SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Rich Strike will be a longshot once again.
The Kentucky Derby winner at odds of 80-1, Rich Strike drew post 2 and was made the 10-1 sixth choice in the field of eight entered Tuesday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers at Saratoga, a race where Epicenter, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness runner-up, was made the 7-5 favorite on David Aragona’s morning-line.
Art Collector returns to Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on Friday night to try and win the $1 million Charles Town Classic for the second year in a row.
Art Collector was much the best in the 2021 Charles Town Classic, coming into the race after winning the Alydar Stakes at Saratoga, and trainer Bill Mott has the 5-year-old horse on the same pattern this year. Luis Saez rode Art Collector in his win a year ago and is named again Friday night.
Jamie Ness, one of the most prolific trainers in the U.S., will appeal a six-month suspension he was recently issued by Pennsylvania stewards after one of his horses tested positive for a hallucinogenic substance that is known to be a feed contaminant, his attorney said on Monday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Trainer Chad Brown said the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Oct 15 would currently be the goal for Haughty after her wire-to-wire victory here Saturday in the Grade 2 Lake Placid.
Haughty was one of four fillies Brown ran in the six-horse Lake Placid along with stablemates Dolce Zel, Consumer Spending, and Eminent Victor, who finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, behind their stablemate in the 1 1/16-mile fixture for 3-year-old fillies on the grass.
DEL MAR, Calif. – A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help support recent emergency care needed for the popular former stakes runner Cost of Freedom, who finished third in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Sprint but had descended to the $8,000 claiming level four years later before he was taken off the track by the benevolence of John Malone, now the head clocker at Del Mar.
Cost of Freedom earned more than $1 million during a 47-race career, but it was Malone, with no former connection to the horse, who got the then 10-year-old gelding off the track after his form plummeted.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Tyler Baze has not had the most enjoyable summer at Del Mar.
After taking off one week to attend to what stewards deemed “personal matters” with his family, he wound up having to miss the entire past week as well when residual traces of a medication he took when his blood pressure spiked Aug. 15 remained in his system through Sunday.
As a result, Baze has missed two straight weeks of action. In addition, Baze has not been cleared to work horses, and he’s one of the most prolific riders on the circuit every morning in terms of getting on runners.
DEL MAR, Calif. – After facing the likes of Life Is Good and Flightline in his last two starts, Speaker’s Corner will look for a bit of class relief while making his first start outside the Eastern time zone when he ships west for the Grade 2, $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes on Saturday at Del Mar.
The Pat O’Brien, at seven furlongs around one turn, is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, which is to be run around two turns Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Epicenter, in the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes, won’t be the only top contender trainer Steve Asmussen will run in a Grade 1 stakes this Saturday at Saratoga.
Jackie’s Warrior in the $600,000 Forego and Clairiere in the $600,000 Personal Ensign figure to be favored in those spots. Gunite, last year’s Hopeful winner, may not be favored in the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens, but leave him off your ticket at your own peril.
“When I nominated them I was like ‘Wow, I like these horses for these spots,’ ” Asmussen said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While Shipsational won’t be competing in Friday’s $250,000 Albany Stakes, one of 11 races and six stakes restricted to New York-breds on the Saratoga card, the 3-year-old who placed in two open-company stakes during the winter is working his way back to the races.
On Sunday, Shipsational worked four furlongs in 48.03 seconds, his third recorded work since he was knocked off the Triple Crown trail with a slight separation of the suspensory ligament in his right foreleg in March.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While Bill Mott decided to send Speaker’s Corner to California for Saturday’s Grade 2 Pat O’Brien at Del Mar, he will still have two horses to run against Jackie’s Warrior in Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Forego Stakes at Saratoga.
Mott plans to enter both Cody’s Wish and Baby Yoda in the Forego, which could draw as many as seven horses when entries are taken Wednesday.
Cody’s Wish, a son of Curlin, has won five of his last six races, including the Grade 3 Westchester at Belmont Park and the Hanshin Stakes at Churchill Downs on July 4.
