Sun, 08/21/2022 - 16:48

Justique a question for Del Mar Debutante

Emily Shields
A good workout this weekend could earn Santa Anita Handicap winner Express Train a berth in the San Diego Handicap. He won the San Diego last year.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Justique, the attractive winner of a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies in her debut at Del Mar on July 31, was briefly sidelined with a fever earlier this month that may jeopardize her chances of a start in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 10.

Trainer John Shirreffs said Sunday that Justique has resumed training and is approaching her first workout since the maiden race win.

“She’s about a week behind,” Shirreffs said. “She had a little fever. I’ll go day by day.”

Sat, 08/20/2022 - 16:39

Echo Again dazzles in debut romp

Melissa Simser
Echo Again, a son of Gun Runner, left his rivals far behind in the stretch while covering 6 1/2 furlongs in a rapid 1:15.89.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Steve Asmussen may have unleashed the most impressive juvenile colt of the Saratoga meeting Saturday when Echo Again cruised to a 6 3/4-length debut victory in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race.

With Ricardo Santana Jr. filling in for an ill Joel Rosario, Echo Again broke sharp, made a 1 1/2-length lead after an opening quarter in 22.39 seconds which he maintained after a half-mile in 45.66. He began to widen around the far turn and continued to draw off while covering 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.89 and getting a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Sat, 08/20/2022 - 13:55

Travers: Longshot Ain't life Grand works fast; top contender Charge It doesn't work at all

Barbara Livingston
Iowa Derby winner Ain't Life Grand worked a half-mile over a quick-playing Saratoga main track on Saturday in 45.53. He went out five furlongs in 57.86 and six furlongs in 1:10.31.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Six prospective starters for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes put in workouts on Saturday morning here, but it was one who didn’t make the worktab that drew the most attention.

Charge It, the 23-length winner of the Grade 3 Dwyer on July 2, was expected to work on Saturday at Saratoga. But the horse didn’t work and trainer Todd Pletcher played it close to the vest when discussing the 3-year-old colt. Pletcher said the horse was dealing with something but he wouldn’t elaborate and that he hoped to work the horse on Sunday.

Sat, 08/20/2022 - 11:46

Prank likely to miss rest of year after fracture

Barbara D. Livingston
Prank wins her debut by 9 3/4 lengths at Saratoga, earning a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Prank, the ultra-impressive debut-winning 2-year-old filly, will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the year after suffering a hairline fracture of her left front pastern, trainer Todd Pletcher said Saturday.

Prank underwent surgery Friday in Saratoga to repair the injury, getting two screws placed into her left foreleg.

“The surgery went very smoothly, she should come back 100 percent,” Pletcher said.

Sat, 08/20/2022 - 10:20

Flightline, Country Grammer put in strong drills for Pacific Classic

Barbara D. Livingston
Flightline ganando el Metropolitan Handicap G1

DEL MAR, Calif. – Flightline was the first horse to work after the initial renovation break on Saturday at Del Mar, and two of his primary challengers in the Pacific Classic drilled moments later during a hectic, exciting start to the day here.

Flightline was brilliant as usual. Going solo under Juan Leyva, trainer John Sadler’s top assistant, Flightline was credited by clockers with a seven-furlong drill in 1:24, going from the five-furlong pole out to the six-furlong pole, and including a 24-second split from the quarter pole to the wire. He continued galloping out strongly.

Fri, 08/19/2022 - 17:20

Tyler Baze's return to saddle delayed again

Coady Photography
Tyler Baze rides in both co-featured races Monday at Lone Star Park.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Tyler Baze was forced to give up his Friday mounts at Del Mar after a pre-race test still had traces of a medication he was temporarily prescribed Monday, a situation that forced him to miss his mounts Thursday, too.

“Very frustrated,” his agent, Jack Carava, said of Baze, who was at the track and fully expecting to ride.

Baze was scheduled to return to action Thursday at Del Mar after taking last week off to attend to “personal matters.” Carava on Thursday said Baze had been temporarily prescribed a medication for high blood pressure.

Fri, 08/19/2022 - 17:14

Pat O'Brien, Rancho Bernardo top upcoming week

Emily Shields
Edgeway will likely try to defend her title in the Rancho Bernardo Stakes.

A pair of sprint stakes with Breeders’ Cup implications are the focus next weekend at Del Mar – the seven-furlong, Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes on Aug. 27, and the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for fillies and mares on Aug. 28.

Nominations were released this week for the $250,000 Pat O’Brien, a Win and You’re In for the BC Dirt Mile, and $150,000 Rancho Bernardo, a summer prep toward the BC Filly and Mare Sprint. Below are quick looks at Pat O’Brien and Rancho Bernardo nominations.

Fri, 08/19/2022 - 16:54

Big City Lights, Forbidden Kingdom work out

Benoit Photo
Unbeaten Big City Lights, winner of the Aug. 5 Real Good Deal Stakes in his first start for Richard Mandella, breezed a half-mile at Del Mar on Friday.

The undefeated colt Big City Lights and Forbidden Kingdom, the winner of two Grade 2 stakes earlier this year at Santa Anita, worked for upcoming stakes at Del Mar on Friday for trainer Richard Mandella.

Fri, 08/19/2022 - 16:41

Mandella hoping turf brings out best in first-time starter Three Strands

She cost $240,000 as a yearling, has a millionaire half-sister, and is out of a dam who won two stakes.

Three Strands, a filly by Empire Maker, has several things in her favor in advance of her first start in a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Saturday. From trainer Richard Mandella’s perspective, Three Strands has talent, but has something to prove when she breaks from post 8 in a field of nine.

“She’s trains good, not great,” he said. “We’re hoping the turf brings out a little bit more in her.”

Fri, 08/19/2022 - 16:34

Cairo Memories has home-turf advantage over Spendarella in Del Mar Oaks

Benoit Photo
Cairo Memories wins the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes on May 29 at Santa Anita.

There is one blemish on Cairo Memories’ career turf record in California - a ninth by 2 3/4 lengths in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar last November.

There is one blemish on Cairo Memories’ 2022 turf record – a fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at Belmont Park on July 9.