Trainer Bret Calhoun has gone 20 for 44 with his 2-year-old starters this year, with his latest head-turning juvenile dominating a recent maiden special weight at Louisiana Downs. Indisputable set the pace in the July 29 race before going on to an 11 1/2-length win.
“He’s a nice horse,” Calhoun said. “They tried to press him a little bit early. It didn’t really bother him at all. He sat there and when he was called on he drew off.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Prince of Wales Stakes winner Pender Harbour will experiment on the grass in the 120th running of the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes, the final race of the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine on Sunday.
The mile and a half Breeders’, for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, is likely to have 13 starters after losing a major contender Friday when trainer Todd Pletcher said he wasn’t sending the Saratoga-based Queen’splatekitten, because he didn’t like the way that the horse was doing. Queen’splatekitten has been idle since finishing fifth in the June 26 Plate.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Troy Taylor isn’t sure if he is going to ship Commander to Northlands Park for the Grade 3, $300,000 Canadian Derby Aug. 20 or keep him at Hastings and run him in the $50,000 Richmond Derby Trial Aug. 14.
FORT ERIE, Ontario – Trainer Sorrel Schoenberger, 31, sent her first two starters to the post four years ago, but then received an offer she couldn’t turn down and put her training career on hold.
Schoenberger’s mother, Julie, was searching the Internet and came across an extensive Thoroughbred scholarship program. In short order, Schoenberger completed an application.
In 2008, she received word of her selection, packed her bags, and headed to Kildangan Stud Farm in Ireland to begin the two-year program.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Queen'splatekitten, the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday's Breeders' Stakes, will not be making the trip to Woodbine.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, who is with Queen'splatekitten at Saratoga, said Friday that he is not completely happy with how the horse is doing at this time.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sunday’s supporting feature, the $125,000 Nandi Stakes, drew a field of just five Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies, headed by Notacloudinthesky and I Am in Front.
Notacloudinthesky, owned by the Donver Stable of Verne and Donna Dubinsky, will be seeking her second straight victory after scoring by four lengths in a restricted maiden dash at 5 1/2 furlongs.
Trained by Josie Carroll, Notacloudinthesky finished fourth in her five-furlong opener, but was just 1 1/4 lengths behind the winner.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The matchups are set, the boisterous press conference is over, and the side bet has been determined. It’s time for Sunday’s “Battle of the Exes” match race between the former couple Chantal Sutherland and Mike Smith at Del Mar.
The one-mile race is the fourth on a 10-race program. Smith, who turns 46 on Wednesday, will ride Joker Face from the inside post, while Sutherland, 35, rides Parable. Joker Face is the 3-5 favorite on the morning line, Parable is even-money. The horses are maiden claimers who are making their first starts at the meeting.
Eight-year-old millionaire Bold Chieftain has been around.
He’s made 42 starts, 34 in stakes. He’s appeared at all of California’s major tracks, winning at Golden Gate Fields, Bay Meadows, Del Mar and Santa Anita. He’s won at Pleasanton and Sacramento on the fair circuit and, on Sunday makes his first appearance at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, where he drew the outside post 8 for the $50,000-added Joseph T. Grace Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Dollarwaitnonadime appears to have a stranglehold on a $32,000 optional claiming race that will serve as Sunday’s feature at Northlands Park. The 6 1/2-furlong dash for 3-year-olds drew six horses and there isn’t much doubt Dollarwaitnonadime will be sent off as the favorite.
