Sun, 10/27/2019 - 16:33

Breeders' Cup Clocker: Contrasting styles on display Sunday

Barbara D. Livingston
Improbable (Dirt Mile) headed a trio of workers for Bob Baffert on Sunday at Santa Anita Park.

Santa Anita Park
Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019
Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Temp: 60

Arcadia, Calif. – A contrast in styles between a pair of Hall of Fame trainers highlighted Sunday’s Breeders’ Cup training action at sunny Santa Anita, where weather conditions remained ideal and the racetrack fast but still somewhat on the dullish side.

Sun, 10/27/2019 - 16:12

Motion hopes Sharing might follow in dam's footsteps at Breeders' Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Sharing is a contender for Friday's BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Nearly a decade after Shared Account recorded a 46-1 upset in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs in 2010, her filly Sharing will start in Friday’s Grade 1 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

Shared Account gave trainer Graham Motion his second of three wins in Breeders’ Cup races to date. Motion, 55, trains Sharing and is preparing the filly with the belief she can record a surprise win, too.

“I feel good about running her,” he said in a phone interview on Sunday morning. “I think we’re coming in under-the-radar.”

Sun, 10/27/2019 - 15:51

A day after Bold Ruler, Servis still dazzled by Maximum Security's effort

Susie Raisher/NYRA
Trainer Jason Servis (right) walks out of the Belmont paddock with Maximum Security prior to Saturday's Grade 3 Bold Ruler.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Aside from a cut on the back of his right front ankle, Maximum Security came out of his victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park in good shape, trainer Jason Servis said Sunday morning.

Servis said the cut to Maximum Security’s ankle likely happened when he wheeled on the way back to the winner’s circle and, unseating jockey Luis Saez who was able to hold onto the reins.

Sun, 10/27/2019 - 15:08

Belmont 2019 fall meet titles go to Brown, Franco, Klaravich

Justin N. Lane
Manny Franco will miss seven days for a careless riding infraction.

Klaravich Stables, trainer Chad Brown, and jockey Manny Franco all won titles during the Belmont Park fall meet that closed on Sunday. The 38-date season wrapped a tad earlier than scheduled, as heavy rains and winds forced Belmont to cancel following the first race Sunday.

The Klaravich Stables operation headed by Seth Klarman won the owner title with 10 wins, one more than Peter Brant, according to a press release from the New York Racing Association. From a total of 40 starts, Klaravich Stables had meet earnings of $903,765.

Sun, 10/27/2019 - 14:42

Mott trio among a dozen Breeders' Cup workers on Sunday

Barbara D. Livingston
The BC Classic-bound mare Elate covered a half-mile in 49.66 seconds on Sunday at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bill Mott will have three chances to win two Breeders’ Cup races next Saturday at Santa Anita, and all three of his prospects went out for maintenance drills on Sunday morning, part of a group of dozen Breeders’ Cup runners who tuned up here.

Most of the 12 works were of the kind that are simply trying to keep a horse on a regular schedule days out from a championship event. Their quality, and the reaction of their trainers, ranged from a brilliant work by Improbable for the Dirt Mile to a Classic work for Mongolian Groom that his trainer worried was too slow.

Sun, 10/27/2019 - 13:54

Wind, rain force cancellation of closing-day card at Belmont

Belmont Park was forced to cancel the balance of its closing day card after the first race Sunday due to high winds and heavy rains. There were three stakes on the program and those races have been rescheduled, while track officials are looking to move the scheduled mandatory payout in the Empire 6 to Aqueduct, which opens its meet Friday.

The Chelsey Flower and Zagora will be held next Sunday at Aqueduct, with entries for those races to be taken Thursday. 

The Pumpkin Pie will be run Nov. 9 at Aqueduct. Entries are Nov. 6. 

Sun, 10/27/2019 - 10:08

Code of Honor takes it slow over sealed track in final BC Classic work

Justin N. Lane
Code of Honor is scheduled to ship to California on Monday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Code of Honor’s final work for the Breeders’ Cup Classic was not exactly what trainer Shug McGaughey wanted.

Code of Honor breezed a half-mile in 53.80 seconds Sunday morning over Belmont Park’s main track, his final move before Saturday’s $6 million Classic at Santa Anita for which he figures to be one of the favorites. With rain in the forecast Sunday morning, the main track was sealed for training,

Sat, 10/26/2019 - 20:15

Keeneland reports record wagering on 2019 fall meet

Coady Photography
Keeneland raced 17 days at the 2019 fall meet.

All-sources wagering was a record $160.2 million at the 17-day Keeneland fall meet that ended Saturday, according to figures released by officials at the Lexington, Ky., track.

The new mark exceeds the previous track record of $158.6 million set at the 2013 spring meet. The record number was up 11 percent over the 2018 fall meet, when $144.3 million was bet, also on 17 dates.

Sat, 10/26/2019 - 19:10

Breeders' Cup Clocker: Sprinters impress in Saturday outings

Barbara D. Livingston
BC Filly and Mare Sprint contender Bellafina completed four furlongs in 46.50 seconds on Saturday morning at Santa Anita.

Santa Anita Park
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Weather: Clear
Track: Fast
Temperature: 61

Sat, 10/26/2019 - 15:03

Defections lead to major reshuffling of BC Mile field

Susie Raisher/NYRA
Knickerbocker winner Lucullan will be able to draw into Saturday's BC Mile off the also-eligible list.

There’s as much shuffling this weekend in the Breeders’ Cup Mile as in a Las Vegas card room.

Four horses among the 14 top pre-entries aren’t expected to participate in the race, opening the door for a quartet not originally selected to participate to get into the $2 million race.