Wed, 09/02/2020 - 15:48

Brian Hernandez Jr. cleared to ride

Barbara D. Livingston
Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. rode four winners Thursday at Churchill Downs.

Not only did Brian Hernandez Jr. lose a prime Kentucky Derby mount when Art Collector was declared out Tuesday with a minor injury, but the 34-year-old jockey tested positive for the coronavirus the previous day.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 15:30

Glens Falls might lose a couple entrants

Barbara D. Livingston
My Sister Nat, ridden by Jose Ortiz, wins the Grade 3 Waya Stakes at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Civil Union, winner of the River Memories Stakes on closing day at Belmont Park, and My Sister Nat, winner of the Grade 3 Waya Stakes here Aug. 8, top the field entered for the Grade 2, $200,000 Glens Falls Stakes, scheduled for 1 3/8 miles over the inner turf Saturday.

:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 15:26

Top three from Victory Ride rematched in Prioress

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Frank's Rockette (right), ridden by John Velazquez, repels 13-1 longshot Reagan's Edge to win the Victory Ride Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Frank’s Rockette, Reagan’s Edge, and Center Aisle, separated by less than a length when running 1-2-3 in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 4 at Belmont Park, will square off again in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Prioress at Saratoga.

The Prioress, like the Victory Ride, is run at six furlongs.

:: Get DRF's Betting Strategies for Saratoga's weekend cards

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 15:26

Mystic Guide dons shades for Jim Dandy

Barbara D. Livingston
Mystic Guide will race in blinkers for the first time in Saturday's Jim Dandy Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mystic Guide, the beaten favorite in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes, will get the addition of blinkers when he looks to make amends in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.

Mystic Guide, a son of Ghostzapper owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Michael Stidham, was as far back as 11 lengths off the pace in the Peter Pan. He rallied to be third, 3 1/2 lengths behind winner Country Grammer.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 15:20

Math Wizard likely to run in Woodward off eight-day turnaround

Barbara D. Livingston
Math Wizard, shown working outside Ny Traffic at Saratoga on Aug. 13, closed well in his last start to be second to Global Campaign in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Having watched Math Wizard train so well at Saratoga, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was torn between running him in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic last Friday or the Grade 1 Woodward here on Saturday.

It looks like he’ll run in both.

:: Get DRF's Betting Strategies for Saratoga's weekend cards

Math Wizard, who finished fifth in the Charles Town Classic, was entered Wednesday in the Woodward, which drew a field of six led by Tacitus.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 14:50

Rispoli, Prat battling for riding title on closing weekend

Benoit Photo
Umberto Rispoli leads Flavien Prat by one win coming into closing weekend.

Del Mar plans to run 42 races from Friday through Labor Day in the closing days of the track’s summer meeting. It may take that long to determine a close race for leading rider.

Through Monday, Umberto Rispoli led the standings with 42 wins, one more than Flavien Prat, who won his third summer riding title at Del Mar last year. Rispoli, who relocated from Hong Kong last December, is riding at Del Mar for the first time this summer.

Rispoli had three wins Monday to take the lead, doing so on his 32nd birthday.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 14:46

Blanc sidelined with broken ribs following Monday fall

Benoit Photo
Jockey Brice Blanc said riders must "adapt" to the new whip rules.

Jockey Brice Blanc was released from a San Diego area hospital Tuesday after sustaining broken ribs in a one-horse spill in the eighth race Monday at Del Mar.

Blanc is expected to be sidelined for six weeks, according to his agent, George Bradvica.

:: DRF's Del Mar headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 14:46

Warren's Showtime to take on males in Del Mar Derby

Emily Shields
Warren's Showtime paid $72 to win Sunday's Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita.

Warren’s Showtime led by a length in the stretch of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Aug. 22 before finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind upset winner Red Lark.

Warren’s Showtime will have a final chance for a stakes win at the Del Mar summer meeting when she starts on the same course and distance in Sunday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Derby.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 13:50

Kentucky Derby has first Black owners in 13 years

Barbara D. Livingston
A $100,000 claim in June, Necker Island will try to become the fourth ex-claimer since 1999 to finish first in the Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Will Harbut Racing LLC, is one of the three owners of Kentucky Derby entrant Necker Island. Will Harbut’s name is familiar to students of racing history – he cared for the legendary Man o’ War in his stallion career in Kentucky for more than 16 years. The man behind Will Harbut Racing is the groom’s great-grandson, Greg Harbut, a bloodstock agent who named the operation for his family’s deep ties to racing, which are especially poignant in this year of racial unrest.

Wed, 09/02/2020 - 12:20

Cordero has new rising star

Barbara D. Livingston
Angel Cordero Jr. represented John Velazquez for more than 25 years. He remains the agent of Manny Franco.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For the first time in more than two decades, Angel Cordero Jr. won’t be rooting for his protégé John Velazquez to win the Kentucky Derby.

Arguably the most accomplished agent-jockey tandem in racing history, Cordero and Velazquez split up earlier this year after 22 years together. Cordero believes the split came at least in part because he fought hard for the connections of Tiz the Law to keep his other client, Manny Franco, on the horse when other riders were inquiring about replacing him following the horse’s only loss last fall.