SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Crimson Advocate, who won the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot and who at one point was being considered for a start in Saratoga, is on the farm getting a freshening and will be brought back for a fall campaign targeting the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Up to the Mark, a two-time Grade 1 winner and arguably the leader of the older male turf division, suffered a setback in his training that will likely alter his plans leading up to the Breeders’ Cup, trainer Todd Pletcher said this week.
Gulfstream Park spotlights 2-year-olds on Sunday’s nine-race card, with three maiden offerings for babies. The most interesting might be the fourth race, a maiden special weight for fillies bred in Florida. The 5 1/2 furlong-sprint on the main track drew a competitive group that includes the first-time starter Star of Saturn.
“I think she could be a little bit special,” said trainer Bobby Dibona. “She struts around with a lot of class.”
Gentry Farms and Saffie Joseph have had another notable 3-year-old winner at the Royal Palm meet in Accomplished Girl. She captured a first-level allowance sprint over older rivals on Tapeta July 16 and earlier in her career was a maiden special weight winner on turf with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 92.
Joseph said Accomplished Girl could move back to turf for the Grade 3, $1 million Music City for 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs Sept. 2 at Kentucky Downs.
The unbeaten Second I D has developed into a 3-year-old of note this summer at Gulfstream Park and will soon move into stakes company, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Thursday.
Second I D has made two starts, both at 6 1/2 furlongs over older rivals. He won a maiden special weight by 7 3/4 lengths June 9, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 90. Second I D came back to take a first-level allowance July 22, dueling on the lead for a 2 1/4-length win. He earned a Beyer of 91.
“He’s going to go in a stakes for his next start,” Joseph said. “We haven’t decided what race yet.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Kaukokaipuu has thrust little-known trainer Tedston Holder into the King’s Plate spotlight, and the 54-year-old lifelong racetracker from Barbados is confident that his oddly named colt will give a good account of himself in the $1 million Canadian classic on Aug. 20.
She Is Romantic, bought for $525,000 in April, will have her career debut in a maiden race for 2-year-old fillies at five furlongs on turf in the first race at Del Mar on Friday.
An inside post is just fine with trainer Peter Eurton.
“If I drew the one hole on dirt, I’d be really upset,” he said. “On turf, I’m not upset. You don’t get the kickback. You let them run their race.”
Unlike many successful Southern California-based turf sprinters, Beer Can Man is not a fixture in stakes on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course.
Beer Can Man was third in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the course in February 2022 when ridden by jockey Flavien Prat, his only appearance on the unique course.
“Flavien thought he was better on the flat than the hill,” trainer Phil D’Amato said on Thursday.
Endlessly, who overcame trouble to win his debut in a maiden race at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Sunday, is likely to have his second start in the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf at the same distance Sept. 10, closing day of the track’s summer meeting.
“It looks like the right spot,” trainer Michael McCarthy said on Wednesday.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Endlessly raced in traffic in early stretch before rallying between rivals to win by 2 1/4 lengths for Amerman Racing.
The Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif., begins a two-week race meeting on Thursday, the only venue of the five racing fairs in Northern California with a turf course.
The course will be in action extensively through the seven-day meeting, which runs from Thursday through Sunday this week and from Aug. 11-13.
