LEXINGTON, Ky. – The sunshine boys, indeed. As nice as the weather has been since the Keeneland fall meet began Oct. 8, the old guys who figure as major contenders in the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes will be in fitting roles when the sun is beaming into the grandstand on yet another sensational afternoon here Thursday.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Mobil Unit towers over the field on class in Thursday’s Woodbine feature, and will undoubtedly be favored in the Ontario-sired allowance for nonwinners of three, which is scheduled for 6 1/2 furlongs on the grass.
Mobil Unit has been second in three consecutive restricted stakes, on three different surfaces, since his victory in an Ontario-sired allowance route June 24. The streak began on the dirt at Fort Erie on July 25, when he helped to set the pace before giving way to Golden Moka in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales.
Zenyatta's trainer, John Shirreffs, gives a press conference on Friday at Keeneland discussing Zenyatta's career and her preparations to defend her title in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5-6.
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Those who revel in the success of our European visitors had plenty to celebrate following the three Grade 1 turf stakes here last Saturday.
The Canadian International, E.P. Taylor, and Nearctic attracted a total of 31 horses with no less than 15 hailing from across the pond.
The final toll was three wins, a second, and two thirds for the Europeans, with the home team accounting for the other three top-three finishes in Woodbine’s final Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In races of the season.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Gold d’Oro defeated Amber Grace by one length in a second-level allowance race at Belmont Park on Sept. 23. When the two meet again in Wednesday’s $70,000 Scoot Stakes here going 1 1/4 miles, there are reasons to believe Amber Grace can turn the tables.
No doubt, the 3-year-old filly Ms Vanenzza is fast. On Sept. 14 at Delaware Park, she won a six-furlong, entry-level allowance race in about 1:09.60. But it’s another quality – her ability to rate and rally – that makes Ms Vanenzza look formidable in the $50,000 Polly’s Jet Stakes on Wednesday at Delaware.
Last year at 2, Ms Vanenzza closed from midpack to win the Blue Hen Stakes, which, like the Polly’s Jet, is contested at 1 1/16 miles over Delaware dirt. And with all speed horses entered in the Polly’s Jet, an off-the-pace trip might be the right trip.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Thinking more long-term than short, trainer Bill Mott said Monday that his promising 2-year-old colt To Honor and Serve would skip the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 6 and instead run in the Grade 2, $150,000 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct the same day.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Harmonious is scheduled to return Thursday to her southern California base in the aftermath of her sensational victory Saturday in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Terrell Owens has a photo of Zenyatta on his cell phone. He’s got a bunch more of the undefeated star mare on his digital camera, too.
The NFL star wide receiver had a free Sunday last weekend, his Cincinnati Bengals had the week off, and Owens spent 30 minutes on an overcast afternoon on the Hollywood Park backstretch at trainer John Shirreffs’s barn. The focus of the trip was an opportunity to meet Zenyatta, the undefeated two-time champion and winner of 19 races.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 17-day Keeneland fall meet hits its midpoint Wednesday with far less fanfare than it started Oct. 8, but hey, that’s the way it goes. A front-loaded meet necessitated by timing toward the Breeders’ Cup usually lays the Keeneland cupboard bare at some point, and the Wednesday card seems a sampling of that.