DEL MAR, Calif. – Lovesick Blues earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1 with his late rally in Saturday’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar – with one caveat.
Lovesick Blues must be supplemented to the Breeders’ Cup program for $100,000 when pre-entries are due on Oct. 20.
It’s an investment owner and trainer Librado Barocio is preparing to make as of Sunday.
Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, has moved its Monday card to Thursday due to extreme heat, the track announced on Monday morning.
The Monday card, including trial races for the Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge, will be run as drawn on Thursday, with a first post of 6 p.m. Central Time. The decision was made in consultation with Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse groups and the state racing commission, according to Prairie Meadows.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When entries close Sunday for the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, expect to see Mindframe’s name on the overnight.
When the gate opens for Saturday’s Whitney, don’t expect to see Mindframe breaking from it.
The Baffert-trained Splendora ended a four-race losing streak in graded stakes with a comfortable win in an allowance race for fillies and mares at six furlongs at Del Mar on Thursday.
Ridden by Hernandez, Splendora closed from fourth of seven to win by 3 1/2 lengths, finishing in 1:09.73.
“That was pretty impressive,” Baffert said.
Baffert said in the winner’s circle that he rates Splendora as a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
“We’ll sit down and we’ll think about it,” Baffert said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The speedy Friend Ofthe Devil zipped five furlongs in 59.70 seconds on Friday morning over the Saratoga main track in preparation for the $150,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series on turf on Aug. 14.
The move was a little quicker than trainer Carlos Martin was looking for as he hopes Friend Ofthe Devil will be able to ration his speed when he attempts to stretch out from six furlongs to a mile in the Cab Calloway. Friend Ofthe Devil is 3 for 3 going six furlongs on turf.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Though Chancer McPatrick won his first two-turn race on Thursday, taking the Curlin Stakes by a head over So Sandy, trainer Chad Brown said Friday that his initial inclination is to cut him back in distance for the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens on Aug. 23 rather than seek more ground in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers the same day.
The Jerkens is run at seven furlongs, the same distance at which Chancer McPatrick won last year’s Grade 1 Hopeful. The Travers is run at 1 1/4 miles.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mystik Dan, the 2024 Kentucky Derby, had his first local workout since shipping up here on July 10, and though he worked a half-mile on the dirt Friday morning, it’s possible his future could be on the turf.
Trainer Kenny McPeek said he expects to work Mystik Dan on the turf next week to see how he handles it. If Mystik Dan likes it, a possible next race could be the Grade 3, $2.5 million Mint Millions Invitational going one mile at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse’s fears that Nitrogen’s blowout victory in the off-the-turf Wonder Again Stakes on June 6 was simply a product of a sloppy track were erased Friday morning after the 3-year-old filly worked a sharp half-mile in 47.75 seconds over a fast Saratoga main track.
Jockey Tyler Conner was transported to a nearby trauma center following a one-horse spill in the seventh race at Colonial Downs on Thursday. Remaining races on the card were canceled following the incident.
Conner was turning for home aboard 3-year-old gelding Stanza when another runner in the race crossed into his path and caused Stanza to stumble and fall. Conner fell to the ground and could not get up under his own power, requiring medical attention on the track.
The physical demolition of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., began on Thursday with the razing of the track’s barns along Winner Avenue, Maryland officials said.
The start of the demolition marks the beginning of an estimated two and half year project to build a new grandstand and barn area on the Pimlico property. Demolition of the site’s existing buildings is expected to proceed over the next six months, with reconstruction beginning early in 2026, according to a construction schedule maintained by the Maryland Stadium Authority.
