SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Olympiad, who had a five-race win streak snapped when he finished fourth in the Grade 1 Whitney, worked a half-mile in 48.96 seconds on Friday morning over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for a start in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup here Sept. 3.
Working in company with the 4-year-old filly Silver Strand, Olympiad went in splits of 12.89 and 24.78 and got his last quarter in 24.18 while finishing about a half-length in front of his workmate.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Letruska, the reigning champion older dirt female, was expected to arrive at Saratoga over the weekend after working a half-mile in 48 seconds Friday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for the Grade 1 Personal Ensign next Saturday.
Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols had Letruska in fractions of 12.40, 24.00, 48.00, and out five furlongs in 1:00.60 under jockey Geovanni Franco.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Watching Rich Strike blitz around Saratoga’s main track shortly after sunrise Friday, trainer Eric Reed looked down at his stopwatch, saw a ridiculous time on it and turned it off.
“I thought I messed up, I turned my watch off in the middle of the stretch,” Reed said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Less than 24 hours after being charged with obstruction of breathing in a case involving a female acquaintance, trainer Chad Brown was back at work Friday morning at Saratoga, overseeing the preparation of his vast stable for upcoming races.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Upsets by Golden Rocket ($68.50) and Sell Something ($54.50) in Thursday’s last two races triggered a pick-six carryover of $167,611 into Friday’s card.
Prior to those big prices, the sequence had been rather formful with winners including Clear the Deck ($7.30), Recognize ($6.80), Immortalization ($4.60), and Warrior Johny ($7.60).
The Friday pick six begins on race 5 (3:21 p.m. Eastern) and includes both the $135,000 Summer Colony Stakes for older females on dirt and the $150,000 Skidmore Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters on turf.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Tyler Baze, who was scheduled to return to action Thursday at Del Mar after taking last week off to attend to “personal matters,” was not allowed to ride because a prerace test revealed traces of a medication he was temporarily prescribed for high-blood pressure earlier this week, according to his agent, Jack Carava.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Two grooms, both employees of trainer Charlton Baker, were arrested Thursday in their dorm room on the backstretch of Saratoga Racecourse and face multiple charges related to possession of a large quantity of cocaine, according to the Saratoga Springs police department.
Jose Hidalgo, 59, and Guadalupe Montesdecoa-Aguilar, 36, were arrested and criminally charged with possession of controlled substance, 2nd degree, which is an A-II felony, and possession of a controlled substance in the 3rd degree with intent to sell, a B Felony.
Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally will be honored with the Laffit Pincay, Jr., Award for service to racing in a ceremony at Del Mar on Aug. 27, the track announced earlier this week.
McAnally, 90, is in the midst of his 74th summer at Del Mar, and has a small stable at the meeting.
The Pincay Award, which is scheduled to be presented by the 75-year-old retired Hall of Fame jockey, was introduced in 2004 and recognizes individuals who have served racing with integrity, dedication and distinction.
Joe Bravo is taking a low-key approach with his two stakes mounts at Del Mar on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, Bravo rides the outsider Almost a Factor in the $100,000 CTT and TOC Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf for fillies and mares. Trained by Carla Gaines, Almost a Factor was a troubled fourth in an allowance race over the same course and distance on July 28, a frustrating result for Bravo who could not overcome traffic issues at a pivotal point.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - One of the more regular sights thus far during the current Saratoga meet has been Dean Reeves and his wife Patti greeting another horse in the winner’s circle.
The couple, who race under the nom de course of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, both on their own and in partnership with other entities, have already made eight such trips this summer, including two on Wednesday, the second after their odds-on favorite Dakota Gold captured the Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series.
