High-percentage trainers Todd Pletcher and Bruce Levine have taken turns winning the past two runnings of the New York Breeders’ Futurity, and they send out prominent contenders again in Saturday’s $260,876 running of the Futurity, the richest race of the season at Finger Lakes.
Pletcher, who won the 2009 Futurity with Ibboyee, looks imposing in Saturday’s six-furlong sprint for New York-breds with his unbeaten colt Zow.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Atlantic Hurricane, coming off a sharp victory in the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes here at Woodbine on Sept. 3, will be looking for her fifth straight win in Saturday’s $100,000 Avowal.
The Avowal, a seven-furlong overnight turf stakes for fillies and mares, attracted a competitive field of 11, including stakes winners Amiable Grace, Ariana D, Jenny’s So Great, Moonlit Beauty, and Valli With a Vow.
Atlantic Hurricane, a Kentucky-bred 4-year-old, was claimed from a winning effort for $40,000 over seven furlongs of turf here June 10.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mike DePaulo looks loaded for bear in Saturday’s $125,000 Victorian Queen Stakes at Woodbine, when he runs the uncoupled duo of Kitty’s Got Class and Bear’s Wit in the six-furlong dash for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies.
Kitty’s Got Class came inside from a stalking position to win her Sept. 11 debut in a six-furlong maiden special with authority. Her time of 1:11.42 translated into a 53 Beyer Figure.
Beulah Park outside Columbus, Ohio, will reduce the takeout for its pick three, pick four, and pick five wagers during its upcoming meet to 15 percent, track officials announced on Thursday.
Takeout on the multi-leg wagers were 22.5 percent during Beulah’s previous meet. Beulah is scheduled to open its 2011-12 meet on Oct. 10, running through May 5, for a total of 123 race days.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Slight favorite Gypsy Ring wore down second choice Paso Doble in the stretch to notch his first stakes win in the $125,000 Overskate on Wednesday night at Woodbine.
Gypsy Ring tracked Paso Doble and Bug’s Boy, who vied through slow fractions in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired runners. Gypsy Ring joined Paso Doble up front at the eighth pole, and they proceeded to duke it out before Gypsy Ring surged late to prevail by a neck in 1:21.54. Race for Gold was a distant third in the eight-horse field.
The field for the Flower Bowl ballooned to eight horses but the one to beat remains Stacelita, the Beverly D. winner who drew the outside post for the 1 1/4-mile turf race on Saturday at Belmont Park.
BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE: Racing schedule, replays, and past winners >>
Cape Blanco arrived in New York early Wednesday morning and was expected to be in quarantine until Thursday morning at Aqueduct before shipping over to Belmont, where he will be heavily favored to win the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational on Saturday at Belmont Park.
BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE: Racing schedule, replays, and past winners >>
Though the Kelso Handicap is the only Grade 2 among the six stakes s Saturday at Belmont Pak, it drew a Grade 1 field led by Uncle Mo, last year’s 2-year-old champion. Uncle Mo, who finished second by nose in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop in his first start off a four-month layoff, will break from post 3 under John Velazquez.
BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE: Racing schedule, replays, and past winners >>
Havre de Grace will break from the outside post in five-horse field entered to run 1 1/8 miles in Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Beldame Invitational, which will run as race 9, just prior to the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.
BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE: Racing schedule, replays, and past winners >>
ARCADIA, Calif. – For the first time in two years, autumn racing returns to Santa Anita on Friday. The 24-day meet begins full speed ahead.
The racing surface is new again, horse inventory is up, the Players’ Pick five is in, and Breeders’ Cup berths are on the line in seven graded stakes opening weekend. The only thing missing is the Oak Tree Racing Association banner. Will anyone notice?
“I don’t think there’s much difference that the fans are going to see,” Santa Anita president George Haines said. “The racing here in fall speaks for itself.”