Less than a week after missing a scheduled workout, White Abarrio was exercised five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Monday at Santa Anita, resuming preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at the Southern California track on Nov. 4.
The workout was the first for White Abarrio since he zipped five furlongs in 1:00.80 on Sept. 20 shortly after he was shipped to California from trainer Richard Dutrow Jr.’s New York base.
Pretty Mischievous, the clear leader of the 3-year-old filly division who finished second in the Grade 1 Cotillion on Sept. 24 at Parx Racing, remains under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin, said Sunday.
“She came out of the race fine, obviously it wasn’t a track she enjoyed at Parx. We’ll see how she does over the next couple of weeks, but if she bounces out of it as well as she went into it we’ll certainly have a look at it for sure.”
While her victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom Stakes came via a rare double disqualification, Caramel Swirl likely earned a start in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint with that performance.
Caramel Swirl, like Cody’s Wish a Godolphin homebred, was taken up by jockey Junior Alvarado at around the eighth pole when Sterling Silver, from the outside, and Headland, from the inside, appeared to come into Caramel Swirl’s path. Sterling Silver would cross the finish line four lengths in front of Headland who was a half-length in front of Caramel Swirl.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Zandon and Cody’s Wish, winners of Grade 2 stakes Sunday at Aqueduct, are both expected to head to the Breeders’ Cup to make one more start before they are retired, their connections said after their respective races.
Zandon, who won Sunday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Woodward Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths as the even-money favorite, will run in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. Cody’s Wish, who won Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths, will seek a repeat in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on the same Nov. 4 card.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The heavy rains that hit the New York metropolitan area on Friday that forced the cancellation of that day’s racing card at Aqueduct, also will create a change in scheduling for the weekend and into next week.
The New York Racing Association announced that Saturday’s 11-race-card – which includes four graded stakes topped by the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic – will be postponed and run Sunday, as drawn. The card includes the Grade 2 Woodward, Grade 2 Vosburgh, and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom. First post will remain at 12:05 p.m.
The undefeated 2-year-old filly Dreamfyre is switching surfaces for her next start, the Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 8.
Dreamfyre won two sprint stakes on dirt during the summer – the Everett Nevin Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton on July 9 in her debut, and the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 12.
Harry Hernandez has been the runaway leader in the jockey standings at Turf Paradise the last two years.
He has no plans to try for a third straight title.
With the Phoenix track’s racing schedule unsettled, Hernandez said earlier this week that he plans to begin riding at Oaklawn Park for the first time later this year. Recent developments indicating that Turf Paradise will resume racing in early 2024 have not swayed the 26-year-old jockey.
The new buyer for Turf Paradise racetrack in Phoenix will complete the deal within the next two months and plans to hold a live racing meet at the track at the beginning of 2024, if not sooner, Arizona racing officials said at a Department of Racing meeting on Thursday.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario — An exhibit honoring the 50th anniversary of the great Secretariat’s final career start in the 1973 Canadian International has been scheduled for Oct. 5-8 during live racing on Level 3 at Woodbine.
Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner, completed his illustrious career on the grass at Woodbine with a blowout score in the 1 5/8-mile Canadian International on Oct. 28, 1973. The exhibit celebrates the accomplishments of “Big Red” and features his trophies in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes.
