A couple of horses expected to participate in Calder’s Summit of Speed turned in sharp workouts over the track Wednesday.
Close It Out, the runner-up in the June 8 Ponche Handicap, sizzled four furlongs in 46.82 seconds and galloped out five-eighths in 59.73 under jockey Manoel Cruz in preparation for the Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap, a Win and You’re In event for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Saturday’s Chicago Handicap at Arlington has landed a plum entrant in Aubby K, winner of the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs in her most recent start.
Trained by Ralph Nicks, the 4-year-old Aubby K won the Grade 2 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park to start her season before capturing the May 4 Humana Distaff by 1 1/2 lengths. The Gulfstream win came on fast track, the Churchill win in slop, and on Saturday, Aubby K, a daughter of Street Sense, will try an all-weather racetrack for the first time.
Isn’t He Clever could be headed to Del Mar following his 16 3/4-length win in the $75,000 San Juan County Commissioners Handicap at SunRay Park last Sunday. His trainer, Henry Dominguez, plans to have a 10-horse division at the Southern California meet, and said with few options for the horse in New Mexico right now, Isn’t He Clever could summer at Del Mar before returning for the Zia Park meet that opens in September.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wise Dan is scheduled to face seven other older horses Saturday night on the Churchill Downs turf when breaking from post 2 in the Grade 2, $175,000 Firecracker Handicap, but there’s a good chance at least one of those will scratch.
Trainer Tom Proctor entered Corporate Jungle in the Firecracker but said Wednesday it was only in case Wise Dan doesn’t actually make it to the starting gate.
An eclectic group of 3-year-olds will contest Friday’s $100,000 Gone Fishin overnight stakes, a six-furlong dash scheduled for the inner turf.
With 10 grass races under his belt already, Bernie the Jet has more turf-racing experience than Dark Roast, Skylander, Spiral Stair, Officer Alex, and Weekend Hideaway combined.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Jockey Garrett Gomez will not ride in the two Grade 1 stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday while continuing to deal with personal issues, his agent, Tony Matos, said on Wednesday.
Gomez’s absence could extend into July. Wednesday, trainer Craig Lewis said that he has arranged for jockey Joe Talamo to replace Gomez on Clubhouse Ride in the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 6, if Gomez has not returned.
Gomez took off his mounts on June 13, citing personal issues. On June 19, on his Twitter feed, Gomez said he was “working on his marriage.”
ALTOONA, Iowa – The Iowa Festival of Racing concludes Saturday night with Prairie Meadows’ most prestigious races: the Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap, the Grade 3, $250,000 Iowa Derby, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Iowa Oaks.
The Iowa Oaks, at 1 1/16 miles, has come up very strong this year with a field of 10 headed by graded stakes winners Fiftyshadesofhay, So Many Ways, and Seaneen Girl.
ALTOONA, Iowa – Friday’s first card of the Iowa Festival of Racing at Prairie Meadows is topped by the $125,000 Iowa Sprint but also includes a pair of $100,000 stakes for fillies and mares, the six-furlong Saylorville and the 1 1/16-mile Iowa Distaff.
ALTOONA, Iowa – The Iowa Festival of Racing, six stakes contested on back-to-back evenings with a combined value of more than $1 million, commences on Friday at Prairie Meadows.
Delaunay, the top-ranked sprinter in North America by Daily Racing Form ’s national handicapper Mike Watchmaker, will take on four rivals Friday in the featured $125,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap at six furlongs. The other Friday stakes are the $100,000 Iowa Distaff and the $100,0000 Saylorville. First post is 6:30 p.m. Central.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – Hobbs, a highly successful claim by trainer Kathy Mongeon, gets substantial class relief on Friday in the $46,000 third-level feature on the turf at Monmouth Park.
The 1 1/16-mile race drew a field of eight with only two entered for the optional $50,000 claiming tag: Glass Art and main-track-only runner Wild Louis.
Mongeon has been on a roll lately, turning claimers into stakes winners.
