SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Good Samaritan, last year’s Jim Dandy Stakes winner, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney Stakes next Saturday, according to Elliott Walden, president and CEO of WinStar Farm, which heads the group that owns the 4-year-old.
Meanwhile, Yoshida, a Grade 1 winner on turf who also was nominated to the Whitney, will make his next start in the Grade 1 Fourstardave, a mile turf race Aug. 11, Walden said. Both horses are trained by Bill Mott.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – World Approval, the reigning male turf champion, will be given the remainder of the year off and possibly be brought back for a 7-year-old campaign in 2019, trainer Mark Casse said.
“He’s not where I need him to be right now,” Casse said. “I talked to Mrs. [Charlotte] Weber about it, and she agreed. We’ll turn him out for two or three months.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Pavel, the winner of the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 16, will start in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 18.
Trainer Doug O’Neill and owners Paul and Zillah Reddam have chosen the $1 million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles instead of the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 4. The decision was finalized after Pavel worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Del Mar on Friday.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Victor Espinoza, who suffered a fractured vertebra in a training accident at Del Mar on July 22, was scheduled to be transferred on Friday from a hospital in La Jolla to a local rehabilitation center to continue his recovery, according to his agent, Brian Beach.
Espinoza, 46, is expected to remain in rehab care for a few days to undergo physical therapy.
“They want to tune him up a bit,” Beach said. “I would imagine he would be there through the weekend.”
Beach said the physical therapy would focus on Espinoza’s upper body.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga next month is the next goal for City of Light, who looked sharp working five furlongs in 59.40 seconds on Friday morning at Del Mar under Drayden Van Dyke.
“Very good, very pleased,” said his trainer, Michael McCarthy, who had City of Light sit off a workmate before going on. “It was nice for him to have a little company to run into. He was more into the bridle.”
The Forego is at seven furlongs on Aug. 25. City of Light owns Grade 1 wins in the Malibu and Triple Bend, both at seven furlongs.
DEL MAR, Calif. – There might not be any hiding Anonymity after Sunday. A winner of two of her first three starts, Anonymity could be ticketed for stakes company should the daughter of Tapit win a second-level allowance going seven furlongs, the third race on the card.
“Anxious to keep going with her,” Richard Mandella, her trainer, said Friday morning. “She’s done well so far.”
Anonymity, 4, won her debut last summer at Del Mar and then was second in an allowance race at Santa Anita. “She chipped a knee in that race,” Mandella said.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Reviews are strong for many of the 2-year-olds set to compete in race 6 on Sunday at Del Mar, a six-furlong maiden race that might be a preview of coming attractions.
The field is led by Bob Baffert’s highly regarded Roadster, as well as the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Gunmetal Gray, both of whom are making their debuts. But the field has plenty of depth, including Jefe, who finished strongly for third in his debut last month at Santa Anita for Keith Desormeaux.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Real Story, who won the American Derby in his most recent race, will start in the Grade 1 Secretariat here on Aug. 11, trainer Ignacio Correas said Friday.
Correas said he also plans to start Pont du Gard in the Secretariat, but while Pont du Gard was fourth in the American Derby, Real Story appears to be the horse on the rise.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – It does not appear to be an especially memorable group of Europeans headed to Arlington for the Million card on Aug. 11.
The overseas contingent is in flux, but even adding unlikely runners to the list of those expected to ship does not lead to a trove of gems. The International Racing Bureau, which coordinates overseas shipping to the Million Day races, lists only Deauville and Circus Couture as intended Million runners as of Thursday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Bret Calhoun believes Finley’sluckycharm got the perfect prep for the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 25 in Wednesday’s Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap.
Finley’sluckycharm, under Brian Hernandez Jr., stalked Vertical Oak from the outside and edged away in the final sixteenth to win the Honorable Miss by 2 1/4 lengths.
