DEL MAR, Calif. – For the first time in his 25-race career, Vagabond Shoes races at 1 3/8 miles on turf in Saturday’s $200,000 Del Mar Handicap. The distance and surface give trainer John Sadler confidence that the 6-year-old Vagabond Shoes can end a seven-race losing streak and win his first stakes in the United States.
The last time Sr. Quisqueyano raced two turns on dirt he soared to a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure and romped by 7 1/2 lengths. Whether he can regain that form following two unsuccessful attempts sprinting and a bad one-race experiment on turf is a question handicappers must answer when rating the contenders in Saturday’s $100,000 Eight Miles East Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The 3-year-old Sr. Quisqueyano will be facing older horses for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile Eight Miles East, which drew eight runners, led by graded stakes winner Where’s Sterling.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Leparoux off, Velazquez on.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Dave Cotey won the 2008 Swynford Stakes with the eventual Canadian champion 2-year-old Mine That Bird, who went on to capture the 2009 Kentucky Derby after being sold.
Cotey has a promising maiden for Saturday’s edition of the $125,000 Swynford, Danny Ocean, who has the makings of a live longshot in the seven-furlong test for juveniles.
Danny Ocean chased home Woodbine’s top 2-year-old Go Greeley in his two outings, finishing fourth in a maiden special weight race and sixth in the Colin Stakes.
It was apparent that the New York-bred filly Miss Rubycubes had talent when she outran her 41-1 odds as a maiden in her second career start and finished third after leading until deep stretch of the Rachel Alexandra Stakes last fall at Finger Lakes. But it wasn’t until almost 11 months later, when Miss Rubycubes was tried around two turns, that she really blossomed.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - All the prerace hype surrounding Wednesday’s $150,000 Albany Stakes focused on Amberjack and his bid to sweep the Big Apple Triple and earn his connections a $250,000 bonus. But in the end, Escapefromreality played the spoiler, leading throughout to register a two-length victory over Amberjack under a heady ride by the meet’s leading jockey, Javier Castellano.
Royal Bench ended a 14-race losing streak that lasted nearly three years when he ran down pacesetter Unbroken in deep stretch to win Wednesday’s $50,375 Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park.
It was the first victory for the Irish-bred Royal Bench ($13.20) since he won a Group 2 stakes in France in October 2010. After a runner-up finish in the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile that December, Royal Bench went 0 for 6 in 2011, 0 for 4 in 2012, and was 0 for 3 in his first three starts since he began racing in the United States this June.
AUBURN, Wash. – The Northwest breeding industry received a morale-boosting shot in the arm Tuesday at the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association’s summer yearling and mixed sale. A total of 77 yearlings changed hands for an average price of $15,735 – a 34 percent increase from the previous year.
Two years ago, Turallure was the king of trainer Charlie LoPresti’s barn following his victory in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and near-miss in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Now the turf specialist is trying to work his way back up the pecking order under a shed that includes Horse of the Year Wise Dan and his older brother, Successful Dan.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Nick Zito did a bit of a double take when handed the overnight for Saturday’s Travers Day card. That reaction coming after he got his first glance at the field for the Grade 1 King’s Bishop, which surprisingly drew a field of 14 3-year-olds, including Zito’s horse Declan’s Warrior.
