Sun, 07/22/2018 - 13:22

Hofburg, Bravazo work ahead of Travers Stakes prep races

Barbara D. Livingston
Hofburg drills a half-mile in 49.22 seconds Sunday ahead of Friday’s $100,000 Curlin Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The 3-year-olds Hofburg and Bravazo put in workouts approximately four hours apart Sunday morning over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for stakes engagements that their trainers hope eventually land them in the Travers Stakes on Aug. 25.

Hofburg, the third-place finisher in the Belmont Stakes, worked a half-mile in 49.22 seconds, getting his final quarter in 24.17 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:03.50. He is preparing for Friday’s $100,000 Curlin Stakes.

Sun, 07/22/2018 - 11:41

Imperial Hint gets green light for Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap

Barbara D. Livingston
Imperial Hint (center) got up for a neck victory in Friday's Grade 2 True North Stakes.

Imperial Hint came out of his bullet half-mile workout at Parx on Saturday in good condition and is on target to start in the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap next weekend at Saratoga.

Trainer Luis Carvajal said he likely would ship Imperial Hint to Saratoga late Thursday afternoon for Saturday's six-furlong Vanderbilt.

Sat, 07/21/2018 - 20:01

Tim Rycroft's six winners may mark record in Canada

Trainer Tim Rycroft saddled the winners of six of the eight races run Saturday at Northlands Park in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, including the $50,000 Don Getty Handicap with Trooper John. 

Officials with Northlands were working late Saturday to verify if the feat was a training record in Canada.

Rycroft’s winners came in the first with Blues Roar ($17); the second with Super Cooper ($4); the fourth with Command the Land ($6.10); the sixth with Florist ($5.40); the seventh with Trooper John ($3.90); and the eighth with Trippi River Man ($10.50).

Sat, 07/21/2018 - 18:14

Lone Star sees business gains across the board in 2018

Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, closed out its meet Thursday night with handle on its races averaging more than $1 million a program for the first time since 2010, according to track officials. Lone Star also experienced an increase in average daily attendance during the season that ended at 41 dates after the final three programs were lost due to record heat in the area. The meet originally was to close Sunday.  

Last year, Lone Star raced 50 dates for Thoroughbreds.

Sat, 07/21/2018 - 16:10

Plenty of big names on busy Saturday work tab

Barbara D. Livingston
Gronkowski (right) and Kurilov worked a half-mile in company over the Saratoga main track Saturday morning.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With inclement weather on the horizon, trainers flooded the work tab on both tracks on a gorgeous Saturday morning at Saratoga with more than 350 horses putting in timed workouts.

Among the highlights of an outrageously busy morning was the return to the worktab of Belmont Stakes runner-up Gronkowski and Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Instilled Regard.

Sat, 07/21/2018 - 14:24

John Mabee Stakes likely next for Fahan Mura

Benoit Photo
Fahan Mura led all the way in Friday's Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Fahan Mura is expected to start in the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes on Sept. 1 after winning her first stakes in Friday’s $82,125 Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar.

Paradise Woods, the two-time Grade 1 winner in 2017, faces an uncertain future after finishing a quiet sixth in her turf debut in the Osunitas.

Fahan Mura ($15.40) led throughout the Osunitas at 1 1/16 miles on turf, winning by 1 3/4 lengths under jockey Edwin Maldonado without facing a serious challenge.

“I was hoping that would happen,” trainer Vladimir Cerin said.

Sat, 07/21/2018 - 14:18

Abel Tasman unlikely to start in Clement Hirsch Stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa
Unique Bella wins the Beholder Mile by 2 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on Saturday.

DEL MAR, Calif. - There is likely to be only one 2017 champion in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on July 29.

Unique Bella, the champion female sprinter of 2017, will be a heavy favorite in the $300,000 Hirsch Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares. Trainer Bob Baffert said Saturday that Abel Tasman, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2017, is unlikely to start in favor of a trip to Saratoga for the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 25.

Fri, 07/20/2018 - 16:16

Grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro transferred to Asmussen

Barbara D. Livingston
Bolt d'Oro most recently finished 11th in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 9 at Belmont Park.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Bolt d’Oro, the multiple Grade 1-winning 2-year-old of 2017 who has had a star-crossed 3-year-old campaign, has been moved to trainer Steve Asmussen by owner and former trainer Mick Ruis.

Bolt d’Oro, who had been in Kentucky since his 11th-place finish in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 9 at Belmont Park, arrived at Asmussen’s Saratoga barn on Friday. Ruis told the New York Racing Association publicity department that he needed to spend more of his time focusing on his scaffolding company based in San Diego.

Fri, 07/20/2018 - 16:16

American Guru possible for Fourstardave

Barbara D. Livingston
American Guru (left) finishes second to Voodoo Song in a May 12 allowance race.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – American Guru, an impressive allowance winner at Belmont Park on July 7, worked a half-mile in 49.85 seconds Friday over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga.

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens said American Guru could be considered for the Grade 1 Fourstardave on Aug. 11. Jerkens was initially planning on running Delta Prince in that spot, but owner Frank Stronach has indicated that he wants to wait for the Woodbine Mile to run that horse.

“We got to try two turns sooner or later,” Jerkens said.

Fri, 07/20/2018 - 15:36

Asmussen makes plans for 3-year-olds

Barbara D. Livingston
Mind Your Biscuits worked seven furlongs in 1:26.56, galloping out a mile in 1:39.78 on Friday at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Steve Asmussen has Tenfold pointing to the Jim Dandy and Zing Zang to the Curlin.

On Friday, he worked Combatant on the turf and was pleased enough with what he saw to point him to the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes on turf here Aug. 3.

“I thought he worked great,” Asmussen said. “It makes it feel like the Hall of Fame. Makes me wonder what I’m going to do with Reride. The Jim Dandy is a possibility. He’s freakishly versatile.”