SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In late summer and early fall of 2011, Stay Thirsty and To Honor and Serve were the toast of the 3-year-old division. Stay Thirsty had just won the Jim Dandy and Travers at Saratoga, while To Honor and Serve won the Pennsylvania Derby after romping in a Saratoga allowance.
Mucho Macho Man, meanwhile, was out of sight and out of mind, vacationing after a grueling and unsuccessful bid in all three Triple Crown races.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mike Keogh had plenty of options this weekend for Ultimate Destiny, who was nominated to three stakes here at Woodbine.
First up was Sunday’s $125,000 Vice Regent, a one-mile turf race for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds. Having been purchased for $16,000 at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s select local yearling sale, Ultimate Destiny also could have raced in the $125,000 Elgin for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and upward over 1 1/16 miles of Polytrack or in the $125,000 Halton for 3-year-olds and upward over one mile of turf.
Gone in a Flash will appreciate the move back to a sprint when he runs in the $50,000 Sun Sprint Championship at Northlands Park on Saturday. The 6 1/2-furlong race headlines a nine-race card that also includes the $50,000 Birdcatcher for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
DEL MAR, Calif. – An upset win by the 47-1 first-time starter Double Ante in Wednesday's fifth race has led to a pick-six carryover of $93,491 for Thursday's nine-race program at Del Mar.
Going into Wednesday's final race, only one horse was covered in the pick six – the 7-1 shot Johan. He finished sixth after racing in fourth in early stretch. The final race was won by My Dark Vada ($83.80).
DEL MAR, Calif. – Tilde, the 8-5 favorite, closed from fourth on the backstretch to win her second stakes of the Del Mar meeting Wednesday in the $150,000 Generous Portion Stakes.
Tilde was ridden by Rafael Bejarano, his 11th stakes win of the meeting. He is one away from equaling the record of 12 stakes wins in a single meeting shared by Laffit Pincay Jr. (1976), Chris McCarron (1995), Gary Stevens (1997), and Corey Nakatani (1998).
The meeting, which began July 18, ends Wednesday, Sept. 5.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown pinpointed Wednesday’s $100,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes for Watsdachances almost from the moment the Irish-bred got off the plane and arrived at his barn earlier this summer, then had her fit and ready to deliver a game neck decision over Broken Spell in the first turf stakes for 2-year-olds of the meet at Saratoga.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Data Link will be the 122-pound highweight and likely favorite when facing just six rivals in the Bernard Baruch Handicap on Saturday at Saratoga. Data Link has not started since winning the Grade 2 Monmouth on June 10. He was scratched from the Grade 2 Fourstardave here earlier this summer due to the soft condition of the turf course.
Data Link breaks from the rail under John Velazquez and faces a lineup that consists of Crimson China, Queen’splatekitten, Dominus, Guys Reward, Sky Blazer, and Prince Will I Am.
St. John’s River, the Kentucky Oaks runner-up in 2011, is being given some time off and is to resume training this winter at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, according to her trainer, Andrew Leggio Jr.
“That’s the plan right now, unless things change,” he said.
St. John’s River had been based this summer at Saratoga, and in her last start July 26 was second as the odds-on favorite in a second-level allowance. She was beaten 3 1/2 lengths, one race removed from a third-place finish to Royal Delta in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Prayer for Relief, the one-horse traveling show, will add another racetrack to the long list of venues at which he has run when he starts Saturday in the Washington Park Handicap at Arlington.
