Fri, 10/11/2013 - 14:21

Santa Anita: Tyler Baze takes step toward return

Benoit & Associates
Tyler Baze missed more than a year of riding, from August 2011 to October 2012, because of problems with alcoholism.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Tyler Baze, who has not ridden since June 13, completed a 60-day residency stay at a Southern California alcohol treatment center earlier this week and has traveled to Washington state to exercise horses for an intended comeback, according to his agent, Craig O’Bryan.

Fri, 10/11/2013 - 13:00

Belmont Park notes: Close Hatches targets Breeders' Cup Distaff

Barbara D. Livingston
Close Hatches, the winner of the Mother Goose Stakes last out, will skip the July 20 Coaching Club American Oaks due to a fever that cost her some training time.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Barring a setback in her training, Close Hatches, a three-time graded stakes-winning 3-year-old filly, will run in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 1, trainer Bill Mott said Friday.

“She deserves a chance to be in there,” Mott said on an overcast fall morning at Belmont Park. “She will be.”

Close Hatches gives Mott a potent 1-2 punch for the Distaff, in which he also will run the race’s two-time defending winner, Royal Delta. Mott has won the Distaff five times, including the last three, when it was called the Ladies’ Classic.

Fri, 10/11/2013 - 12:02

Keeneland notes: Juveniles get surprisingly low Beyers for Grade 1 wins

Coady Photography/Keeneland
My Conquestadory showed so much ability in her win in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland that the filly once thought destined for the Juvenile Fillies Turf may run in the Juvenile Fillies.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The relatively low Beyer Speed Figures earned by the winners of the two Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds on opening weekend of the Keeneland fall meet had at least one person involved – trainer Mark Casse – wondering, “How is that possible?”

My Conquestadory, trained by Casse, earned a 74 Beyer figure in an otherwise highly impressive victory in the Oct. 4 Darley Alcibiades, while We Miss Artie, trained by Todd Pletcher, received just a 70 in capturing the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity the following day after a major rainstorm.

Fri, 10/11/2013 - 11:58

Woodbine notes: Baker has trio for Nearctic Stakes

Michael Burns
Fatal Bullet scores by 2 1/4 lengths in Sunday's Bold Venture at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Reade Baker will send out three Bear Stables runners in Sunday’s Grade 1 Nearctic Stakes at six furlongs on turf, and he said Fatal Bullet, Bear No Joke, and Bear Tough Tiger all are capable of making their presence felt in the $300,000 race, which is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

“I’ve been pointing all three for the Nearctic,” Baker said. “I gave them all a break at the training center. Every one of them’s perfect.”

Thu, 10/10/2013 - 15:24

Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint: Tightend Touchdown is contender

Barbara D. Livingston
Tightend Touchdown scored a career-high 105 Beyer Speed Figure for his 5 1/2-length win in the Pennsylvania Governor's Cup on June 1 at Penn National.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Tightend Touchdown, who has gone from $35,000 claimer to stakes winner, will be pointed to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, trainer Jason Servis said Thursday.

Tightend Touchdown, a 4-year-old gelding by Pure Precision, won the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Penn National in June. He since has finished second in three consecutive turf stakes, including the Grade 3 Turf Monster at Parx on Labor Day.

“His last two races were on soft turf, and when he gets firm, he likes it a lot better,” Servis said. “He’s been real good for us.”

Thu, 10/10/2013 - 15:02

Belmont Park notes: Honor Code to skip Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Barbara D. Livingston
Champagne runner-up Honor Code will skip the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with an eye toward his 3-year-old season.

ELMONT, N.Y. – With an eye toward next year, trainer Shug McGaughey is taking a conservative route for the rest of Honor Code’s 2-year-old campaign.

McGaughey said Thursday that Honor Code, the runner-up to Havana in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 5, will skip the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 and instead be pointed to the Grade 2, $400,000 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 30.

Thu, 10/10/2013 - 14:52

Santa Anita: Gomez taken off all mounts

Barbara D. Livingston
Garrett Gomez, out since July14, was set to resume riding races Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Garrett Gomez, who missed part of the summer while dealing with issues related to alcoholism, took off his mounts at Santa Anita on Thursday, and was later removed from his mounts for the rest of the racing week by track stewards, pending a hearing regarding his absence.

Gomez’s agent, Tony Matos, met with track stewards at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday to discuss the situation. Matos later that said Gomez sent him a text message on Thursday morning, stating, “Take me off the horses. I’m not going to ride for the time being.”

Thu, 10/10/2013 - 13:09

Hastings notes: Jebrica ready to seek revenge in British Columbia Premiers

Benoit & Associates
Jebrica, who won the British Columbia Premiers in 2011 but missed by a head last year, will attempt to return to the winner’s circle after this year’s renewal at Hastings Monday.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Jebrica has had a productive year running at mostly Emerald Downs, where he won the $50,000 Budweiser and finished third three times. His best race for veteran trainer Jim Penney might have been in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile, where he finished a close fourth behind Herbie D.

Thu, 10/10/2013 - 12:46

Woodbine: Joshua Tree possible for Canadian International

Michael Burns
Two-time Canadian International winner Joshua Tree will retire at the end of 2013 and stand in France.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Joshua Tree, winner of Woodbine’s Grade 1 Canadian International in 2010 and 2012 and second in the 2011 running, is under consideration for this year’s renewal, the Woodbine media department reported Thursday.

The $1 million Canadian International, a 1 1/2-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up, attracted 17 nominees, while 24 fillies and mares were listed for the same day’s E.P. Taylor Stakes, a Grade 1, $500,000 stakes at 1 1/4 miles on the grass.