DEL MAR, Calif. – The runaway, course-record victory by Sidney’s Candy in his turf debut in the La Jolla Handicap on Saturday at Del Mar has opened a new range of possibilities for future starts, trainer John Sadler said Monday morning, with the Breeders’ Cup Mile, on grass, among the longer-term goals.
“You’ve got to be thinking about that kind of stuff,” Sadler said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Kantharos maintained his reputation as the best 2-year-old on the East Coast – if not the country – with a relatively easy 7 1/4-length victory in Monday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special at Saratoga.
Bail Out the Cat, who valiantly fought with Kantharos until just outside the eighth pole, finished second by 11 3/4 lengths over the first-time starter Manchurian High. Blue Right By was last. Sovereign Default and Wetzel scratched.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After having her final breeze Monday morning at Del Mar, Kentucky Oaks winner Blind Luck was set to arrive Tuesday in Saratoga, where she is to have a showdown with the East Coast’s leading 3-year-old filly Devil May Care in Saturday’s $500,000 Alabama Stakes.
On Monday, Blind Luck worked four furlongs in 49 seconds at Del Mar, an easy move that trainer Jerry Hollendorfer termed a maintenance breeze.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Gio Ponti’s name continues popping up here and there as a possible candidate for the Pacific Classic, but trainer Christophe Clement reiterated Monday morning that he fully intends to send Gio Ponti to Chicago for the Arlington Million.
“The plan is to fly the horse on Wednesday to the Million,” Clement said, reached by phone at Saratoga, where Gio Ponti has put in his last two works.
Clement said Gio Ponti has the Pacific Classic as a backup plan, just in case something out of the ordinary prevents his starting in the Million on Saturday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Chad Brown was initially thinking about holding his top New York-bred turf sprinter Silver Timber out of Thursday’s $70,000 Troy Stakes to await the $250,000 Turf Monster Handicap at Philadelphia Park on Sept. 6.
Upon further review, Brown entered Silver Timber in the Troy and if he actually leads him over to the starting gate, Brown will have the horse to beat in the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Executive Bonnie goes for her third win in a row in Wednesday’s featured third race, and she’s a potential single for those playing the pick six, which has a carryover of $3,195. The feature is a seven-furlong Ontario-sired allowance on turf.
Executive Bonnie, a 5-year-old trained by Darwin Banach, had been idle for more than a year when she finished up the track in a $12,500 maiden claimer last November. After getting the winter and spring off, she resurfaced in a five-furlong maiden dash for Ontario-sired stock June 24, finishing a surprising second.
The big news the closing weekend at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif., was jockey Russell Baze’s 11,000th career victory, but a pair of young runners also merited a bit of the spotlight.
On Saturday, Luckarack improved his record to 3 for 3 with a victory in the Cavonnier.
On Sunday, Sourdough Sam, Northern California’s best 2-year-old last year, made his 2010 debut after a shin injury, beating older in a special allowance race at five furlongs on the turf.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Rachel Alexandra visited Saratoga’s main track Monday morning for the first time since her historic victory in last fall’s Woodward Stakes, breezing a steady six furlongs in 1:13.20, while galloping out 1 1/8 miles in 1:54.09.
It appeared to be her sharpest move to date this year as she prepares for a start in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes here on Aug. 29, her first race at 1 1/4 miles.
Purses for eight of the nine races on this year’s West Virginia Breeders Classic program at Charles Town have been substantially reduced because of less available slots money.
In contrast to last fall, when a record $2 million in purses was available, the 24th annual West Virginia Breeders Classic program on Oct. 16 will be worth $1.3 million, a drop of $700,000.
DEL MAR, Calif – It has not been an easy summer for the older geldings California Flag and Cost of Freedom, major stakes winners who meet for the first time in Wednesday’s $75,000 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar.
California Flag, who won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita last fall for owner-breeder Keith Card, was briefly sidelined last month because of a bruised foot. The setback has left trainer Brian Koriner cautious about California Flag’s chances of defending his title in the five-furlong Green Flash.
