INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Santa Anita stakes winner Slim Shadey is staying home for his next start.
The winner of the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes in January, Slim Shadey is being pointed to the $250,000 Charles Whittingham Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park next Saturday, trainer Simon Callaghan said.
Second in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on May 5, Slim Shadey had been considered for the $500,000 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park on Saturday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Five of the 11 likely starters in next Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, including Dullahan and Union Rags, had their scheduled workouts postponed on Saturday due to heavy rains that moved up the East Coast and pelted Belmont Park Friday evening and into Saturday morning.
The Ken McPeek-trained duo of Atigun and Unstoppable U along with the Chad Brown-trained Street Life also had their works postponed on Saturday.
OPELOUSAS, La. - She’s Prado’s Idol worked hard to live up to her billing as the 9-5 favorite in Friday night’s $50,000 Acadiana Stakes at Evangeline Downs, outfinishing 6-1 outsider Midge Four after a protracted stretch duel to prevail by three-quarters of a length.
Out of town horses, one from Philadelphia and the other from New York, took home the bulk of the purse money in the first two stakes of the season at Penn National on Friday night.
Jake N Elwood, based at Parx Racing with trainer Mike Petro, used a four-wide move turning for home under Kyle Frey to win the $75,000 Danzig for Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-olds by 1 1/4 lengths. Jane N Elwood ($9.20) ran the six furlongs on a sloppy track in 1:10.67 to win for the second time in five starts.
ELMONT, N.Y. - On Thursday, trainer Doug O’Neill said he didn’t think Boxeur Des Rues would make the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap because of an issue with his right front foot.
But Boxeur Des Rues was fitted with a three-quarter shoe on that foot and trained better Friday. If he continues to train forwardly, Boxeur Des Rues will run in the June 8 Brooklyn with Mario Gutierrez aboard. This will give Gutierrez the opportunity to ride a 1 1/2-mile race prior to Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, when he will be aboard I’ll Have Another in the Belmont.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Saratoga Snacks, a New York-bred 3-year-old, made a smashing return to the races, winning a first-level statebred allowance by 2 1/2 lengths Thursday. He ran six furlongs in 1:09.43 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 93.
Saratoga Snacks, trained by Gary Sciacca for two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells, hadn’t run since Sept. 3 at Saratoga, when he won a maiden race by 2 3/4 lengths.
Late last year, Saratoga Snacks suffered a hairline fracture to his right front pastern, which required the insertion of a screw, according to Sciacca.
ELMONT, N.Y. - The Lumber Guy, winner of the Grade 2 Jerome, is getting a little freshening on owner Barry Schwartz’s farm before returning for a summer campaign.
The Lumber Guy, a New York-bred son of Grand Slam, finished sixth in the Peter Pan on May 12 and shortly thereafter was sent by trainer Mike Hushion to Schwartz’s Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, N.Y.
Hushion said The Lumber Guy wasn’t desperate for a break, but had he gone on with him “he might have been. Hopefully, this will sweeten him up for the rest of the year.”
ELMONt, N.Y. - Trainer Todd Pletcher said Friday that Awesome Maria came out of her third-place finish in Monday’s Grade 1 Ogden Phipps in good order and could be a candidate for either the $750,000 Delaware Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on July 21 or the $200,000 Molly Pitcher at 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth on July 29.
Pletcher said since Awesome Maria has won several races at 1 1/8 miles, he doesn’t see the 1 1/4 miles of the Del Cap being an issue “as long as she gets along with the Delaware surface. We’ve had pretty good luck shipping in there.”
OCEANPORT, N.J. 0 The Don Bielak barn lays it all on the line Sunday with Miss Tallahassee in the $60,000 Open Mind Handicap for New Jersey-bred fillies and mares at Monmouth Park.
It's all you can do when you only train one horse.
"The intention has always been to have more than one," Bielak said. "We haven't had it yet."
The six-furlong Open Mind attracted seven runners with Miss Tallahassee and Kendrick Carmouche breaking from post 2.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Though he is not running in the Belmont Stakes, Wood Memorial winner Gemologist has recently resumed training at Belmont Park with an eye toward a summer return to the races.
Gemologist, trained by Todd Pletcher for WinStar Farm, went into the Kentucky Derby undefeated from five starts. He was the third choice in the Derby at 8-1. Unfortunately, he never fired and finished a distant 16th behind I’ll Have Another.
A couple of days later, he was diagnosed with a badly bruised foot and missed a little training time, which ruled out a start in the Belmont.
