SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Corniche, last year’s champion 2-year-old colt, may have had an excuse for his last-place finish in his 3-year-old debut in Sunday’s Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday morning that Corniche shed the frog on his right front foot. The frog, triangular in shape, is the bottom part of the foot and acts like a shock absorber.
Santa Anita has scheduled 93 stakes worth $16.3 million for its 2022-2023 winter-spring meeting, which runs from Dec. 26 to June 19, a slight decline from a stakes program worth $16.47 million in 2021-2022.
Purses for all stakes will be worth at least $100,000, an increase of $25,000 to $30,000 for nine restricted and overnight stakes. The purses of eight stakes have been reduced, notably the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, which will be worth $500,000. The race was worth $650,000 in March, and in recent years had values ranging from $600,000 in 2019 and 2020 to $400,000 in 2021.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Shedaresthedevil is scheduled to return to the scene of one of her biggest career victories when she defends her title on Saturday in the Grade 1, $400,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar, a Win and You’re In toward the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and the most important of four stakes to be run here this weekend.
The Charlie Appleby-trained pair of Nations Pride and With The Moonlight worked six furlongs together over the Oklahoma turf course Sunday morning in preparation for upcoming stakes engagements next weekend for 3-year-old turf horses at Saratoga.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Olympiad tuned up for his toughest assignment of the year in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes, by working a half-mile in 47.73 seconds Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track.
Under exercise rider Neil Poznansky, Olympiad went in splits of 12.38 seconds and 24.14 and galloped out a solid five furlongs in 1:00.93, and six in 1:15.23.
Trainer Bill Mott said he was looking for a little slower time, but wasn’t upset with the way the work was done considering Poznansky didn’t ask him for anything.
Count Again, the winner of the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 30, remains on schedule for the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on turf on Sept. 3, but the race may not fit the calendar for the multiple stakes winner Restrainedvengence.
Restrainedvengence, third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar last November, is winless in four starts this year, and was fifth in the Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in his most recent race on June 19.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Prank looks to be a serious racehorse.
A half-sister to Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal, Prank used speed her brother does not possess to blitz a field of 2-year-old maidens by 9 1/2 lengths Sunday at Saratoga. Under Irad Ortiz Jr., Prank ran a quarter in 21.91 seconds, a half-mile in 45.11 and covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.94 while wrapped up. She earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.
DEL MAR, Calif. - An hour after American Theorem won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday, trainer George Papaprodromou was back to work, standing in the paddock and waiting to saddle Lady Clementine in the 11th race.
The nation’s newest Grade 1-winning trainer, Papaprodromou had a brief moment after the $402,000 Bing Crosby Stakes to savor American Theorem’s win, which secured the 5-year-old ridgling a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland on Nov. 5.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - When a horse has won 11 graded stakes, five Grade 1s including a record one Grade 1 at Saratoga for three consecutive years, there is little left to accomplish. When it comes to Jackie’s Warrior, however, trainer Steve Asmussen still has one more for goal for the freakishly fast 4-year-old colt.
Win a Breeders’ Cup race.
Munnys Gold, the 2-year-old filly who won her debut by 14 1/2 lengths at Monmouth Park on June 17, remains sidelined and won’t be seen until the fall at the earliest, trainer Todd Pletcher said.
:: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.
