DEL MAR, Calif. – The other morning, trainer Richard Mandella was poring over the past performances for the $90,000 Sandy Blue Handicap on Friday at Del Mar, as well as the prospective lineup for the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday, trying to figure out what would be the best option for his 3-year-old filly Sarach this weekend.
Morning-line favorite Broadway Empire will break from post 11 in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park. Post positions were chosen by representatives of the 12 horses that entered the 1 3/8-mile race for 3-year-olds at a brunch held Wednesday morning at Northlands.
Trainer Robertino Diodoro was disappointed when he had the last choice with Broadway Empire.
“I wanted him closer to the rail, where he could settle in behind horses, but you have to play the hand you’re dealt with,” Diodoro said.
Golden Gate Fields opens its 19-day summer meeting on Friday, and for the first time in three years, the meet will include a stakes.
The $50,000-added Rolling Green Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up, will be run on Labor Day.
“We have a little more positive momentum,” racing secretary David Jerkens said. “We were able to add a stakes race, and that’s a positive moving forward.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – There are four sons of the good turf sire Philanthropist in Friday’s Woodbine headliner, including Crushin Hard, who is seeking his second straight win in the one-mile turf allowance race for Ontario-sired runners.
Crushin Hard had an encouraging season opener in a one mile and a 70-yard allowance that was moved to the Polytrack on June 14. After awaiting room on the far turn, he closed belatedly to finish third behind a sharp Renegade Man, who subsequently won a tougher Ontario-sired allowance before finishing second in an open allowance.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Dan Peitz was rooting for Marketing Mix in the Grade 1 Beverly D. last year, but he won’t be this time.
“I saw her in the paddock before the race last year and thought she looked unbelievable, so I made a little bet on her,” Peitz said. “She just couldn’t get up.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three days before the 133rd renewal of the Alabama Stakes, Edward Stanco, owner of Princess of Sylmar, stood on the backstretch of Saratoga, gestured to the grandstand across the way, and smiled.
“This is Alabama week and she’s the star of the show,” Stanco said. “It’s so much fun. It’s overwhelming how much fun this is.”
Trainer Ron Grieves liked the way Canaveral Leader was improving going into the $50,000 Northlands Park Oaks on July 27, but he didn’t expect her to crush heavily favored Silkworm by 6 1/4 lengths in the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies. A similar effort would make her tough to beat in the $50,000 Sonoma at Northlands on Friday night.
The 1 1/16-mile race drew seven 3-year-old fillies and headlines an eight-race card that begins at 6 p.m. Mountain.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Little Mike’s bid to become the first winner of back-to-back Arlington Millions started with at least a small measure of success at the Million post position draw.
The Million draw, officially conducted late Tuesday but unveiled Wednesday afternoon at WGN studios in Chicago, put Little Mike in post 11. Little Mike’s early speed should cancel out any negative aspect of being drawn wide, and he is favorably positioned outside the Million’s other main pace player, Nates Mineshaft, who drew post 4.
Golden Gate Fields will offer seven stakes, highlighted by the Grade 3, $100,000 Berkeley Handicap, at its 2013 fall meeting, which begins Oct. 17. Golden Gate opens its 19-day summer meeting on Friday.
The Berkeley was previously run on Memorial Day weekend, with the Grade 3 All American run in the fall. This year, Golden Gate Fields switched the All American to Memorial Day weekend and will run the Berkeley on Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving.
Golden Gate also offered seven stakes races at last year’s fall meet, with the same $475,000 in purses.
After receiving four inches of rain during the span of an hour on Tuesday morning, Delaware Park canceled Wednesday's card to allow its track crew to “level and regrade” the racing surface, according to John Mooney, the track’s executive director of racing. Mooney said he expected the Stanton, Del., track to run its Thursday card as scheduled.
