HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Kathleen O’Connell has developed more than her share of talented horses during a long and successful career that has produced 2,283 victories, 83 of those coming in stakes races. Her latest star is the undefeated 3-year-old Florida-bred filly Khozmore, who gives every indication she will add to O’Connell’s stakes total.
Khozmore won Thursday for the third time in as many tries, drawing away to a 3 3/4-length allowance triumph.
Led by Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and champion Gamine, there were several notable workouts at Santa Anita on Friday in advance of Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6.
Medina Spirit worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds, his first major exercise since a win in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes against older horses on Oct. 2. Medina Spirit is one of the leading 3-year-old hopefuls for the BC Classic on Nov. 6.
Princess Grace, unbeaten in three graded stakes this year, is returning to California for a start on the first weekend of November at Del Mar, with the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes on Nov. 6 a likely goal.
Trainer Mike Stidham said on Friday that Princess Grace is under minor consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 6, if the race loses a few leading contenders.
“It would take hearing that a couple of the ones that we consider the really tough horses are not running,” he said.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Stand Tall, a winner of a second-level allowance here Wednesday, is a possibility to run back on 10 days’ rest in the Oct. 24 Dowager, trainer Rusty Arnold said Friday.
“We’re thinking about it,” said Arnold. “You’ve got to get a little aggressive at the end of the year, especially with no turf racing coming up at Churchill” during the fall meet because of the ongoing turf-course renovation. “There’s a good chance we’ll do that, depending on how she acts once we get her back training.”
Gaffalione to the fore
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Olympiad earned a big Beyer Speed Figure for a second straight race when he held off Milliken to win a first-level allowance here Thursday, getting seven furlongs in a quick 1:21.92 with Flavien Prat up. He was given a Beyer of 98 and paid $3.80..
In his previous start, Olympiad, a 3-year-old Speightstown colt, got a 105 when second to Baby Yoda in a Sept. 4 allowance at Saratoga when returning from a one-year layoff.
Two horses that raced in stakes races at Monmouth Park in New Jersey this summer have been disqualified after testing positive for regulated medications, according to rulings posted on the Association of Racing Commissioners International.
The Critical Way, trained by Jose Delgado, was disqualified from first in the $76,500 Get Serious Stakes at Monmouth on June 19 after testing positive for levamisole, a deworming agent that can metabolize to aminorex, which is a stimulant. Delgado was issued a 15-day suspension. The Critical Way was the 9-10 favorite in the race.
The undefeated gelding One Timer is working quickly in advance of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 5.
Wednesday at Santa Anita, One Timer worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds at Santa Anita, the fastest of 15 works at the distance.
“It wasn’t supposed to be that fast,” trainer Larry Rivelli said. “The plan was to go a half in 50. Our rider thought he was going slower than he actually was.”
On Oct. 1, One Timer earned a fees-paid berth to the Juvenile Turf Sprint with a win in the Speakeasy Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita.
Trainer Andrew Lerner will have his final starter on Saturday at Santa Anita before disbanding his small stable.
Lerner, 32, has won 88 races since he began training in 2017 and said on Thursday that he plans to stay involved in California racing as an owner.
A leading factor in the decision to quit training was the birth of a daughter last month.
“It was a decision I thought about six or seven months ago,” he said. “We have a newborn daughter and my priorities changed.”
