ARCADIA, Calif. – Halo Dolly and City to City were separated by 1 1/4 lengths when they finished first and second in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Del Mar earlier this month. This Saturday, they will be a nation apart.
With both fillies in outstanding form, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is starting Halo Dolly and City to City in major stakes at Belmont Park and Santa Anita.
Trainer Keith Nations wasn’t surprised when Cougarstown went off as the second-longest shot in the field of nine fillies and mares in the Harvest Stakes at the San Joaquin Fair in Stockton.
But he was as pleasantly surprised as those who cashed $38.60 mutuel tickets when Cougarstown, a 4-year-old Speightstown filly, won the race, covering six furlongs in 1:08.81 while beating Blendara by three-quarters of a length.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher spent the majority of Monday morning at Belmont Park sending out platoons of juveniles for workouts for upcoming stakes events.
Shanghai Bobby, the leader of the East Coast’s 2-year-old division, worked four furlongs in 49.50 seconds in company with the maiden winner Tizracer. They went together through a quarter in 25.48 and got their final quarter in 24.02 while galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.01.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Bill Mott wouldn’t declare Woodward winner To Honor and Serve as a definite starter for Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso Handicap, but the horse gave every indication he would like to run in the one-turn mile race when he worked a strong half-mile in 47.15, the fastest half-mile move of the morning.
To Honor and Serve, with exercise rider Rodolphe Brisset up, went his first quarter in 24.18 and his final quarter in 22.97.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Point of Entry tuned up for Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, with a sharp half-mile workout in 50.22 seconds Sunday morning over a good Belmont inner turf course.
After going off slowly, Point of Entry zipped home a final quarter in 22.50 as a another horse not connected with his stable had broken off about a dozen lengths in front.
ELMONT, N.Y. – After watching Royal Delta put together a string of lightning-fast workouts, trainer Bill Mott was hoping to slow down his champion filly Monday morning.
Mission accomplished. Sort of.
With exercise rider Rodolphe Brisset maintaining a strong hold of the reins, Royal Delta still zipped four furlongs in 47.58 seconds Monday morning over Belmont Park’s main track in preparation for a start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame Invitational.
Willy Beamin, who has won his last six starts including the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga, was one of four horses who flew into Oklahoma City just after noon Monday to be part of the field for the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby. The 1 1/8-mile race will be run Sunday at Remington Park.
Kip Deville is one of five individuals to be inducted into the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Remington Park on Wednesday night. The winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2007 will be joined by Don McNeill, who co-owns Caleb’s Posse, winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile; Steve Asmussen, a perennial leading trainer in North America; David Vance, a past president of Remington; and Highland Ice, who is tied for most wins at Remington.
Tony the Tank will try to make amends for his loss as the favorite in the $50,000 Birdcatcher when he runs in a first-level allowance race for 2-year-olds at Northlands Park on Wednesday. The six-furlong sprint drew eight horses and will go as the fourth race.
