SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt may not be a Win and You'reIn race for the Breeders' Cup Sprint, but it is a prestigious Grade 1 race and a stepping-stone to the seven-furlong Forego later in the meet.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Of the previous 13 wins that Saginaw had recorded for him, trainer David Jacobson tabbed the five-length victory in last year’s John Morrissey Stakes here as his favorite.
The fact it was in Saratoga and the race was named after an individual as significant as Morrissey - the bare-knuckle brawler who helped co-found this track 150 years ago - were what made Jacobson pick that race.
Swagger Jack and Jackson Bend have won the last two runnings of the Grade 1 Carter Handicap, and on Saturday, both will be returning to the seven-furlong distance of that race when they meet in the $100,000 Housebuster Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Their presence, along with the entry of Grade 3 winner Apriority, has made for a deep first edition of the race. The field of nine older horses includes Manicero, a seven-time stakes winner making his first start since December 2011.
AUBURN, Wash. – Deacon Speakin’, after an extended stay in Southern California, returns to the Pacific Northwest Saturday as one of the favorites in the feature race at Emerald Downs. First post for the 10-race card is 2 p.m. Pacific.
The $100,000 Prelude at Louisiana Downs on Saturday is about more than just purse money. The race is a prep for next month’s Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby, and the winner will receive a fees-paid berth into the the race, the richest of the meet. It’s a perk worth $6,000.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The field assembled for the 86th renewal of the 1 1/8-mile Whitney Invitational Handicap is worthy of a celebration.
Backseat Memories and Grand Tito dead-heated for a stakes win in their first meeting. The rematch is Saturday, when the horses break side-by-side in the $75,000 Naked Greed at Calder. The 7 1/2-furlong turf race for 3-year-olds is one of two stakes on the card. The $75,000 Crystal Rail is for 3-year-old fillies at the same trip, and will be the two-turn and turf debut for Grade 3 Azalea runner-up Dreaming of Susie.
Game On Dude, the top older horse in California this year with four stakes wins, worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Thursday. Ridden by Martin Garcia, Game On Dude worked alone.
ALTOONA, Iowa – Prairie Meadows showcases Iowa-bred talent Saturday with its annual Iowa Classic Night, a series of seven divisional stakes worth over $500,000 in total prize money.
The $85,000-added Ralph Hayes, a 1 1/16-mile test for 4-year-olds and up, drew eight rivals and brings together an intriguing mix of battle-hardened veterans and improving sorts.
The old guard is led by the 6-year-olds Cainam, a deep closer, and Ice Hockey, an ultra-consistent runner who is always in the thick of the action.
DEL MAR, Calif. – From 2008 to 2011, the top horse in trainer Art Sherman’s stable was the mare Ultra Blend, a millionaire who won eight stakes ranging from a Grade 1 to restricted races for California-breds.
Sherman is hoping that California Chrome can win the same kinds of races in his career.
