ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Corey Nakatani has had several multiple-win days in recent years.
On Saturday, he rode four winners on the 10-race program, including Qiaona in the California Distaff Handicap on the hillside turf course. In 2012, Nakatani had four winners at Aqueduct on April 7 and had five wins the following week at Oaklawn Park. On Oct. 8, 2011, Nakatani rode six winners at Belmont Park.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Tap It Rich, an impressive winner in his career debut over one mile Saturday, might start in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
Trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday that he wants to observe Tap It Rich in the next week before finalizing plans. Baffert said he and his clients, Fog City Stable, would give the BC Juvenile “some serious thought if [Tap It Rich] trains well.”
A decision must be made by Oct. 21, the day pre-entries are due for Breeders’ Cup races.
ELMONT, N.Y. – John Velazquez got reacquainted with one old friend and was introduced to a new buddy Sunday morning at Belmont Park, as preparations continued for next month’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.
Velazquez worked multiple Grade 1 winner Point of Entry five furlongs in 1:01.20 on Sunday over the Belmont turf, a solid move that appears to have Point of Entry on schedule for the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 2.
[bc_video_id:307099:]ARCADIA, Calif. – There is a pick six carryover of $91,550 for Sunday’s nine-race program at Santa Anita.
A series of beaten favorites Saturday led to the carryover. The pool of new money Sunday could easily exceed $500,000.
The pick six covers the fourth through ninth races. There is one stakes on Sunday’s card – the Anoakia Stakes – but it is the day’s third race.
As of Saturday morning, there was one early scratch in the pick six races. Take out Krazypapaya from the eighth race.
ELMONT, N.Y. – While her connections were not prepared to make it official Saturday, all indications are that Princess of Sylmar is headed to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.
Mucho Macho Man, in his first work since capturing the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes two weeks ago, went a half-mile in company at Santa Anita on Saturday, the first of three breezes scheduled by trainer Kathy Ritvo as final preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2.
Also Saturday, another Classic contender, Moreno, went a half-mile in 48 seconds.
Ritvo said she caught Mucho Macho Man in 47.70 seconds, “but I caught the finish a little late, so he went quicker than that,” she said. Track clockers gave him a time of 47.40.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Tamarando, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 4, will not run in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 but will start in the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile on Nov. 1, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.
Hollendorfer said the decision is based on the Breeders’ Cup’s policy of banning the use of the anti-bleeder medication Lasix in the BC Juvenile and other 2-year-old races Nov. 1-2.
“We can’t use Lasix and don’t want to chance him bleeding in that race and sacrificing some of his career,” Hollendorfer said.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Little Mike had his first breeze since his win in the Sept. 28 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic when going an easy five furlongs in 1:03 on Saturday over a fast main track at Churchill Downs. Little Mike, along with three of his Dale Romans-trained stablemates, was booked on an equine charter flight Monday to Southern California, where they will resume preparations at Santa Anita for the Nov. 1-2 Breeders’ Cup.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Doug O’Neill had considered 3-year-old filly Wittgenstein an outside candidate for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 1. Then, he checked her status with the Breeders’ Cup.O’Neill said on Friday that Wittgenstein is not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup, meaning owners Paul and Zillah Reddam would have to pay a $100,000 nomination fee before the pre-entries are due on Oct. 21 to start in the BC Distaff.
Wittgenstein starts on Sunday in an optional claimer at a mile at Santa Anita which will determine her Breeders’ Cup status.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The turf course at Gulfstream Park will get a little breather after this weekend, with no grass races to be carded until Nov. 2. But the final race to be run over the grass for the next couple of weeks figures to be a good one, an open allowance event at 1 1/16 miles that drew a field of 10, including graded-stakes-caliber horses Cash Rules, Mucho Mas Macho, and Salto.
