Evin Roman, the leading rider at the marathon Golden Gate Fields winter-spring meeting earlier this year, resumes riding for the first time since July 10 at Del Mar on Friday.
Roman missed the opening week of the Cal-Expo meeting in Sacramento last weekend to visit family in Puerto Rico, according to his agent, Leo Rodriguez.
Nero Tulip had a bumpy American debut in an allowance race at Santa Anita on May 6, finishing seventh of nine after a troubled trip at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
His next scheduled start – Friday’s $100,000 Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar – may not be much easier.
The Oceanside Stakes, run at a mile on turf for 3-year-olds, is highly likely to have a full field. The Oceanside drew 26 nominations and track officials said on Monday that the maximum of 14 could start. Some owners and trainers may opt for an allowance race for 3-year-olds on turf on Saturday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jockey Junior Alvarado, who has been riding regularly in Florida since December, has decided to move his tack to New York and will be riding at Saratoga full-time starting this week, his agent Mike Sellitto said.
Alvarado had been a New York regular for years before this winter where he rode the Gulfstream Park meet. He decided to remain in Florida for that track’s spring/summer meet where he’s won 41 races from 219 mounts, good enough for fifth in the standings.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It was an atypical slow first week at Saratoga for trainer Steve Asmussen, who started just three horses – without a win – during the first four days of the meet.
Things are about to change.
Asmussen, who had gone 4 for 14 during opening week of the 2021 Saratoga meet, will have plenty of action in the coming days and weeks and spent Sunday and Monday preparing many of his top horses stabled here for upcoming stakes engagements.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Smash Ticket, who was scratched out of the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 9 at Belmont Park over a workers’ compensation insurance issue for trainer Todd Fincher, has been transferred to New York-based trainer Rob Atras and will run in a second-level allowance Wednesday at Saratoga.
Should things go well in this six-furlong race, Smash Ticket could be pointed to the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress Stakes for 3-year-old fillies here Sept. 2, Atras said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Ocean Road, winner of the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita in May, suffered a torn tendon ligament in a front leg and has been retired from racing, trainer Brendan Walsh said Sunday.
Ocean Road had been intended for a start in Saturday’s Grade 1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga.
“Have to call it a day with her unfortunately,” said Walsh, who trains Ocean Road for Qatar Racing. “It’s very disappointing because we didn’t feel like we had gotten to the bottom of her yet. She was going to improve.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Nest, runner-up in the Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Stakes, completed her preparations for the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here next Saturday by working five furlongs in 1:01.30 over Saratoga’s main track.
Nest went in company with Corniche, last year’s 2-year-old male champion, who is pointing to the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes on July 31.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Two days into the Saratoga meet and handicappers haven’t solved the pick six yet, resulting in a two-day carryover of $532,907 into Saturday’s card.
There was a $120,345 carryover into Friday’s card after opening day and bettors poured another $723,758 into the pool on Friday. There were no winning favorites in a sequence that included Juulstone ($14.40), Danzigwiththestars ($16.20), Six Percent ($15.20), Empress Tigress ($9.20), City Man ($26.60) and Khali Magic ($15.80).
A potential odds-on favorite and a gaggle from the deepest turf stable in California are among the nominees to opening-week stakes at Del Mar, where four of the five stakes July 22-24 are on grass. Nominations that closed Thursday include one of the country’s top turf milers in Smooth Like Strait, and 19 turf specialists trained by Phil D’Amato.
