Gio Ponti worked five furlongs in 1:03.57 on Wednesday morning over Belmont Park’s inner turf course. Gio Ponti worked in company with the 3-year-old colt Cannon Hill. Gio Ponti began the move a length behind his workmate and finished a head in front. He got his last quarter in 23.57 seconds under exercise rider Jerry Fogarty.
Retama Park near San Antonio is seeking to make changes to its Thoroughbred meet that would ultimately extend the current season to Nov. 5. The track has asked to drop four Thursdays beginning Sept. 22, but add six dates – all Fridays or Saturdays – beyond the original closing date of Oct. 15. The request will be heard at a Texas Racing Commission meeting Sept. 21.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Jimmy Toner doesn’t minimize the importance of Saturday’s $250,000 Garden City Stakes for his 3-year-old filly Winter Memories.
Not only is the Garden City at Belmont Park the first Grade 1 opportunity for Winter Memories, it is her first race back after a disappointing fourth-place finish as the 2-5 favorite in last month’s Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga. Granted, Winter Memories had a terrible trip in the Lake Placid and the ground may have been softer than she prefers, but it still was the worst race of her career.
AUBURN, Wash. – Howard Belvoir, seeking his first Emerald Downs training title, will send out four starters Friday, including two in the feature race, a $15,000 claimer for older horses at 6 1/2 furlongs. The eight-race card begins at 5 p.m. Pacific, an hour earlier than usual, to accommodate a fireworks show after the races.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The Lone Star Park meet for Quarter Horses that opens Friday night will be the first full meet under the ownership of Global Gaming, and the ingredients are in place for a strong season. The track has drawn a long list of prominent stables for the 26-night meet that will run through Nov. 12.
Lone Star also has a strong stakes schedule in place for the meet, led by the Grade 1, $1 million Texas Classic Futurity. The race is the richest in Texas, and it will anchor a closing night card that includes the Grade 1, $400,000 Texas Classic Derby.
ELMONT, N.Y. – When he began the year with a victory in the Lecomte Stakes in January at Fair Grounds, Wilkinson automatically became high on a lot of people’s list of Kentucky Derby hopefuls.
But if his last race is any indication, Wilkinson’s future appears to be on turf. After winning a third-level allowance race – albeit against only three rivals – last month at Saratoga, Wilkinson steps into stakes company in Friday’s $60,000 Summing at Belmont Park.
Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan underwent surgery Wednesday morning for a broken collarbone sustained in a one-horse spill aboard Formaggio in the Kentucky Cup Turf last Saturday at Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky.
Bridgmohan’s agent, Anthony Martin, said the 32-year-old jockey was having a plate and pin inserted in his left collarbone at Jewish Hospital in downtown Louisville.
Bridgmohan was up on his feet just seconds after Formaggio fell with about five furlongs remaining in the 1 1/2-mile race. No other horses or jockeys were involved.
Bay to Bay, who also is slated to see action this weekend at Woodbine, was nominated to both the Woodbine Mile and to Sunday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Canadian, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares which is her preferred destination.
"It’s going to be a tough field,” said Lynch, who conditions the Florida-bred 4-year-old Bay to Bay for owner Rob Smithen. “But, I wouldn’t trade places with anybody.
“She’s got no excuses. She’s going into the race as good as she’s ever been. I’m really happy with the way she’s training, the way she’s working.”
Saturday’s card at Woodbine features a pair of one-mile turf races for 2-year-olds which are part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In challenge series.
Both the $250,000 Summer and the $200,000 Natalma, which is for 2-year-old fillies, offer Grade 3 status and attracted fields of eight and 13, respectively.
Last year, trainer Todd Pletcher sent out Pluck to win the Summer and More Than Real to run second in the Natalma and watched both come back to capture their respective turf events on the Friday Breeders’ Cup card at Churchill Downs.
The annual Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s mixed sale will take place in the Northlands Park EXPO Centre on Sunday. With supplements, there are 99 horses cataloged. The main focus will be on the 71 yearlings being offered.
Last year, there were 92 yearlings sold at an average price of $5,389. The main reason for the decline in numbers of horses being offered was a private sale held earlier this year by Esquirol Farms.
