DEL MAR, Calif. – Unusual Hottie was in the midst of a six-furlong turf workout at Betfair Hollywood Park on July 12 when trainer Jeff Mullins let out an audible gasp.
The 4-year-old filly was cruising easily under jockey Joe Talamo, on her way to a quick time of 1:14.60. What Mullins saw left him impressed.
“She’s never taken a step backwards,” Mullins said that morning.
Turf Paradise will implement a 5 percent across-the-board purse increase with a minimum purse of $6,000 for the upcoming 2013-14 season. The Phoenix track also released a roster of 40 stakes worth $1.5 million, led by three $75,000 stakes: the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile on Jan. 18, Phoenix Gold Cup on Feb. 15, and Turf Paradise Derby on Feb. 22.
The 155-day season runs Oct. 5 through May 6, with racing conducted five days a week. While the track raced Fridays through Tuesdays the past few years, this coming season it will move to a Saturday-through-Wednesday schedule.
There was little distance between the first four finishers in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes here June 23 as Riding the River scored by a head over Valentino Beauty, with Hotep a neck back in third and So Long George another neck back in the one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up.
On Sunday, all four will return and will get another furlong to cover on turf in the Grade 2, $200,000 Nijinsky Stakes.
Hotep, a 6-year-old homebred who races for Sam-Son Farm and is trained by Malcolm Pierce, is one who seems certain to benefit from the extra yardage.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Authenticity will be given another opportunity to win a Grade 1, but it won’t be this weekend.
After giving himself the choice of running Saturday in either the Grade 1, $750,000 Delaware Handicap or the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap at Saratoga, trainer Todd Pletcher chose the latter in part because Authenticity figures to be a pretty strong favorite in the 1 1/8-mile Shuvee.
He hasn’t found the winner’s circle in almost a year, but now that Victor Laszlo is back competing against his fellow Massachusetts-breds, he looms as the heavy favorite in Saturday’s $50,000 Rise Jim Stakes at Suffolk Downs.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Since winning his debut last fall at Calder Race Course, Reporting Star has kept some very fast company. Unfortunately, they were all a step too fast for him.
Reporting Star has not run a poor race since his maiden victory, hitting the board in five of his subsequent seven starts, including four straight stakes. Most recently, he was second to Verrazano in the Grade 3 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Filly and mare turf specialists have the spotlight Saturday night at Evangeline Downs for the $50,000 Matron Stakes. A competitive field of 10, including an entry, have been entered for the one-mile headliner that will go as the ninth of 10 races.
Trainer Pat Devereux will send out the one-two combination of Touch Magic and Little Polka Dot. Both are stakes winners and each has been enjoying solid campaigns thus far in 2013.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Rising Legend and Gervinho, largely absent from racing the first half of the year because of injury, made up for lost time with wins in divisions of the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar on Wednesday’s opening day.
Their victories could lead to a possible matchup in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap on Aug. 10 or the $300,000 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 1.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Conquest Two Step lived up to his billing in his debut, rolling to an impressive victory in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race at Churchill Downs on June 21 that yielded a Beyer Speed Figure of 81.
On Saturday, Conquest Two Step will move to Woodbine’s Polytrack for his second start, and he looms as the horse to beat in a field of seven 2-year-olds for the $125,000, six-furlong Colin Stakes.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Sofast ran against many of France’s top horses in major stakes in May. He is not facing America’s best turf horses when he makes his first start in this country in Saturday’s $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar.
[DEL MAR 2013: Complete meet coverage, schedule, race replays]
