SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The 12th and final race at Saratoga on Saturday was conducted at the incorrect distance, but the race was made official before the error was realized, so it will have no impact on the mutuel payoffs.
The allowance race for New York-breds was scheduled to be run at 1 1/8 miles on the Mellon Turf Course. But the race was run at 1 1/16 miles due to the starting gate being placed in the wrong spot. The race was won by Fidelightcayut, who returned $10.80 to win.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Grade 1 Sword Dancer, a 1 1/2-mile turf race, will be renamed the Christophe Clement Turf beginning in 2026, the New York Racing Association announced Saturday just before the 51st running of the Sword Dancer.
Christophe Clement, who died in May from cancer at the age of 59, won the Sword Dancer a record five times. Far Bridge, who won the 2024 Sword Dancer for Christophe Clement, finished sixth as the favorite in Saturday’s renewal of the Sword Dancer for Miguel Clement, Christophe’s son and former assistant.
The longtime owner of Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz., has reached an agreement to lease the track to Gary Hartunian, a California real-estate executive and prominent horse owner, according to both sides in the transaction.
Under the deal, Hartunian would lease the track for the next two years while exploring the possibility of building a new track in the Phoenix area. Jerry Simms, who bought Turf Paradise for $53 million in 2000, would be free to explore a sale of the track during that timeframe, Hartunian said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Erik Johnston, who three weeks ago announced his retirement from his position as director of racing and sportsbook at Penn National, was named stakes coordinator at the New York Racing Association, it was announced Friday.
Johnston will replace Andrew Byrnes, who has held the position since 1999 but who announced earlier this year that he was retiring at the end of the Saratoga meet. Johnston will assume his duties as stakes coordinator beginning Oct. 3.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mo Plex, the Grade 3 Ohio Derby winner who finished fourth behind Sovereignty in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 20 at Parx Racing, trainer Jeremiah Englehart said.
“I’d like to give him another shot against open company,” Englehart said. “The last two Pennsylvania Derby winners lost in the Jim Dandy and won their next start in Pennsylvania.”
Englehart said he considered the Albany Stakes for New York-breds on Aug. 21 but felt that race was too close to the Jim Dandy.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Captain Cook, winner of the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in February, has been transferred by owners Vinnie and Teresa Viola from Rick Dutrow to Todd Pletcher and will be considered for multiple upcoming stakes, including the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens on Aug. 23.
On Friday, Captain Cook worked a half-mile in 48.83 seconds in company with the Grade 1-winning filly Candied over Saratoga’s main track. It was Captain Cook’s first work for Pletcher and first since he ran third in the Maxfield Stakes on June 29 at Churchill Downs.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Goal Oriented, third in the Grade 1 Haskell in his most recent start, worked seven furlongs in 1:23.80 on Friday morning at Del Mar for an anticipated start in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 23 at Saratoga.
Goal Oriented, trained by Bob Baffert, worked in company with Barnes, who is one of three horses Baffert is planning to run in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens on the Travers undercard.
Two weeks after he was scratched from the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes, the veteran gelding Gold Phoenix is entered in a tough allowance race at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Saturday – along with six other stakes winners.
Gold Phoenix was withdrawn from the Read Stakes after he sustained “a minor scratch on a pastern,” trainer Phil D’Amato said at the time.
Saturday’s allowance race is designed as a prep race for the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf on Aug. 30, a race Gold Phoenix has won the last three years.
Tarantino, who has been second or third in eight graded stakes since January 2021 but has yet to win a race at that level, worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds at Del Mar on Friday in advance of an expected start in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on Aug. 22.
“That’s the penciled-in plan,” trainer Peter Eurton said.
Last Saturday morning at Del Mar, Brooklyn Blonde flew through a half-mile from the gate in 46.80 seconds to record the fastest workout of 105 times at the distance.
On Saturday this weekend, Brooklyn Blonde may put that speed to work when she starts for the first time in a maiden race for 2-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Brooklyn Blonde, who is by Gun Runner, races for the partnership of Sun-Kissed Stable and Bobby Flay and is trained by Michael McCarthy. On Friday, McCarthy spoke highly of Brooklyn Blonde.
