ELMONT, N.Y. – The connections of the majority of the horses running in Saturday’s $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park are hoping to use the race as a springboard to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
That would put trainer Shug McGaughey in the minority. As far as Hymn Book is concerned, Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup could very well be his Breeders’ Cup.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It looked like the La Lorgnette was all over when La Tia led by four lengths into the final furlong. But that scenario changed abruptly when La Tia hit the rail. Remarkably, she was able to regather herself and win the La Lorgnette.
MIAMI – South Florida’s top two Breeders’ Cup candidates were on their way back home Monday after shipping north for important prep races over the weekend.
Musical Romance was scheduled to leave New York at noon Monday for her return trip to south Florida following a third-place finish in Saturday’s Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at Belmont Park. She will likely pass through the Calder stable gate several hours after Trinniberg, who was being vanned back home from Philadelphia on Monday by trainer Shivananda Parbhoo following his second-place finish in Parx Racing’s Gallant Bob.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Eoin Harty said he could not find a little stakes race for his visually impressive juvenile filly maiden winner Heidi’s Holiday, but he appears to have found a nice spot for the New York-bred to face winners for the first time Wednesday at Belmont Park.
Heidi’s Holiday heads a field of five 2-year-olds in a $53,000 starter/optional claiming event going six furlongs. The race is open to 2-year-old fillies that started for a claiming price or would be offered for $50,000 on Wednesday. None of the five is in for the claiming tag.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Northern Lion, a pricey $625,000 2-year-old purchase by prominent owner John Oxley, debuts in Wednesday’s fourth race at Woodbine, a six-furlong maiden special for 2-year-olds.
Northern Lion ran an eighth of a mile in a rapid 10 seconds in his pre-sale work at Fasig-Tipton’s Florida sale in March. He subsequently worked at the Ocala Training Center before joining trainer Mark Casse’s local string in August and has breezed four times on the Polytrack. He worked a half-mile from the gate in 49 seconds here Sept. 9.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Cold Cash 123 won his sixth consecutive race and solidified his status as the favorite for the $750,000 Champion of Champions in December with a convincing win in Sunday’s $100,000 Go Man Go Handicap at Los Alamitos.
The 2011 World Champion, Cold Cash 123 ($6.60) won by a half-length under a confident hand ride from jockey Roy Baldillez. Cold Cash 123 ran 400 yards in 19.51 seconds.
Creston Goer, a 10-1 shot, was second, a half-length in front of Senor Toby in the field of 10.
POMONA, Calif. – Jockey Martin Pedroza broke slowly at the start of the 13-day Los Angeles County Fair meet, and finished second in the standings. It was the first year since 1998 Pedroza has not led the meet.
But 6-year-old gelding Norvsky suffered the season’s biggest stumble. Even money in the $100,000 Ralph M. Hinds Handicap on closing day Sunday at Fairplex Park, Norvsky stumbled at the start, and unseated jockey Joe Talamo.
That left Pedroza and Worth Repeating ($8.20) with a perfect trip and five-length runaway victory in the centerpiece race of the meet.
Trainer Bob Baffert will start the multiple stakes winner Ellafitz in the $250,000 Zenyatta Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita, but she could be overshadowed by Amani, Include Me Out, and Switch.
Amani, who will be ridden by Bejarano, has won 10 of 13 starts, but was winless in two races at Del Mar – a troubled third behind Include Me Out in the Clement Hirsch Stakes on Aug. 4 and a sixth against males in the Pacific Classic. Amani was Chile’s top horse of 2011.
Trained by Neil Drysdale, Amani worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Santa Anita last Friday.
ARCADIA, Calif.- Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert won 11 Grade 1 races in 2011. He could equal that mark as early as this weekend on the opening Saturday of the Santa Anita fall meeting.
Through Sunday, Baffert has nine Grade 1 wins this year. He will have runners in four of the five Grade 1 races at Santa Anita on Saturday, and will have favorites in two races.
