Though Steve Asmussen nominated both Tapizar and Prayer for Relief to next weekend's Woodward at Saratoga, he has other spots picked out for those horses.
Tapizar, coming off a 4 1/2-length victory in the West Virginia Governors Stakes at Mountaineer on Aug. 4, is being pointed to the Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso at Belmont Park on Sept. 29. The Kelso is a one-turn mile on the dirt and is designed to get Tapizar to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 3.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – On the day they ran the 143rd Travers Stakes, Stay Thirsty, winner of the 142nd Travers at Saratoga, was continuing preparations for next Saturday’s $750,000 Woodward Stakes.
Stay Thirsty is winless in four starts since the Travers last Aug. 27. In two starts this year, he was second to Trickmeister in a swiftly run Vanlandingham Stakes at Belmont in May. Last month, Stay Thirsty finished a non-threatening fifth to Mucho Macho Man in the Grade 2 Suburban at steamy Belmont Park.
On Saturday, one day after his recent Grade 1 winner Poseidon’s Warrior drifted badly while galloping out past the wire following the conclusion of a routine half-mile work, trainer Butch Reid said his horse would skip the Grade 1 Forego on Sept. 1 to await the Grade 1 Vosburgh four weeks later.
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Kentucky-based trainer Kellyn Gorder, who has been winning with a high percentage of horses he has shipped to Mountaineer Racetrack the past six months, can pad his already impressive statistics when he sends out a pair of uncoupled contenders in Tuesday night’s featured ninth race.
Five Afleet and Glint are part of seven-horse lineup in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance sprint restricted to horses who have never won four races. The 10-race card includes two other allowance events, both for nonwinners of two, on the turf.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Let’s Go Cheyenne won her stakes debut in Friday’s $88,500 CTT and TOC Handicap at Del Mar, giving trainer Vladimir Cerin an excuse to make big plans for the 4-year-old filly this fall.
Cerin said that Let’s Go Cheyenne will be pointed for the $250,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29. The Grade 1 Rodeo Drive, formerly known as the Yellow Ribbon Stakes, is run over 1 1/4 miles on turf for fillies and mares.
“I wish it was farther,” Cerin said.
Talented sprinter Ancient Rome, a two-time stakes winner, challenges older horses for the first time in Monday’s $50,000 feature at Parx Racing.
The Tony Dutrow-trained Ancient Rome is one of two 3-year-olds among seven sprinters going six furlongs in a third-level optional $40,000 claimer that goes as the ninth race.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Rick Violette looks to continue his successful Saratoga season when he sends out top contenders in both of Monday’s $100,000 stakes restricted to New York-breds.
In the Saratoga Dew, for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles, Violette starts the 124-pound highweight, Opus A, against six rivals. Earlier on the 10-race card, Violette will saddle Effie Trinket against five other statebred 2-year-old fillies in the Aristie at six furlongs.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Let’s Go Cheyenne won her stakes debut in Friday’s $88,500 California Thoroughbred Trainers and Thoroughbred Owners of California Handicap, leading throughout the turf marathon for fillies and mares at Del Mar.
Ridden by a confident Joe Talamo, Let’s Go Cheyenne ($8.80) led by as many as 12 lengths and was never threatened, winning by 5 3/4 lengths over Left a Message, the 5-2 favorite. Thisismystage, a 5-2 shot, was third in the field of seven.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Charles Lopresti wasn’t looking for anything special when he brought Wise Dan over to the Oklahoma turf course Friday morning for his first workout since his victory in the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap.
What the trainer saw made not only him, but also the other people who watched the breeze shake their heads in disbelief.
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