Rattle N Roll could face older horses for the first time in his career next month following his powerful win in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sunday at Remington Park.
Trainer Kenny McPeek said Tuesday that Rattle N Roll will be nominated to the Grade 2, $350,000 Fayette at Keeneland. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up is Oct. 29.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A red-hot Tom Amoss closed out the latest week of racing at Churchill by winning the race-10 finale Sunday with first-time starter Hoosier Philly, a 2-year-old filly who was hammered down to even money as if she were already standing in the winner’s circle.
Hoosier Philly ($4.14) got a 75 Beyer Speed Figure in winning the 5 1/2-furlong race in 1:04.35 under Edgar Morales. The daughter of uber-sire Into Mischief waited not far off a swift early pace before surging to a 1 3/4-length triumph that seems to portend very good things for the future.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Kimari, easy winner of Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom Stakes, will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 5 at Keeneland. The question is whether she runs in the $2 million Sprint against males or the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Leave No Trace, the Grade 1 Spinaway winner, tuned up for her start in Sunday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette Stakes by working five furlongs in 58.69 seconds Sunday morning over Belmont Park’s training track.
“That track’s really fast, but she was going easy,” said trainer Phil Serpe, who had Leave No Trace galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.34. “She looks like she just gets better. She works fast, but we’re not big on doing that sort of thing. When you get a horse that that’s just how they work, you need to let them work that way.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Art Collector has been confirmed for what already was an outstanding lineup for the Grade 2, $500,000 Lukas Classic, which will help close out the September meet at Churchill Downs with its ninth running Saturday.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Forte, three-length winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 5 at Saratoga, will run in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne Stakes going a mile at Aqueduct.
Trainer Todd Pletcher also was considering training him up to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4.
Forte worked a half-mile in 47.87 seconds last Friday at Saratoga.
“He worked really well,” Pletcher said. “Seems like he has good energy, seems happy.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Life Is Good is expected to have just three or four opponents in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Aqueduct, scheduled to be his last race before the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – History could be made Saturday at Gulfstream Park when Awesome Strong and Lynx attempt to sweep both divisions of the Florida Sire Stakes series in the same year for the first time since the series began at Calder Race Course in 1982.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Avenue de France won two stakes at the Del Mar summer meeting, but will only have one chance to win a race at that level at the Santa Anita autumn meeting that begins Friday.
Avenue de France will miss the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf Oct. 8 in favor of the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at a mile on turf Oct. 29.
While the $200,000 Goldikova has a purse $100,000 less than the Rodeo Drive, the timing of the race is a good fit for Avenue de France, trainer Leonard Powell said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Restrainedvengence, an eight-time stakes winner who was third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar last November, has been taken out of training after losing five starts this year.
Restrainedvengence has won 10 of 40 starts and earned $1,022,252. A 7-year-old gelding, Restrainedvengence was last of 10 in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at seven furlongs on Aug. 28 at Del Mar, which may turn out to be his final race, trainer Val Brinkerhoff said Sunday.
