Mon, 07/26/2021 - 13:00

Murray cool, calm, collected – and fast

Benoit Photo
Murray wins his career debut by 10 3/4 lengths last Sunday at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. – In the post parade for Sunday’s second race at Del Mar, the 2-year-old colt Murray was sending mixed signals to jockey Flavien Prat in advance of his first start.

“I didn’t know what to expect because he was so relaxed,” Prat said. “It can go both ways. They can be focused or they can be lost.”

Murray, it turned out, had his act together. Murray stalked pacesetter Drink the Wind to the turn before pulling clear for a win by 10 3/4 lengths. Murray ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.37. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 78.

Mon, 07/26/2021 - 12:56

Gamine's next dance: Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga

Benoit Photo
Gamine wins the Great Lady M. Stakes by 10 lengths at Los Alamitos on July 5.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Gamine, the champion female sprinter of 2020, will start in the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes for fillies and mares at Saratoga on Aug. 28, trainer Bob Baffert said on Sunday.

The $500,000 Ballerina Stakes is run at seven furlongs and will be the fourth start of the year for Gamine, who has won her last four races beginning with the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland last year.

Mon, 07/26/2021 - 12:36

C Z Rocket saving his energy for the Bing Crosby Stakes

Coady Photography
C Z Rocket, winning the Count Fleet at Oaklawn in the spring, worked a slow five furlongs at Del Mar on Sunday.

DEL MAR, Calif. – C Z Rocket worked five furlongs at Del Mar in 1:01.60 on Sunday morning, a slow time for a gelding who has won four sprint stakes and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland last November.

Trainer Peter Miller timed C Z Rocket in an even slower 1:02 and did not care one bit.

“I don’t want a quick time,” Miller said. “We’ll save it for the afternoon.”

Sun, 07/25/2021 - 18:09

Madone vs. Going Global rematch likely in Del Mar Oaks

Benoit photo
Madone's victory in the San Clemente on Saturday was her fifth in six career starts at a mile.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Madone needed a career-best effort to end Going Global’s five-race winning streak in a thrilling running of the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Saturday.

With a wide rally, Madone held off a determined Going Global to win by a half-length for her fourth career stakes win.

The rematch will occur on Aug. 21 in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on turf, a $300,000 race that the fillies’ respective trainers were looking forward to on Sunday morning.

Sun, 07/25/2021 - 17:28

United targets Del Mar Handicap, with eye on BC Turf

Benoit photo
United (2) wins the Eddie Read Stakes on Saturday for his second win among three starts this year.

DEL MAR, Calif. - It was mission accomplished for United after the 6-year-old gelding won the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes on turf for the second consecutive year at Del Mar on Saturday.

Now comes the tricky part of trying to win the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap on Aug. 21 for the first time in an effort to gain a fees-paid berth for a possible third appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Turf here on Nov. 6.

Sun, 07/25/2021 - 16:28

Caravel hopes to be next female winner of BC Turf Sprint

Debra A. Roma
Caravel was given a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for her victory in the Caress Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Females have won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint each of the last two years and four times in the 13-year history of the race.

Caravel's connections hope to get the opportunity to continue that trend later this year. Caravel, who won Saturday’s Grade 3 Caress Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday, will be aimed at the Turf Sprint, this year a five-furlong race at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

The path to get there could include at least one start against males perhaps as early as Aug. 22 in the Grade 1, $300,000 Highlander Stakes at Woodbine.

Sun, 07/25/2021 - 13:19

Trainer gives credit to jockey for Maracuja's CCA Oaks upset

Barbara D. Livingston
Maracuja (2) catches Malathaat (1) to win the Coaching Club American Oaks on Saturday at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Even some 20 hours later, Rob Atras still sounded in shock when talking about his filly Maracuja’s upset over heavily favored Malathaat in Saturday’s $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, which gave the trainer his first career Grade 1 victory.

“Every win’s great. To win a race like that, a prestigious Grade 1, especially in Saratoga, I can’t put it into words,” Atras said. “I never expected it, caught me off guard.”

Sat, 07/24/2021 - 19:38

Sunday pick-six carryover is $257,811

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There will be a pick-six carryover of $257,811 into Sunday’s card at Saratoga after the wager went unhit Saturday.

There were live tickets to five of the 11 horses entering the last leg, but when Mike’s Girl ($19) won the finale, that triggered the carryover.

The pick six, which is a $1 minimum wager, had a pool of $405,240 on Saturday.

The sequence began in race 6 with first-time starter Midnight Worker ($22) upsetting a field of 2-year-old maidens. Sifting Sands, despite being a turf horse trained by Chad Brown, returned $58 in race 7.

Sat, 07/24/2021 - 16:57

Life Is Good, Essential Quality, First Captain work within minutes of each other

Barbara Livingston
Essential Quality breezes five furlongs outside Bingo John for next Saturday's Jim Dandy Stakes. Luis Saez was aboard for the work.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Life Is Good was the top 3-year-old this winter. Essential Quality, last year’s 2-year-old champion, emerged as the top 3-year-old of the spring. First Captain is attempting to get into the conversation this summer.

On Saturday, at dawn in Saratoga, the trio of 3-year-olds, each put in workouts within about a 10-minute span.

Life Is Good, now in the barn of Todd Pletcher, worked four furlongs in 48.88 seconds just after the Oklahoma training track opened at 5:30 a.m. He got his last quarter in 23.76 seconds.

Fri, 07/23/2021 - 16:38

Jockeys suspended for violating Monmouth whip rule

Two jockeys have been suspended five days each and fined $500 by Monmouth Park stewards for violating the strict whip rules put in place this year by the New Jersey Racing Commission.

The pair of cases are the first to come up at the Monmouth meet, which began in late May.

Carlos Montalvo was suspended from Aug. 24 through Aug. 28 after stewards held a July 16 hearing regarding his case. Carlos Lopez waived his right to a hearing and was suspended July 24 through 28.