Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, opened its 25th anniversary season with a great deal of expectation in April, but a subsequent impasse between the Texas Racing Commission and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority that restricted the export of its signal in July led to a decline in handle over the corresponding meet in 2021.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Country Grammer, winner of the Dubai World Cup in his last start, has been assigned top weight of 125 pounds for the Grade 2, $300,000 San Diego Handicap on Saturday at Del Mar.
The San Diego, at 1 1/16 miles, is a prep for the biggest race of the meet, the $1 million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles – the World Cup distance – on Sept. 3.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainers are creatures of habit and Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is no different. Thus, despite a deluge of rain accompanied by a few rumbles of thunder and the occasional flash of lightning, Asmussen sent Epicenter out early Monday morning for his final work before Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes.
Hot Rod Charlie breezed six furlongs in 1:12.40 Monday morning at Keeneland, his last serious move before he runs in the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 6.
It was the fourth work for Hot Rod Charlie -- all at Keeneland -- since he was beaten a head by Mind Control in the Salvator Mile at Monmouth Park on June 18.
Trainer Doug O’Neill, reached at Del Mar Monday morning, said he saw a video of the work and liked what he saw.
DEL MAR, Calif. – What a difference a change of scenery has made on the Southern California circuit, where Del Mar posted sensational business figures during its abbreviated three-day opening weekend.
Led by an opening-day handle figure of $23.56 million on Friday, Del Mar averaged $22.35 million in handle for the first three days, which the track reported as both being records.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Dr. Schivel, winner of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar last summer and third in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai in March, has been turned out until the autumn.
Trainer Mark Glatt said Sunday that Dr. Schivel has been sent to a local farm and will remain there until the first of October. The hope of a start in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 5 at Keeneland has been abandoned.
“To work through what he needed to get through, to have a legitimate shot at the Breeders’ Cup would be pushing it,” Glatt said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday all was well with Malathaat the morning after her disappointing second-place finish to Clairiere as the 3-5 favorite in Sunday’s 2 Grade 2 Shuvee.
“She came back good, seemed just fine this morning,” Pletcher noted. “I don’t know why she was so quiet yesterday. She was very lethargic in the paddock. The only thing I can think of was the heat. It just wasn’t like her. She’s not high strung or animated necessarily, but she was dull."
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Olympiad, who has won four graded stakes this year as part of a 5-for-5 campaign, worked a strong five furlongs in 1:00.86 over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Sunday morning in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes here on Aug. 6.
Olympiad, under exercise rider Neil Poznansky, started about 1 1/2 lengths in front of Gilded Age, and basically maintained that margin throughout the work in which he got his last quarter in 23.56 seconds.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Corniche, last year’s 2-year-old champion male, worked a solid half-mile Sunday morning at Saratoga and has been confirmed to run in next Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds, trainer Todd Pletcher said.
DEL MAR, Calif. - After a successful journey to the Middle East earlier this year, Country Grammer will have his 2022 American debut in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Saturday.
The $300,000 San Diego is quite a place for a comeback.
