ELMONT, N.Y. – If the rain stays away long enough to allow turf racing to return to Belmont Park, then Wednesday’s featured $90,000 Good Reward Stakes shapes up as an intriguing race.
Mother Nature’s wrath allowed only two of last week’s scheduled 21 turf races to be run on the grass. But pleasant weather returned Sunday and dry conditions were expected to prevail through at least midday Wednesday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Orb may have garnered the most attention, but there were other big names on a star-studded work tab Monday morning at Belmont Park, including two-time champion Royal Delta, who had her first breeze since returning from Dubai.
While a gaggle of press and photographers went to follow Kentucky Derby winner Orb back to his barn following his final Preakness workout Monday, Royal Delta stepped onto the Belmont main track.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - At Churchill Downs, no fewer than five Preakness hopefuls had their final pre-race workouts Monday morning over a fast track.
Mylute, with Rosie Napravnik up, was among the first on the track before 6 a.m., breezing a half-mile in 49.60 seconds. The gray colt was fifth in the Kentucky Derby and therefore will be the rival who finished closest to Orb in the Derby to return to challenge him again in the Preakness. (None of the respective 2-3-4 finishers – Golden Soul, Revolutionary, and Normandy Invasion – are running Saturday.)
A memorial service for longtime Northern California trainer Ike Orr will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Top of the Stretch room at Golden Gate Fields.
Orr, who died at age 90 on April 22, trained horses for over 50 years and saddled stakes winners such as Silky’s Nurse, Kobuk Country, Lino, Champs Champ, Selecting, California Express, She Tiger, and R.C. Tulle.
[bc_video_id:292118:]ELMONT, N.Y. – Shug McGaughey is not known for hyperbole. But in assessing Orb’s final workout for Saturday’s 138th Preakness Stakes, the Hall of Fame trainer was not afraid to toss around works like “freaky,” “breathtaking,” and “spectacular.”
Nine days after winning the Kentucky Derby and five days before he looks to add the Preakness to his résumé, Orb worked four furlongs in 47.18 seconds Monday morning over the Belmont Park main track.
AUBURN, Wash. – E Z Kitty raced to a two-length victory Sunday in the $50,000 Hastings Handicap at Emerald Downs, running six furlongs in a stakes-record-tying 1:08.26 to stamp herself as the early leader in a filly-and-mare division that promises to be topsy-turvy for the balance of the summer meeting.
Leinan prompted the early, fast pace from the outside until upper stretch, where jockey Pablo Morales asked for her best, and she responded, drawing off to win by 5 ¼ lengths in the $100,000 Inaugural Stakes at Presque Isle Downs on Sunday.
Trained by Josie Carroll, Leinan shot to a three-length lead in upper stretch and extended the lead late for the final margin. Ghost Flower got up for second, a half-length in front of the pacesetting Cor Cor in third. The running time for the six-furlong event over a fast Tapeta surface was 1.10.49, and Leinan returned $13.40 to win.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Dhaamer defended his title with a comfortable win in Sunday’s $73,850 Round Table Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park after jockey Garrett Gomez ensured that the winner kept his mind on racing through the stretch.
Even though Dhaamer ($3.20) made the lead turning for home and had a three-length advantage with a furlong remaining, Gomez said he “squeezed” Dhaamer “a little bit to keep his mind on his task.”
Charlie Em, the 10-1 winner of the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes in her U.S. debut Saturday, will start in the $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap on June 8, co-owner Aron Wellman said.
Wellman, who operates the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners syndicate that owns Charlie Em, said the Honeymoon “makes the most sense.”
“She should move forward,” he said.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Let Em Shine, who won his stakes debut with a sharp performance in Saturday’s Came Home Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park, is likely to have two starts this summer.
Trainer Adam Kitchingman said the long-term goal remains the $500,000 King’s Bishop Stakes over seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 24. Where Let Em Shine starts in the interim has not been finalized, but the $150,000 Carry Back Stakes for 3-year-olds over six furlongs at Calder on July 6 is a strong possibility.
