ARCADIA, Calif. – Flightline, the brilliant and unseasoned colt who earned a 114 Beyer Speed Figure winning an allowance sprint by more than 12 lengths in his second start, will target the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, trainer John Sadler confirmed Wednesday morning.
The announcement ends premature speculation Flightline was under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.
Laurel River won an allowance race at Del Mar so impressively in his two-turn debut earlier this month that trainer Bob Baffert initially entertained thoughts of running in the Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again on Saturday at Santa Anita, but upon further review a more patient approach will be taken with the late-developing 3-year-old son of Into Mischief, Baffert said Tuesday.
Forbidden Kingdom, a fast debut maiden winner at Del Mar, will remain around one turn for the time being and will not stretch out, trainer Richard Mandella said Tuesday.
Forbidden Kingdom had been expected to try two turns for the first time in the Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah going 1 1/16 miles on Friday’s opening-day card at Santa Anita. Instead, he was re-routed to the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, a five-furlong grass race, also Friday.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The $3,352,684 wagered at Hastings on Monday was an all-time record one-day mutuel handle. The previous record of $2,612,316 was set on July 9, 1982. Both days featured large carryovers.
In 1982 it was the pick six, which was not a jackpot wager, and did not have a mandatory payout. Plus, all the money was bet at Hastings.
Monday’s pick five had a mandatory payout of a $560,737 jackpot carryover. An additional $2,604,130 was wagered into the pool.
The pick five paid $3,918.59.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ashlee Brnjas, the private trainer for her father John’s Colebrook Farms, passed away over the weekend at the age of 40.
After starting her equine career with hunters and jumpers, Brnjas made her training debut in 2007. She was the trainer of record of 318 winners from 2,853 starters, for earnings of $10.6 million.
Monmouth Park had total handle of $174.44 million during its 55-day race meet this year, its first full meet since 2019 due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic last year, according to figures compiled by Daily Racing Form.
Per-race handle for a total of 555 races during the meet was $314,306, according to the figures, compared to per-race average handle of $323,536 in 2019, when the track ran 611 races over 56 days. Average field size this year was 7.41 horses per race, compared to 7.11 horses per race in 2019.
Owner and trainer Karl Broberg has purchased a training center near Delta Downs in Vinton, La., he said Monday. He is a perennial leading owner and trainer at the track, which opens its meet in October.
The training center is the former Toomey Downs. Broberg said it’s a 76-acre facility with a five-furlong track. There is a 50-stall barn on the grounds, and Broberg plans to build a second barn of the same size. The facility is located 1 1/2 miles from Delta.
Warrant’s next move is to be determined after the talented 3-year-old won his second notable race of the year Sunday in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.
The win came two starts after his victory in the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park. Warrant, who is based in Kentucky, will now head home to Churchill Downs, trainer Brad Cox said Monday.
“Honestly, in regards to races, I don’t have anything picked out,” Cox said. “We’ll see how he comes out of it and dig up a spot.”
ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockeys Jose Ortiz and Jalon Samuel are expected to return to action this week after avoiding injury in separate mishaps on Sunday’s card.
Ortiz was unseated when Happy Happy B broke down just before the wire in the $150,000 Bertam F. Bongard Stakes. Happy Happy B had to be euthanized. Ortiz went to the hospital where X-rays on his left ankle were negative.
Ortiz, the leading rider at the meet with 10 wins, was not named to ride Thursday, owing to previous plans. He is expected to return on Friday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Stakes winners Gunite and Wit are expected to take on flashy debut winners Jack Christopher and My Prankster in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne, a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 5.
Gunite, trained by Steve Asmussen, won the Grade 1 Hopeful, defeating Wit by 5 3/4 lengths. Wit, who won the Grade 3 Sanford by eight lengths on July 17, stumbled at the start of the Hopeful but made a sustained bid, finishing three lengths clear of the remainder of the field in second.
