SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Before trainers Todd Pletcher and Tom Albertrani face off in Saturday's Grade 1 Travers with Bluegrass Cat and Bernardini, the two horsemen will do battle in Friday's Grade 1 Personal Ensign when Pletcher sends out Fleet Indian against the Albertrani-trained Balletto.
Only three other fillies and mares were entered in the $400,000 Personal Ensign, run at 1 1/4 miles over Saratoga's main track. The Personal Ensign tops a 10-race card that begins at 1 p.m. Eastern.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Preakness and Jim Dandy winner Bernardini drew post 5 and was installed as the even-money favorite by New York Racing Association linemaker Eric Donovan for Saturday's $1 million at Saratoga.
The field expanded to seven horses when trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. surprisingly put in Kip Deville, the beaten favorite in the Virginia Derby on turf last time out. Kip Deville, worked five furlongs in a bullet 59.14 seconds Wednesday morning over Saratoga's main track.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin would have preferred a better post for Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 at seven furlongs, but his confidence wasn't shaken even after Henny Hughes drew post 2 in a surprisingly large field of 11 3-year-olds.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - As well as Bluegrass Cat was running last year, when he won three straight races, including two stakes, jockey John Velazquez felt the horse still had more to give.
"I always said he ran really good races, but not to his full potential," Velazquez said Wednesday morning. "I thought all the time if he ever gets to put everything together he'd be a really good horse."
ALBANY, Calif. - Golden Gate Fields steps into the future Friday when it begins its 36-day fall meeting.
The 2006 allocation of racing dates gave the track late summer and early fall dates for the first time in its history, and the track's general manager, Robert Hartman, is unveiling new wagering and promotional opportunities in hopes of attracting fans not used to live racing here in August and September.
Historically, the early fall dates have been run at Bay Meadows.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Ian Wilkes will be the first to admit he never envisioned the rapid success he has had since striking out on his own in January after spending the previous 13 years working as an exercise rider and assistant to trainer Carl Nafzger.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - An evenly matched field of six 2-year-olds will line up Friday afternoon at Louisiana Downs in the $50,000 Minstrel Stakes at six furlongs.
L'Grande d'Oro, last seen winning against maiden special weight company at Churchill Downs in late May, may be a slight favorite in a field that does not include a stakes winner. Before his maiden win, L'Grande d'Oro finished second and third in maiden races at Keeneland in April.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Healthy Addiction, the winner of three stakes this year, will miss the $200,000 Palomar Breeders' Cup Handicap at Del Mar on Sept. 2 because of an abscess in her throat, trainer John Sadler said.
Healthy Addiction missed four days of training from Sunday through Wednesday this week, but was expected to return to training this weekend after undergoing treatment.
The decision to pass the Palomar is likely to lead Healthy Addiction to make her next start in the $250,000 Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting on Oct. 1.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - It certainly took a while, but Raw Power finally seems to be delivering on his early promise at age 6.
On Saturday, Raw Power will be looking to reach a new plateau when he seeks his first stakes victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Play the King Handicap at Woodbine.
"Right from day one, I've always thought a lot of him," said Barbara Minshall, trainer and part-owner of Raw Power. "It's been a test of our patience to get over the things that were bothering him. But we waited it out, and he's really come to hand."
