SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Decisions, decisions. Forty-eight hours before entries were due and post positions drawn, the connections of several horses still had yet to decide whether to put their 3-year-old in Saturday’s $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.
The connections of Haskell runner-up Trappe Shot, Jim Dandy runner-up Miner’s Reserve, the undefeated Trickmeister, and Withers winner Afleet Again were all still on the fence Monday morning about whether to run in the Travers.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Deputy Minister Stakes runner-up Arepeatee should be favored over five other Ontario-sired runners Wednesday night at Woodbine in the sixth race, a six-furlong allowance for nonwinners of three. Arepeatee, a 3-year-old trained by Bob Tiller, had a busy 2-year-old season, during which he banked $71,234 in eight appearances. Aside from his maiden victory, the highlight of that campaign was his third-place finish in the Bull Page Stakes.
Trainer Chris Grove and apprentice jockey Forest Boyce finished atop the standings at Laurel Park’s 11-day summer meeting that ended Sunday.
Grove, 41, won with 9 of 16 starters at the mini-meet, including four consecutive winners on Aug. 14. He earned his first training title earlier this year at Laurel’s winter meet.
Hamilton Smith and Rodney Jenkins tied for second with five winners each.
Boyce, 25, who ended the Colonial Downs meet with victories on 13 of the last 17 days, retained her hot hand by riding 15 winners at Laurel, including five multiple-win days.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Jim Cassidy did a fast boil after a slow work by The Usual Q.T. last week at Del Mar. On Monday, The Usual Q.T., in his final drill for the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic on Saturday, worked fast, five furlongs in 58.60 seconds, which equaled the best time of 59 at the distance.
“We’ve gone from one extreme to the other,” Cassidy said Monday morning. By Saturday, Cassidy is hoping the right balance can be struck.
Two more horses at Arlington have tested positive for the Class 3 medication etodolac, the sixth and seventh such positive tests at this meet.
Upperline tested positive for the medication after winning the Arlington Oaks, the ninth race on July 3. She has been disqualified from that victory, and her trainer, Mike Stidham, given a 15-day suspension (spanning Sept. 6–Sept. 20) and fined $1,000.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The last of the ship-ins for Arlington Million Day on Saturday were to head home Monday from Chicago, including Debussy, winner of the 28th Arlington Million on Saturday for trainer John Gosden.
Debussy and his stablemate Tazeez, third in Saturday’s Million, were to leave Chicago Monday night and arrive back in England on Tuesday. Debussy especially appeared to come out of the race in good order, Gosden said Monday from England, and in all likelihood will return to the U.S. for a try in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
After a 10-week break for the Northern California fair season, racing resumes at Golden Gate Fields on Wednesday for a 28-day summer meet. The meet runs through Oct. 3.
As usual, officials at the Albany, Calif., track are worried whether there are enough race-ready horses to make for decent-sized fields, but those who do run will find a renovated Tapeta main track and a refreshed turf course waiting for them.
“I think our track’s in pretty good shape,” said Golden Gate general manager Robert Hartman.
Little Widow Maker, beaten a nose as the 9-5 favorite when making her last start in the Aug. 2 Graduation, will be well backed to make amends in Wednesday’s $30,000 Osiris Stakes at Assiniboia Downs.
Trained by Charlie Smith, Little Miss Widow Maker earlier had shipped up from Canterbury Park to capture the 5 1/2-furlong Debutante when making her second career start and looms the solid choice of seven 2-year-olds in the six-furlong Osiris.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Since his arrival in the United States from his native Australia, Hey Elvis has raced three times in claiming races, winning twice. Hey Elvis is stepping into a stakes race for the first time on these shores when he races on Wednesday at Del Mar in the $75,000 Harry F. Brubaker Stakes, but his sharp recent form makes him a formidable opponent against a group of past stakes runners trying to recapture their glory days.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Both divisions of the CTHS Sales Stakes for Canadian bred 3-year-olds will serve as co-features for the strong card at Hastings on Wednesday. The Sales Stakes help promote the local CTHS Yearling and Mixed Sale, which will be held Sept. 14 at the Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, where 152 horses are up for sale. To be eligible to the Sales Stakes, horses must have gone through a CTHS Sale.
Both races are worth $50,000 and will be contested over 1 1/16 miles.