[bc_video_id:294423:]ELMONT, N.Y. – The weather forecast for the 145th Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park has worsened as the week has progressed, but as far as Tom Albertrani is concerned, “It’s getting better and better for us every time.”
ALTOONA, Iowa – Ginger Added, already a two-time sprint winner this meet, is the key to Friday night’s $75,000 Hawkeyes Handicap, a 1 1/16-mile event for Iowa-bred fillies and mares.
Ginger Added, the longstanding stable star for trainer Dick Clark, is 7 for 12 lifetime, all at Prairie Meadows, for earnings of $298,871. Throughout her career, she has excelled at sprinting and is just 1 for 4 around two turns.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jade Dragon brings stakes credentials to Friday’s co-featured third race at Woodbine and should be favored in the 6 1/2-furlong allowance for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds.
Jade Dragon showed precocity at 2, when he graduated at first asking in early June, but he sat out two months last summer after ending far back in the high-quality Clarendon Stakes on June 30.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Neil Drysdale has found much success on the local turf courses through the years, with three Woodbine Miles and one Canadian International, Northern Dancer, Sky Classic, and Nearctic on his r é sum é .
But Drysdale will be looking for his first win on Woodbine’s Polytrack on Saturday when he sends out Kid Dreams in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainers Shug McGaughey and Christophe Clement were keeping a close eye on the weather forecast for Friday at Belmont Park, because the predicted storm to hit the area would affect the $100,000 Mariensky Stakes, either forcing it to be run on a rain-softened inner turf course, or even move to the main track.
The Mariensky, for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles, drew seven horses in the main body of the race, with three more entered for the main track only.
Kentucky Derby winner Orb drew post 5 and Preakness winner Oxbow was assigned post 7 when a field of 14 was entered for the 145th Belmont Stakes on Wednesday morning.
Orb was made the 3-1 Belmont Stakes favorite and Oxbow was listed as the third choice at 5-1. Louisiana Derby winner Revolutionary is the second betting choice at 9-2.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Ontario Racing Commission denied Tuesday a bid by trainer Brian Lynch to overturn a suspension handed down after an alleged altercation with a jockey in a Woodbine parking lot last month.
Lynch was suspended pending the outcome of a commission investigation into allegations by jockey Sunny Singh after an altercation May 24. Singh’s allegations led to criminal charges against Lynch and his arrest at Woodbine May 25.
There was hesitation by owner Stephen Young and trainer Paul Aguirre whether to start Tiz a Minister in Sunday’s Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap or skip the race in favor of the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes for California-breds at Golden Gate Fields this Sunday.
Tiz a Minister stayed home, ran in the Affirmed over 1 1/16 miles, and won the most prestigious race of his career. There is little doubt where he will make his next start – in the $150,000 Swaps Stakes over 1 1/8 miles at Hollywood Park on July 4.
ELMONT, N.Y. – As a two-time winner of the Belmont Stakes, Edgar Prado has a pretty good idea of what it takes to win the third jewel of the Triple Crown.
“Patience,” Prado said. “Lots of patience. It’s a long way to go. It’s the horse, too. There are only a few horses that can go that distance and if you use them early you fade in the backside or fade at the top of the stretch. You have to wait a little longer than you normally do in the regular races. I got lucky twice; hopefully we can do it again.”
Look At the Time could be sitting on a significant 4-year-old season after taking the $50,000 John Franks Memorial at Louisiana Downs last Saturday in his first start in eight months. Look At the Time rallied for a neck win over 1-5 favorite String King, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 94 he earned was his best number in a budding career that includes three other stakes wins achieved last year at 3.
