ELMONT, N.Y. – Bob Baffert will find himself in the rare role of hunter instead of hunted in a graded stakes in New York when he sends out Mother Mother against the champion Monomoy Girl in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park.
Mother Mother was one of just four horses entered against Monomoy Girl, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2018. With only five horses in the field, the Ruffian will go as race 4 on a 10-race card that begins at 1:15 p.m. Eastern.
Kenny McPeek sang a familiar refrain when revealing Wednesday that Swiss Skydiver will run against males Saturday in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
“This has already been one of the weirdest years ever,” said McPeek, referring to the far-reaching repercussions of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Might as well add to it.”
WHO’S HOT
Uncle Chuck has raced just twice, but has impressed to the extent in those races – including his victory last Saturday in the Los Alamitos Derby – that he is now the fifth choice, at 12-1, on the line of Daily Racing Form’s Marty McGee for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. He was 20-1 a week ago. Fellow late developer Creed, who won an allowance race last week at Belmont for his second straight victory, was lowered from 50-1 to 30-1.
In 2019, trainer Jonathan Wong made his fist extensive venture to the Del Mar summer meeting. Wong, who is based primarily at Golden Gate Fields, won six races from 38 starters. By comparison, the 31-year-old trainer won five races from 16 starters at Del Mar summer meetings from 2015 to 2018.
Much has changed in the last year.
Wong’s status among Southern California trainers has risen, thanks to the support of Tom and Debbie Stull’s Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, and notably the success of their 4-year-old filly Keeper Ofthe Stars.
DEL MAR, Calif. – It was here at Del Mar eight years ago when Beholder won the first of what would be 18 victories during a spectacular career that brought her four Eclipse Awards. It hardly seems like five years have passed since her lopsided win against males in the 2015 Pacific Classic, and nearly four years since she ended her racing career with a breathtaking triumph over Songbird in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Carlos Grant won with his first two starters at the meet, Eskiminzin and Moksgmol, last weekend. What was particularly impressive about the feat was that both Jecara Farms homebreds had recovered from a bout of the equine herpesvirus that swept through Barn 12 at Woodbine in May.
Eskiminzin won a second-level optional claimer going 7 1/2 furlongs on the inner turf over a good field at 7-2. The 5-year-old was the first winner here for Darryll Holland since the former English rider won the curtain raiser on opening-day June 6.
Rulings by stewards at Oaklawn Park into medication violations by two horses trained by Bob Baffert who won races on May 2 at Oaklawn are expected to be issued next week, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which oversees the state’s racing commission, said Tuesday.
The horses are Charlatan, who won a division of the Arkansas Derby, and the filly Gamine, who won an allowance race that day and most recently won the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park.
The top 3-year-old turf horse in California is done for the year. Hariboux, winner of the Pasadena and Cinema stakes at Santa Anita, sustained an unspecified injury and will be out until 2021, trainer Jeff Mullins said.
“He got hurt, and he’ll be all right,” Mullins said without offering details. “He’s probably going to need eight months to a year off.”
Lone Star Park near Dallas has temporarily suspended live racing after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a statement from a track spokeswoman.
The track remains open for simulcasting.
Lone Star canceled after the first race Sunday, and on Monday a racing official said the following three cards, which were scheduled for Monday through Wednesday, had been canceled. Entries on those days also had been canceled.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Jolie Olimpica is heading back around two turns and is heading out of town, with the Grade 1, $350,000 Jenny Wiley on Saturday at Keeneland set for her next start after a sharp tune-up Monday morning at Del Mar.
Jolie Olimpica officially worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 after breaking off at the half-mile pole, including an eye-catching furlong from the wire to the seven-furlong pole. It all met with the approval of her trainer, Richard Mandella, who had her scheduled to fly out early Tuesday morning.
“Real nice,” Mandella said of the work.
