SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It came a year later than anticipated, but Up to the Mark proved worth the wait when he won his career debut by 4 1/4 lengths Thursday at Saratoga.
Up to the Mark, a son of Not This Time, rallied three wide on the turn and drew away from a field of maidens impressively, covering six furlongs in 1:10.87 and earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure. The race was run over a sealed, sloppy track.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Life Is Good and Americanrevolution, two of a deep roster of older dirt horses in Pletcher’s barn, both worked Friday morning at Saratoga.
Life Is Good, recent winner of the Grade 2 John Nerud Stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:02.06 by himself over the main track. He got his final quarter in 24.00 seconds and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.14, seven furlongs in 1:27.71 and a mile in 1:40.89.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Wit, a multiple graded stakes winner on dirt, could make his next start on grass after he breezed a sharp half-mile in 47.67 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course Friday morning.
With, a 3-year-old son of Practical Joke, worked inside of the 5-year-old mare Scotish Star. Wit got his final three furlongs in 35.07 seconds and galloped out a sharp five furlongs in 1:00.03 and six furlongs in 1:12.87.
“Looked to me like he took to the grass great,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “So, it opens up some options.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The connections of Bella Sofia were planning to go easy with the 4-year-old filly this year, with designs of having a fresh horse for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in November.
But with Bella Sofia continuing to do so well and with field size in the female sprint stakes in New York continuing to come up light, it’s virtually impossible to leave her in the barn.
Who faces Flightline in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Sept. 3 at Del Mar? The answer is whoever runs well July 30 in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap.
Grade 1/Group 1 winners Country Grammer (Dubai World Cup), Express Train (Santa Anita Handicap), and Tripoli (Pacific Classic) are among 14 older horses nominated to the mile and a sixteenth San Diego on a Saturday card that also includes the Grade 1 Bing Crosby.
Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., on Friday canceled its racing program for Monday because of excessive heat.
The high temperature Monday is forecast to be 96 degrees with a heat index of around 110.
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Officials at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Canada, have asked the state’s regulatory board to conduct a “full and complete” review of the fifth race at the track on Wednesday night, citing a highly irregular ride on the horse that finished second in the race after slowing to a trot entering the stretch.
Darren Dunn, the chief executive officer of the track, said that he asked the provincial racing regulator - the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority - to conduct the “prompt” review on Thursday morning. Dunn then issued a release stating that the track had asked for the inquiry.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It would appear that Secret Oath and Nest will make it easy on Eclipse Award voters by settling their battle for the 3-year-old filly championship on the racetrack.
Secret Oath beat Nest by two lengths in the Kentucky Oaks on May 6, and the two 3-year-old fillies appear set to meet twice at the Saratoga meet. The first of those two meetings takes place Saturday when the pair head a field of five entered in the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – The Bret Calhoun-trained 2-year-olds who swept divisions of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity on Sunday at Lone Star Park are headed to Kentucky.
Calhoun said Tuesday next race plans are to be determined for both Vietnam Victory, who defeated colts and geldings, and Free Drop Maddy, who won her maiden over fillies.
“They both have upside,” said Calhoun.
Brad Cox, who trained 2021 Haskell Invitational winner Mandaloun, will try for his second straight Haskell with the mercurial but maturing Arkansas Derby winner Cyberknife. Bob Baffert, a nine-time Haskell winner, won the 2020 Haskell in the heart of COVID-19 with Authentic and this year sends the lightly raced and still somewhat unexposed Taiba from California.
