Touch Tone has been caught in major stakes after setting the pace going 1 1/8 miles in each of his last two starts. On Sunday he will have to carry his speed even farther in the
1 1/4-mile Super Derby, a Grade 1, $500,000 race for 3-year-olds.
"I believe he'll handle [the added distance], but you don't know for sure until you get out there and try it," said Ronny Werner, who trains Touch Tone for Tom Durant. "I do think the racetrack surface there will suit him."
ELMONT, N.Y. - Although flights to ship horses in and out of New York were scheduled to resume on Tuesday, trainers in California on Monday still seemed leery of sending horses across the country, which could seriously impact Saturday's Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park.
Ceeband, Performing Magic, and Tribal Rule were being considered for Saturday's Grade 1 Vosburgh but will not run. I Love Silver, another California-based horse, was scheduled to run in the Vosburgh as of Monday.
CHICAGO - Turf-horse auditions are being held Wednesday in the Mike Stidham barn. Not once, but twice on Arlington's nine-race card, Stidham will saddle horses who have never raced on grass, and when he tightens the girth on Saturday in May before the featured eighth race, he will do so with a somewhat heightened sense of anticipation. "If he ever puts it all together, he could be a good horse," Stidham said.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stakes-placed fillies Red Satin Slippers and Skipping Stone should garner the bulk of the betting action in Wednesday's second race at Woodbine, a preliminary allowance on the grass.
Red Satin Slippers lost a nail-biter going about 1 1/8 miles at this condition Aug. 18, and is coming off a respectable third behind Free Vacation in the 1 1/2-mile Flaming Page Handicap. Emile Ramsammy rides for trainer Laurie Silvera.
AUBURN, Wash. - Horatio, a lightly-raced son of Sea Hero with a withering stretch kick, took advantage of a brisk pace to defeat 11 other 2-year-olds in Saturday's
1 1/16-mile, $100,000 Gottstein Futurity at Emerald Downs.
Under Javier Matias, the Dave Forster-trained Horatio came from far back to grab the lead with a furlong remaining, then drew out to score by nearly three lengths over Melcapwalker in 1:46.40. Moloch, part of a three-horse entry that was favored at 7-5, got up for third.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Reno Rumble struck a blow for the older generation Sunday at Arlington, powering past the pacesetting Fan Club's Mister in the shadow of the wire to win the $45,000 Tex's Zing Handicap.
The 7-year-old Reno Rumble is more than twice the age of the 3-year-old Fan Club's Mister, who was making his first start against older horses. Fan Club's Mister, a Grade 2 winner at Arlington this summer, lost by a nose Sunday in a head-bobbing finish.
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Champs Elysees made the most of her first stakes appearance in Saturday's $150,000 River Cities Breeders' Cup, kicking clear from odds-on favorite Watch late to prevail by1 1/2 lengths. Euryanthe finished a fast-closing third, just a head behind Watch, while second choice Nanie's Dinner faded to finish fourth.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Alinga, ridden by Brice Blanc, held off the late charges of Blushing Ballerina and Walts Wharf to win the $50,650 Carmel Handicap for fillies and mares at Bay Meadows Saturday.
Gifted Daughter set a modest pace in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, with Alinga in closest pursuit, followed by Super Tuesday and Walts Wharf. Blushing Ballerina was well back in seventh place.
Officials of Breeders' Cup Limited on Monday affirmed plans to hold the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on Oct. 27 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
"Currently, there are no insurmountable obstacles to running the World Thoroughbred Championships in New York," said Breeders' Cup President D.G. Van Clief Jr in a released statement. "Like all other sports organizations we are closely monitoring the situation and are taking every precaution to ensure the security of our patrons and our event participants."
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Moonlight Affair rallied stoutly in the stretch under a patent ride from Todd Kabel to take the $129,375 La Prevoyante Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
Moonlight Affair trailed the six-horse field early, while Devastating set uncontested fractions of :23.99 and :47.50 in the one-mile turf event. Moonlight Affair was angled five-wide for the drive, and split horses at the eighth pole before drawing off to score by 1 3/4 lengths.