Trainer Robertino Diodoro envisions a different kind of trip for Violent Ridge in Wednesday’s seventh race at Lone Star Park than the horse had in his most recent start.
The feature is a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up over 6 1/2 furlongs.
Violent Ridge enters off a fifth-place finish at this same level May 24 at Lone Star. He was favored in the six-furlong race off a strong meet at Oaklawn Park, but ran an unconventional race.
LOUISVILLE, Ky, – Dale Romans considered Mr Freeze for the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster before deferring to the July 4 Runhappy Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old horse was scheduled to work Tuesday at Churchill after having last breezed June 6.
“We’re going to New York because of the shorter distance,” said Romans. “The mile is just a better fit.”
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Serengeti Empress will be looking to rebound off an 11th-place finish when she faces heavily favored Midnight Bisou in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on Saturday.
Serengeti Empress never saw the lead as the favorite in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 18 at Oaklawn Park and beat a steady retreat. Duly regrouped since then, the speedy 4-year-old filly has breezed five times toward this 1 1/8-mile race.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There’s refreshing depth in the ranks of older dirt horses in America right now.
Bob Baffert has Maximum Security, Mucho Gusto, Improbable, and McKinzie out in California, primed for a big second half of 2020, while Vekoma and Code of Honor are holding down the fort in New York.
Here in Kentucky, the top dogs are Tom’s d’Etat and By My Standards, the two favorites Saturday in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs. But trainer Brad Cox is hoping Owendale can crash the elite, too, by following up on a huge effort in his 4-year-old debut.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lineups are set for the four graded races that help bring an end to the Churchill Downs spring meet this weekend, with the return of Midnight Bisou being the most noteworthy aspect to the Saturday stakes.
Midnight Bisou, the No. 1-rated horse in the weekly National Thoroughbred Racing Association poll since March 10, will have Mike Smith aboard in her first start since finishing second in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup when she faces six other fillies and mares in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis. Serengeti Empress, the 2019 Kentucky Oaks winner, is among the opposition.
Toinette has won four stakes, including three Grade 2 or Grade 3 races, in her 12-race career. She has finished ninth and fourth in two Grade 1 races and may have another chance to race at that level next month.
Toinette won her 2020 debut in Saturday’s Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at a mile on turf for fillies and mares at Santa Anita. Trainer Neil Drysdale said Sunday that the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes, a $350,000 race for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on July 11 at Keeneland, is part of Toinette’s short-term plans.
Indian Peak, winner of the $151,000 Snow Chief Stakes on turf for California-bred 3-year-olds on Saturday at Santa Anita, will be part of trainer Quinn Howey’s 10-horse stable at Del Mar this summer.
Indian Peak will be pointed to a stakes against open company at 1 1/16 miles in early August. Howey said the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes on dirt on Aug. 1 or the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap on turf on Aug. 9 are under consideration.
Collusion Illusion’s brilliant rally that led to a win in Saturday’s Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita is likely to keep the 3-year-old in one-turn races this summer.
Collusion Illusion caught pacesetter Ragtime Blues in the stretch of the $100,000 Barrera Stakes at seven furlongs before drawing away by 3 1/4 lengths at 2-5. The win has led trainer Mark Glatt to strongly consider the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, a $300,000 race at seven furlongs for 3-year-olds, on Aug. 1 at Saratoga.
“It makes some sense,” Glatt said. “It’s Grade 1.”
ELMONT, N.Y. – Last year, Oleksandra won races at Belmont, Saratoga, and Keeneland. Her connections are hoping that pattern repeats itself in 2020.
Oleksandra completed the first step in that process when she rallied from last under Joel Rosario to nail Kanthaka on the wire and win Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Japuir Stakes. Her final time of 1:06.80 was just .06 of a second off the course record set by Tombelaine in 2018.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Twenty-four hours after his dominant victory in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park, No Parole was back in his stall at Churchill Downs.
But the 3-year-old son of Violence will likely be headed back to New York for his next start, most likely in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens on Aug. 1 at Saratoga.
“That’s a logical spot for us, we’ll see how he trains and what the ownership has to say about it,” said trainer Tom Amoss, who trains No Parole for Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin.
