interference on the clubhouse turn. The Los Alamitos Derby was his first start since the Kentucky Derby.

Sun, 07/13/2014 - 12:29

Tonalist works aggressively for Jim Dandy

Susie Raisher/NYRA
Tonalist, shown at Belmont earlier this month, shipped to Saratoga on Sunday to prepare for the July 26 Jim Dandy Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. - He began the day at the scene of his greatest triumph. Well before sundown, the Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist was expected to arrive at the place where he hopes to accomplish more great things.

Sat, 07/12/2014 - 14:01

Departing works in prep for Whitney Handicap

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Departing has never run at Saratoga, but the way he’s trained over the local oval the past two summers, one can’t blame trainer Al Stall Jr. for looking forward to finally starting his three-time graded stakes winner here early next month in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap.

Sat, 07/12/2014 - 12:01

Graybeards top jockey standings

EAST BOSTON, Mass. – David Amiss, Vernon Bush, and Taylor Hole, who have a combined 92 years of experience in the saddle, came back to Suffolk Downs this season believing they could still be competitive. Midway through the meet, expectations have been exceeded.

Amiss, 49, finds himself in the pleasant position of being atop the leaderboard with 34 wins through July 9, and the 43-year-old Hole sits in second with 24. Bush, who turns 53 next month, has 18 victories and is tied for fourth with the decades-younger Gary Wales.

Fri, 07/11/2014 - 15:50

Saratoga hosts open house Sunday

Those who can’t wait for Friday’s official opening of Saratoga can attend a five-hour open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The day will include a couple of exhibition races being run over the Oklahoma training track. Those non-wagering races, known as the Newman E. Wait Jr. Trials, will begin at 11:30 a.m. Eastern.

The day will include family-friendly activities, as well as backstretch tours and handicapping seminars.