Tue, 08/09/2011 - 12:54

Saratoga: Funny Sunny tries turf in Lucy Scribner Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Bob Hess Jr. is splitting time between Del Mar and Saratoga this summer, and one of the reasons he’s here this week is to run his promising 3-year-old filly Funny Sunny, who has won twice in three starts and will make her turf debut in the $75,000 Lucy Scribner, one of three stakes races on Thursday’s card at Saratoga.

Tue, 08/09/2011 - 10:52

Calder: Gold picks up where he left off in Florida Stallion Series

Jim Lisa
Redbud Road (left) won the Desert Vixen but not until withstanding an inquiry.

MIAMI – Trainer Stanley Gold admits to being a pessimist at heart when it comes to running his horses, but one would think that particular instinct would not apply when it comes to Calder’s Florida Stallion Stakes.

Tue, 08/09/2011 - 08:07

Uncle Mo works under Velazquez for King's Bishop

Barbara D. Livingston
Uncle Mo, John Velazquez up, works outside of Caixa Eletronica on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga on Tuesday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Now, things are starting to get serious with Uncle Mo.

Uncle Mo, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, has made steady progress in recent weeks, since returning from an illness that knocked him out of the Kentucky Derby this spring. On Tuesday morning at Saratoga, he worked a fast five furlongs with his regular rider, John Velazquez.

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 18:28

Saratoga pick six carryover at $232K

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -  No one hit the pick six for the second straight day at Saratoga on Monday, resulting in a giant, two-day carryover of $232,356 when racing resumes on Wednesday.

Saratoga is dark on Tuesday.

Wednesday's card has 10 races, so the pick begins with the fifth race, the day's feature, the Signature Stallion Waya Stakes.

There was a $69,444 carryover going into Monday after no one hit all six on Sunday.

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 16:23

Del Mar: Bench Points, Chiloquin follow different paths to Real Good Deal Stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa
Bench Points (left) overpowers Runflatout to win the Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes at Hollywood Park. Bench Points will be favored in Wednesday’s Real Good Deal Stakes against Cal-breds at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Although they were raised together on the same farm in Oregon, well-bred Bench Points and nickel-bred Chiloquin otherwise shared little in common.

It was no surprise that the geldings went in different directions. Bench Points burst onto the scene early, winning two stakes at Del Mar; Chiloquin won a maiden-claimer at Fairplex Park. Bench Points won his first four races; Chiloquin won one of four.

Early on, Bench Points and Chiloquin seemed unlikely to meet on the track. That is, until Wednesday at Del Mar.

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 16:11

Saratoga: Sean Avery looking healthy at last

Barbara D. Livingston
Sean Avery (right), with Joe Bravo riding, edges out Trappe Shot in the Alfred Vanderbilt.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A year ago at this time, there were doubts whether Sean Avery would be able to race again. For most of the morning and early afternoon Sunday, there were doubts whether Sean Avery would race in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga.

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 16:07

Arlington Park: Clement shoots for unprecedented double

Barbara D. Livingston
Gio Ponti, with exercise rider Christophe Lorieul up, works five furlongs in 59 seconds Aug. 3 at Saratoga in preparation for the Arlington Million.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Six horse trainers have won both the Arlington Million and the Beverly D. Stakes at some point during their career, and Christophe Clement is one of them. No trainer, however, has won both races in the same year, and Clement appears to have at least a puncher’s chance of landing both prizes this Saturday at Arlington Park.

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 15:52

Saratoga: Pletcher fillies tune up for stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Georgie's Angel is working toward a start in the Grade 1 Spinaway on Sept. 4 at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Georgie’s Angel and Hilda’s Passion stayed on course for important stakes races later this meet with easy workouts Monday morning on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga.

Georgie’s Angel, who won the Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on opening day, went a half-mile in 52.08 seconds. She will not run until the Grade 1 Spinaway on Sept. 4.

“She’s just going to go straight to the Spinaway, so she’ll breeze about three more times,” Pletcher said.

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 15:48

Saratoga: Morning Line to get break, examination

Barbara D. Livingston
Morning Line will be sent to owner Will Farish’s Lane’s End Farm this week for a break.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Morning Line, the Grade 1 Carter winner who finished last in Saturday’s Whitney Invitational Handicap, will be sent to owner Will Farish’s Lane’s End Farm this week for a break, trainer Nick Zito said Monday. Zito also said that it is likely that Dr. Larry Bramlage, of the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Versailles, Ky., would likely examine the horse.

“He’s just not the same horse,” said Zito, who noted that preliminary X-rays taken on Morning Line did not reveal any physical issues.

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 15:46

Saratoga: Winter Memories ready for Lake Placid

Barbara D. Livingston
Winter Memories works five furlongs in 59.29 seconds over the Oklahoma turf on Monday morning.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In her first breeze since winning the Lake George, Winter Memories went five furlongs in 59.29 over the Oklahoma turf, getting her final three furlongs in 34.72 under jockey Jose Lezcano.