After moving to within one win of a significant milestone when his 3-year-old filly Red Hot Jazz romped by 6 1/2 lengths in Monday's eighth race at Philadelphia Park, trainer Steve Klesaris's push to record his 1,000th career victory was temporarily placed on hold when he didn't enter any horses Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
But based on how hot Klesaris has been lately, especially at Philly Park, it shouldn't be long before he gets to celebrate win No. 1,000.
To win Saturday's Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby, Pyro will have to defeat an unbeaten rival and another who is 7 for 8 lifetime. A field of 12 was entered for the Indiana Derby on Wednesday, with Pyro, the expected favorite, on the far outside.
Power Game, trained by Shug McGaughey, has yet to be tested in three tries, and Tin Cup Chalice earned a $250,000 bonus for sweeping the Big Apple Triple series against New York-breds.
ALBANY, Calif. - Days later, the feeling of euphoria remains at Aggie Ordonez's Golden Gate Fields barn.
Delightful Kiss, trained by her father, Pete Anderson, showed he was ready for his Breeders' Cup assignment, unleashing a strong kick to win the Grade 3 All American Stakes on Saturday. But the day was made even more special when Ordonez sent out Surely Temple for a $14 upset in the day's final race, giving her family a father-daughter double.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Keeneland fall meet will get away to the usual action-packed start when two Grade 1 races are run Friday, the first of 17 days.
The $500,000 Darley Alcibiades, led by undefeated Mani Bhavan, and the $400,000 First Lady, which features Precious Kitten, will kick off what Keeneland calls the FallStars Weekend. Entries for the 10-race Friday opener were drawn Tuesday.
Graded stakes winners Sky Mom and Golden Doc A, whose best performances came on synthetic surfaces, will try to prove they can be equally effective on dirt when they face nine other 3-year-old fillies in Friday night's Grade 2, $400,000 Indiana Oaks at Hoosier Park.
Sky Mom, who has not raced since winning the Grade 3 Arlington Oaks on Aug. 2, drew post 3, one slot outside Golden Doc A, who has lost five straight since capturing the Grade 1 Las Virgenes at Santa Anita in early February.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A gray and rainy Tuesday morning greeted the European shippers who trained for the first time since arriving here at Woodbine early Sunday evening.
Doctor Dino, Lucarno, and Mourilyan all jogged on the main track as they continued their preparations for the Grade 1, $2 million Canadian International, the 1 1/2-mile race for 3-year-olds and upward that is the showpiece of Saturday's Woodbine program.
MIAMI - Last Saturday's card was billed as the Festival of the Sun Preview but instead may have produced more prospective candidates for the Breeders' Cup than either of the Florida Stallion series finales, which highlight Festival of the Sun Day here on Oct. 18.
Both Renda and Smooth Air earned tickets to the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita with their victories in the Brave Raj and Needles stakes, respectively. Renda is being pointed for the Juvenile Fillies Turf or Juvenile Fillies, while Smooth Air will go in the Classic or Dirt Mile.
Autobeacat, who has risen from $20,000 claimer to $100,000 stakes winner over the course of the Louisiana Downs meet, is targeting the Louisiana Champions Day program at Fair Grounds this winter, said his trainer, Eric Heitzmann.
"I do have the Classic in mind," said Heitzmann.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Breeders' Cup Win and You're In program was the catalyst for moving the Canadian International and E.P. Taylor to an earlier date this season.
On Saturday, the effectiveness of that move will become clear when Woodbine offers the Canadian International and the E.P. Taylor, as well as the Nearctic and Summer, on a high-powered card that will earn the winners of all four turf stakes berths in their corresponding Breeders' Cup events at Santa Anita on Oct. 24 and Oct. 25.
The undefeated Peppers Pride will attempt to set a record for consecutive wins by a North American-based Thoroughbred on Saturday at Zia Park, when she shoots for her 17th career win in the eighth race, a $35,000 optional claiming allowance. It will be run over six furlongs, and it is restricted to fillies and mares bred in New Mexico.
