Tizamagician was second in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in 2021, but will miss that race on Sept. 3 in favor of a first start in a graded stakes on turf in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap the same day.
Tizamagician worked seven furlongs on turf in 1:29.40 at Del Mar on Thursday, an exercise that convinced trainer Richard Mandella to try the $300,000 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles.
“He looked nice,” Mandella said. “He handled it. I’m thinking we’ll try the turf.”
There were more than 21 lengths between Slammed and Dance to the Music when they finished first and fifth in an allowance race for fillies and mares at six furlongs at Del Mar on July 28.
Slammed led throughout to win by 5 1/4 lengths. Dance to the Music was never a factor after a poor start.
Despite the comprehensive loss, Dance to the Music will face Slammed and an expected group of four other fillies and mares in Sunday’s Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Irad Ortiz Jr., the leading rider at the Saratoga meet, is one of four jockeys who will be serving suspensions next week for careless riding infractions earlier in the meet.
Ortiz, was cited by the stewards for his ride aboard Nabokov, who finished fifth in the eighth race on Aug. 18. In that race, Ortiz allowed his mount to come over in midstretch and bump with Winit, who finished a head behind Nabokov in sixth. Though there was no inquiry posted or jockey’s objection lodged, the stewards disqualified Nabokov from fifth and placed him sixth.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Aidan O’Brien, still in search of his first win at Saratoga, will send out Breeders’ Cup Turf runner-up Broome against nine others in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Sword Dancer, one of four Grade 1 stakes on the undercard of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes.
O’Brien, one of the most accomplished trainers in the world, is 0 for 11 in Saratoga with Japan’s neck loss to Gufo in last year’s Sword Dancer among his best finishes.
A $100,000 stakes for turf sprinters will be run for the first time at the Del Mar autumn meeting that has an emphasis on grass stakes and runs from Nov. 11 to Dec. 4.
The track has scheduled 15 stakes for the four-week season, with 10 of those races on turf.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Kevin Attard said the popular Queen’s Plate winner Moira is unlikely to contest the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown on Sept. 13, the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes on the dirt at Fort Erie.
Moira became the 38th filly to win the Queen’s Plate on Sunday, doing so impressively after an eye-catching wide move on the far turn. She won going away by seven lengths while earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in the 1 1/4-mile event on the synthetic Tapeta surface at Woodbine.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Rich Strike will be a longshot once again.
The Kentucky Derby winner at odds of 80-1, Rich Strike drew post 2 and was made the 10-1 sixth choice in the field of eight entered Tuesday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers at Saratoga, a race where Epicenter, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up, was made the 7-5 favorite on David Aragona’s morning-line.
Art Collector returns to Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on Friday night to try and win the $1 million Charles Town Classic for the second year in a row.
Art Collector was much the best in the 2021 Charles Town Classic, coming into the race after winning the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga, and trainer Bill Mott has the 5-year-old horse on the same pattern this year. Luis Saez rode Art Collector in his win a year ago and is named again Friday night.
Jamie Ness, one of the most prolific trainers in the U.S., will appeal a six-month suspension he was recently issued by Pennsylvania stewards after one of his horses tested positive for a hallucinogenic substance that is known to be a feed contaminant, his attorney said on Monday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Trainer Chad Brown said the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct 15 would currently be the goal for Haughty after her wire-to-wire victory here Saturday in the Grade 2 Lake Placid.
Haughty was one of four fillies Brown ran in the six-horse Lake Placid along with stablemates Dolce Zel, Consumer Spending, and Eminent Victor, who finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, behind their stablemate in the 1 1/16-mile fixture for 3-year-old fillies on the grass.
