DEL MAR, Calif. – Martin Garcia on Saturday morning was named to ride Game On Dude in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Sunday at Del Mar after his original mount, Liaison, was scratched from the race.
Joel Rosario was scheduled to ride Game On Dude, but he was forced to the sidelines for six weeks because of a broken foot suffered Friday at Saratoga.
After futilely chasing Horse of the Year Wise Dan in each of his last two starts on the turf, trainer Al Stall Jr. will put Lea back on the main track while also shortening him up to seven furlongs for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 1 Forego.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A bit disappointing in three races since coming back from a layoff, Mischief Maker looks to return to her winter form when she heads a seven-horse field entered in Monday’s $100,000 Saratoga Dew Stakes at Saratoga.
The Saratoga Dew, at 1 1/8 miles, and the $100,000 Smart and Fancy, for fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf, top a 10-race card as the sixth week of the meet comes to a close.
Compliance Officer, the New York-bred turf champion of 2011, will make his first start in 11 months when he runs a $70,000 starter/optional claimer on Monday at a mile.
It will be the first start for Compliance Officer since Sept. 9, when he was beaten a head in the Ashley T. Cole at Belmont Park.
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Bahnah, dead-heat winner of the Schuylerville Stakes here on opening day, worked a sharp half-mile in 48.12 seconds Saturday over the main track in preparation for a start in next Sunday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway.
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While Dance to Bristol earned an expenses-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint by winning Friday’s Grade 1 Ballerina, her connections are playing it one race at a time before committing to running.
On Saturday, trainer Ollie Figgins III said Dance to Bristol came out of her head victory over Book Review “great. Right in her feed tub, cleaned up everything today, and I couldn’t be happier with her right now.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It doesn’t look like Wise Dan wants to wait until October to make his next start.
Cat’s Review is more than doubling her price after beating just one horse as the favorite in her last start in an $8,000 claiming race at Prairie Meadows on Aug. 2. Nonetheless, she could be dangerous in a $17,500 claiming race that serves as Monday’s feature at Northlands Park. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares drew five horses and headlines an eight-race card that begins at 1 p.m. Mountain.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Joel Rosario, the leading jockey in the country in both wins and purse money won, will miss six weeks, including important rides this weekend in the Travers and Pacific Classic, due to a broken left foot suffered in a spill at Saratoga on Friday.
Trainer Shug McGaughey confirmed Jose Lezcano would replace Rosario on Orb for Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Topic, the only 3-year-old in a field of nine fillies and mares, closed from last to win the first stakes of her career in Friday’s $95,700 California Thoroughbred Trainers and Thoroughbred Owners of California Handicap at Del Mar.
Ridden by Garrett Gomez, Topic ($6.40) rallied six wide on the turn and took the lead near the eighth pole, drawing off to win by 3 1/4 lengths. Topic ran 1 3/8 miles on turf in 2:12.85.
