SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – On his cell phone, underneath his alarm, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has three emojis: a trophy, a goat, and prayer hands. It is a daily reminder of the motivating force behind all the work Ortiz does each day – another Eclipse Award.
Though Ortiz has won five Eclipse Awards as North America’s champion jockey – he was unseated last year by Flavien Prat – he wants more.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Om N Joy is likely to start in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar on Aug. 30 after extending her winning streak to four races with her third consecutive stakes win in Friday’s $152,000 Fleet Treat Stakes for statebreds.
“I think the Torrey Pines would be a good place to jump into open company,” trainer Aggie Ordonez said on Monday.
“I know it’s a big step up. I feel like she’s doing well enough here and the timing is just right. It gives her five weeks.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Lovesick Blues earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1 with his late rally in Saturday’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar – with one caveat.
Lovesick Blues must be supplemented to the Breeders’ Cup program for $100,000 when pre-entries are due on Oct. 20.
It’s an investment owner and trainer Librado Barocio is preparing to make as of Sunday.
Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, has moved its Monday card to Thursday due to extreme heat, the track announced on Monday morning.
The Monday card, including trial races for the Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge, will be run as drawn on Thursday, with a first post of 6 p.m. Central Time. The decision was made in consultation with Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse groups and the state racing commission, according to Prairie Meadows.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When entries close Sunday for the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, expect to see Mindframe’s name on the overnight.
When the gate opens for Saturday’s Whitney, don’t expect to see Mindframe breaking from it.
The Baffert-trained Splendora ended a four-race losing streak in graded stakes with a comfortable win in an allowance race for fillies and mares at six furlongs at Del Mar on Thursday.
Ridden by Hernandez, Splendora closed from fourth of seven to win by 3 1/2 lengths, finishing in 1:09.73.
“That was pretty impressive,” Baffert said.
Baffert said in the winner’s circle that he rates Splendora as a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
“We’ll sit down and we’ll think about it,” Baffert said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The speedy Friend Ofthe Devil zipped five furlongs in 59.70 seconds on Friday morning over the Saratoga main track in preparation for the $150,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Series on turf on Aug. 14.
The move was a little quicker than trainer Carlos Martin was looking for as he hopes Friend Ofthe Devil will be able to ration his speed when he attempts to stretch out from six furlongs to a mile in the Cab Calloway. Friend Ofthe Devil is 3 for 3 going six furlongs on turf.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Though Chancer McPatrick won his first two-turn race on Thursday, taking the Curlin Stakes by a head over So Sandy, trainer Chad Brown said Friday that his initial inclination is to cut him back in distance for the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens on Aug. 23 rather than seek more ground in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers the same day.
The Jerkens is run at seven furlongs, the same distance at which Chancer McPatrick won last year’s Grade 1 Hopeful. The Travers is run at 1 1/4 miles.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mystik Dan, the 2024 Kentucky Derby, had his first local workout since shipping up here on July 10, and though he worked a half-mile on the dirt Friday morning, it’s possible his future could be on the turf.
Trainer Kenny McPeek said he expects to work Mystik Dan on the turf next week to see how he handles it. If Mystik Dan likes it, a possible next race could be the Grade 3, $2.5 million Mint Millions Invitational going one mile at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse’s fears that Nitrogen’s blowout victory in the off-the-turf Wonder Again Stakes on June 6 was simply a product of a sloppy track were erased Friday morning after the 3-year-old filly worked a sharp half-mile in 47.75 seconds over a fast Saratoga main track.
