SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Clapton has joined a new band, er barn.
Clapton, winner of the Grade 3 Ghostzapper Stakes at Gulfstream Park in April and runner-up in the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont Park last month, was purchased privately by Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Alnuami’s RRR Racing from Arindel Farm. He has been turned over to trainer Chad Summers, who will start him in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga.
It’s been nowhere but up for Kentucky Downs over the past decade. The first track in Kentucky to install historical horse racing machines, in 2011, Kentucky Downs has gone from being a border-town curiosity to a powerhouse on the Kentucky racing circuit. This year, an estimated $2 billion will be bet at its two casinos near the Tennessee border. From that, approximately $15 million will be sent into the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, while Kentucky Downs itself will retain nearly $150 million in net commissions.
In their fifth meeting off the year, Scoops Dynasty beat 2022 World Champion Empressum for the first time in Sunday’s $100,000 Go Man Go Handicap at Los Alamitos, a result that leaves the California older Quarter Horse division a more competitive group in advance of the major races of the fall.
Scoops Dynasty ($5) led throughout the 400-yard Go Man Go Handicap, winning by a half-length over 4-5 Empressum. London Toby (6-1) finished third in the field of five, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.
Response Time took the race to favored Princess Kokachin, dispatched that rival entering the second turn, then held off Malibu Beauty’s late bid to post a 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Timonium Distaff for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Princess Kokachin appeared the main speed, but jockey Jeiron Barbosa hustled Response Time out of the gate and refused to allow Princess Kokachin an uncontested lead.
DEL MAR, Calif. — Pastor T, an impressive maiden race winner in his debut on Aug. 12 and one of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s leading 2-year-olds this summer, was euthanized Saturday after suffering a catastrophic leg injury during a workout at Del Mar.
Pastor T was nearing the final line when he was stricken.
By Into Mischief, Pastor T raced for Siena Farm and WinStar Farm. Pastor T was bred by WinStar Farm.
Fierceness, a 2-year-old colt by City of Light, made an eye-catching debut Friday at Saratoga, splashing his way to an 11 1/4-length victory over a sloppy track.
Owned and bred by Mike Repole and trained by Todd Pletcher, Fierceness was drawing comparisons to Uncle Mo – trained by Pletcher for Repole – who won his debut on Travers Day (Aug.28) 2010 by 14 1/4 lengths on his way to winning the Champagne and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and being crowned 2-year-old champion.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Idiomatic, Secret Oath, and Nest – the top three finishers from Friday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga, are likely to meet again in the Grade 1, $600,000 Spinster at Keeneland on Oct. 8.
Idiomatic, trained by Brad Cox, scored a front-running, four-length victory over a sloppy Saratoga track in the Personal Ensign to notch her first Grade 1 victory while winning for the fifth time in six starts. In doing so, Idiomatic defeated Grade 1 winners Nest – the champion 3-year-old filly of 2022 – Secret Oath, and Clairiere.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Rhyme Schemes, whose back-to-back 9 1/2-length victories put him among the leaders of the 2-year-old male division, will be sidelined the remainder of the year due to an ankle injury, trainer Norm Casse said Saturday morning.
“He has a minor right front ankle injury that’s going to force us to miss the rest of the year,” Casse said. “Obviously, we’re really disappointed, but excited to get him back and proud of what he’s accomplished so far.”
A jockey cannot be more closely associated with a mount than Anne Sanguinetti is with Your Royal Flyness, who starts in Monday’s second race at Golden Gate Fields.
Sanguinetti’s family bred Your Royal Flyness. The filly races for Sanguinetti’s parents, John and Chris, residents of Hawaii.
Anne Sanguinetti rode the dam of Your Royal Flyness, Chronologic’sghost, to all four of her career wins at Golden Gate Fields in 2015 and 2016. Chronologic’sghost was second and third in three stakes at Remington Park and Emerald Downs with Sanguinetti aboard.
Most people had turned their attention away from the finish line when Stilleto Boy crossed the wire in last place in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar last September.
It was easy to overlook Stilleto Boy. Flightline, later named 2022 Horse of the Year, won the $1 million race by a record-breaking 19 1/4 lengths, his fifth win of an unbeaten six-race career that ended with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland last November.
Stilleto Boy reached the wire about the same time Flightline was galloping out to an enthusiastic reception.
