OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Nest, who won both the Grade 1 Alabama and Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga this summer, returned to the work tab Saturday morning, breezing an easy half-mile in 50.45 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.
Nest, the clear leader of the 3-year-old filly division, worked outside of Al’s Rocket. They went their opening quarter in 24.60 seconds and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.29.
Jessica Pyfer, the champion apprentice jockey of 2021 who has struggled to gain mounts this year, plans to start working as an in-house television commentator at Santa Anita this fall while continuing to ride.
“I still love riding and the horses I’m riding and the people I ride for,” she said. “I don’t want to quit, but I’m looking at other options.
“It’s been a hard time since losing my bug. I want to learn different aspects of the industry.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York-bred 2-year-old filly Maple Leaf Mel, who won the Seeking the Ante Stakes at Saratoga 16 days after winning her maiden, will be given off the remainder of the year and point to a 3-year-old campaign in 2023, trainer Jeremiah Englehart said Friday.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Leave No Trace, winner of the Grade 1 Spinaway on Sept. 4 at Saratoga, will make her start in the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette on Oct. 2 at Aqueduct, trainer Phil Serpe said Friday.
Serpe said Leave No Trace remained in Saratoga following her 14-1 upset victory in the Spinaway. She will work there Sunday and then ship to Belmont on Monday.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Back from stakes tries at Kentucky Downs, the Christophe Clement-trained pair of Gufo and Big Invasion will have different plans for the remainder of 2022.
Gufo, beaten a nose by Red Knight in the $1 million Kentucky Turf Cup, will be pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Aqueduct on Oct. 8. Big Invasion, who had a six-race winning streak snapped when he finished third in the Franklin-Simpson, will be put away from the remainder of the year and point to a 4-year-old campaign in 2023, Clement said.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Fingal’s Cave, the undefeated New York-bred 3-year-old filly, could make her next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 24, trainer David Donk said Friday.
Donk said he planned to work Fingal’s Cave at Belmont over the weekend and would enter the filly in the Cotillion on Monday. That will give Donk ample time to study the field and see if he wants to take a swing.
He was purchased for $850,000, he is a half-brother to a graded stakes winner, and will be ridden by a Hall of Fame jockey.
The 2-year-old colt Nielson will draw ample attention when he makes his career debut in a maiden special weight race at a mile at Los Alamitos on Saturday. The question is whether he can beat two other first-time starters – stablemate Gandolfini and Jeweled Shillelagh, and Odonato, who was fourth in his second start at Del Mar on July 30.
Skinner, third as a maiden in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs on Sept. 11, could stay in high-profile races, including the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Oct. 8.
Trainer John Shirreffs said on Friday the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes is a leading option for Skinner, who was beaten 9 1/2 lengths by the impressive Cave Rock in the Del Mar Futurity while making his second start.
“We’ll see how he works and trains and nominate him for the race,” Shirreff said. “There are plenty of options with Skinner.”
Free Like a Girl, who last month ran second in the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks, worked a bullet half-mile Thursday in her first move out of the race. Trainer Chasey Deville-Pomier said the 3-year-old filly is headed for the $100,000 Magnolia at her base of Delta Downs.
The seven-furlong race is for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares and it will be run around two turns on the six-furlong track at Delta.
