INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Considering trainer Richard Mandella's record on Breeders' Cup Day in past years, anything he starts in those major races merits respect.
He had two winners on the 1993 program and a remarkable four victories in 2003. Both of those days of racing were held at his home base of Santa Anita. This year, Mandella will send a small team to the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5-6. The extent of his team will be better known after Saturday's card at Hollywood Park.
Rachel Alexandra, led by assistant trainer Scott Blasi, departs her training base at Saratoga on Tuesday. The 2009 Horse of the Year was headed to Churchill Downs and eventually the start of her breeding career at Stonestreet Farms in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Barbara D. Livingston.
STICKNEY, Ill. – Eighty-two horses started on Hawthorne’s opening-day card Friday, 96 more ran Saturday, and 97 were entered in the nine races carded for Thursday. So far, the decision to drop Sunday racing this fall and cut back to a four-day racing week is looking like a good one.
The bustling pace of entries extends to the featured ninth race Thursday, a second-level allowance race also open to $30,000 claimers and carded for 1 1/16 miles on grass. A full field of 12 fillies and mares was entered, plus two more horses on the also-eligible list.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The weather was supposed to turn warmer and brighter by Thursday, which may enable the $70,000 Glowing Honor to remain on the inner turf course as scheduled. The six-furlong overnight stakes drew a field of 11 fillies and mares, along with two more for the main track only.
Go for Jan, a versatile 3-year-old filly making her first start since running fourth to Rose Catherine at Monmouth Park on July 31, looms a solid threat on turf or dirt for trainer Eddie Kenneally.
MIAMI – After having what trainer Phil Gleaves called “an eventful summer all around,” Mambo Meister is back home on familiar grounds and ready to try to defend his title a week from Saturday in the Grade 3 Spend a Buck at Calder.
The Spend a Buck is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Mambo Meister used his free ticket to finish fifth, beaten just two lengths, in the 2009 Dirt Mile although Gleaves is leaving any thoughts regarding a return trip to the Breeders’ Cup until after his next race.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Keeneland Race Course will kick off its 17-day fall meet and “FallStars Weekend” on Friday with a 10-race card, one that drew horses from all across North America to set the tone for what should be three weeks of terrific racing.
The opening-day feature is the Grade 1, $400,000 Darley Alcibiades for 2-year-old fillies. Wickedly Perfect, second as the favorite in the Del Mar Debutante last out, has shipped in from California for the 1 1/16-mile Polytrack race and will face fillies who made their last starts at Saratoga, Woodbine, Arlington, and elsewhere.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Tales in Excess was favored on Sept. 4 when she scored a convincing maiden race win by 4 1/2 lengths at Del Mar.
Luckily for the partnership that owns the filly and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Tales in Excess makes her second start in an allowance race at Hollywood Park on Thursday, and not in a tougher stakes race.
Chances are Tales in Excess will be running in those races in the near future if her maiden win is an accurate gauge of her ability.
Mossbank should appreciate the move back to a sprint when he runs in Wednesday’s feature at Northlands Park. The 6 1/2-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up running for a $10,000 claiming price drew eight horses and goes as race 7 on the final mid-week card of the 2010 meet which ends on Canadian Thanksgiving next Monday.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – A half-length loss to Zenyatta in Saturday’s $250,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes has not changed trainer John Sadler’s autumn plans for Switch.
Even though the 3-year-old filly would appear to be a suitable contender for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic over 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 following her determined performance against Zenyatta, Sadler said she is better suited to the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint over seven furlongs on the same day.
“We are looking at the seven-eighths,” Sadler said.
Monsignor will be part of a diverse field on Sunday when he makes his stakes debut in the $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park. He flew into Oklahoma City from New York on Monday for the 1 1/8-mile race that is also expected to draw Grade 3 Ohio Derby winner Pleasant Prince; Grade 3 Canadian Derby winner No Hesitation, and Grade 2 Super Derby runner-up Distorted Economy.