Mon, 08/14/2023 - 13:40

Disarm works in blinkers, will wear them in Travers

Disarm at SAR July 29 2023
Debra A. Roma
Disarm worked well in company with Pauline's Pearl on Monday at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Disarm, fourth in the Kentucky Derby and in the Jim Dandy Stakes most recently, will be equipped with blinkers when he runs in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 26, trainer Steve Asmussen said.

Disarm worked in blinkers for the first time Monday morning, going five furlongs in 1:00.19 over the Oklahoma training track. Starting his work just outside of the Grade 1-winning mare Pauline’s Pearl, Disarm got his final quarter in 24.17 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.19 and seven furlongs in 1:26.69.

Mon, 08/14/2023 - 13:25

McPeek goes for third Alabama win since 2018

Defining Purpose trains at CD May 1 2023
Barbara D. Livingston
Defining Purpose won the Grade 1 Ashland in April and the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks last month.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Kenny McPeek will seek his third victory in the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes in six years when he sends out Defining Purpose in Saturday’s $600,000 race for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga.

McPeek won the Alabama in 2018 with Eskimo Kisses and again in 2020 with Swiss Skydiver, horses he was confident could handle the 1 1/4 miles of the race. He is hopeful, though not totally confident, Defining Purpose, who upset the Grade 1 Ashland at 20-1 in April and who is coming off a victory in the Indiana Oaks, can get the distance.

Mon, 08/14/2023 - 13:20

Grade 1 winner Leave No Trace entered main-track-only

Barbara D. Livingston
Spinaway winner Leave No Trace is entered main-track-only at Saratoga on Thursday after having an ankle chip removed.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Leave No Trace, runner-up to Wonder Wheel in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies but a major disappointment in her lone start at 3, has been entered main track only in Thursday’s second race by trainer Phil Serpe. She stands a good chance of launching her comeback as heavy rain is in the forecast for the local area Tuesday.

Mon, 08/14/2023 - 13:00

Desormeaux to serve one-day suspension for whip use

Benoit Photo
Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux will serve a one-day suspension for a crop violation.

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux will serve a one-day suspension on Saturday for excessive use of the whip in a winning ride aboard Lord Prancealot in the Graduation Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds on Friday.

Desormeaux was adjudged to have used his whip eight times, two strikes over the limit. In addition to the one-day suspension, he was fined $692.50 for the infraction, according to a ruling published by Del Mar stewards last Saturday.

Mon, 08/14/2023 - 12:50

Cedillo to miss rest of Del Mar meet

Benoit Photo
Abel Cedillo will miss the rest of the Del Mar meet, as he continues to heal from a hand injury.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Abel Cedillo, who sustained a neck injury in a spill July 23 at Del Mar, said Sunday that does not expect to return to riding before the end of the current Del Mar meeting on Sept. 10.

Cedillo said he plans to meet with a doctor “in a couple of weeks” for an evaluation. He is hoping to receive clearance to begin physical therapy that will lead to a return to riding in September.

“I think I’ll miss Del Mar,” he said.

Los Alamitos has a two-week meeting from Sept. 15-24. Santa Anita opens its six-week autumn meeting on Sept. 29.

Mon, 08/14/2023 - 12:05

Prince of Monaco joins lofty Beyer company with a 103

Benoit Photo
Prince of Monaco, with Flavien Prat aboard, registered a 103 Beyer Speed Figure in Sunday's Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Prince of Monaco’s blazingly quick win in Sunday’s Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar was fast enough to merit a lofty Beyer Speed Figure of 103, the highest of the year in the nation for a juvenile.

Benefiting from an ideal trip, Prince of Monaco ($5.60) closed from fourth in a field of five to win the six-furlong race in 1:09.19, the fastest time for the distance at the current Del Mar meeting, which began July 21.

Sun, 08/13/2023 - 18:54

Del Mar to have mandatory pick six for Sunday card

Benoit Photo
If there are no winning tickets in the pick six Thursday through Sunday, there will be a mandatory payout for Del Mar's Sunday card.

There will be a mandatory payout in the 20-cent Rainbow pick six at Del Mar on Sunday, the second of four projected mandatory payouts at the current summer meeting.

The bet has a carryover of $373,278 from Saturday. The pool of new money on Sunday should surpass $3 million.

On July 30, Del Mar conducted a mandatory payout in the Rainbow pick six for the first time this summer. The bet paid $15,915 on a day that began with a carryover of $384,489. Bettors added $3,057,176 to the pool.

Sat, 08/12/2023 - 14:37

Julia Shining works for Alabama try

Barbara D. Livingston
Julia Shining (left) was one of the many workers Saturday morning, in preparation for next weekend's Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Julia Shining, away from the races since April, will most likely make her next start in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga, as she tries to emulate what her big sister Malathaat did two years ago.

Trainer Todd Pletcher basically confirmed Julia Shining’s participation in the Alabama after she worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 Saturday morning over the main track. She worked in company with the maiden-winning 3-year-old colt Abadin.

Fri, 08/11/2023 - 15:23

NYRA scratches two horses coming out of Robert Dick at Delaware

HoofprintsInc.com
Sopran Basilea wins the Robert Dick July 1 at Delaware. She suffered a fatal breakdown after finishing fourth in the Glens Falls a month later at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Two horses were ordered scratched from Saratoga’s third race Friday because they last started in the Grade 3, $250,300 Robert G. Dick Memorial, a turf stakes at Delaware Park on July 1 from which the top two finishers suffered fatal breakdowns in their next starts, another horse was pulled up and vanned off, and a fourth horse was a vet scratch -- all in races at Saratoga.

Fri, 08/11/2023 - 14:23

Santa Anita to eliminate jackpot wager, offer $1 pick six

Emily Shields
Santa Anita will switch the 20-cent rainbow pick six to a $1 pick six for the upcoming autumn meet.

The era of the 20-cent Rainbow pick six at Santa Anita is over.

The track is scheduled to introduce a $1 pick six for its autumn meeting, pending regulatory approval from the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday.

The $1 pick six will mirror a betting structure in place with the pick six until the autumn meeting of 2016. At the time, the bet had a $2 minimum.