LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mark Casse experienced a few moments of sheer terror Saturday when watching La Coronel run in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland via satellite dish at his Ocala, Fla., home.
“They were coming down the stretch and the screen suddenly went blank,” said Casse. “I didn’t know whether she’d won or lost. There were a few very tense moments there.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Corey Nakatani has been suspended three days for failing to ride his mount to the finish in Saturday’s fifth race, according to a ruling issued Sunday by Santa Anita stewards.
Matt Nakatani, the jockey’s son and agent, said Sunday that Corey Nakatani was considering an appeal. Nakatani was cited for his ride on Hard Arch, who finished fifth in a $20,000 claiming race for maidens. Hard Arch was third with a furlong remaining and was beaten a half-length for fourth place.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The unbeaten 2-year-old Beautiful Shot will be on a gradual career path this fall.
After Beautiful Shot won his stakes debut in Sunday’s $73,405 Speakeasy Stakes at six furlongs at Santa Anita, trainer Keith Desormeaux said the colt is a candidate for the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes, a $100,000 race at seven furlongs Nov. 11 at Del Mar.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 4 at Del Mar is not part of the discussion.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Bal a Bali, unraced since a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 20, is likely to start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
But trainer Richard Mandella said last weekend that Bal a Bali faces a tight schedule to be in peak form for the $2 million grass race. Gaining a spot in the field is not an issue. Bal a Bali earned a fees-paid berth with his win in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in June.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Capla Temptress, the winner of the Grade 1 Natalma on Sept. 17, worked five furlongs in 1:01.82 over the Belmont turf course on Sunday in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 3 at Del Mar.
In her work, her second since being transferred to Bill Mott from Marco Botti, Capla Temptress started two lengths behind Lemoona, a maiden 2-year-old filly, and finished one length back at the wire.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Rubilinda, who held on to win Saturday’s $200,000 Pebbles Stakes by a nose over Party Boat, is likely to make her next start in the Grade 1, $300,000 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 26, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Chad Brown likely will pre-enter 14 horses in the Breeders’ Cup series at Del Mar on Nov. 3-4, the reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer said Sunday.
Pre-entries are not due until Oct. 23 and won’t be announced until two days later. But with all the major prep races completed, and following several workouts over the weekend, Brown has pretty much solidified his lineup.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Finest City, the champion female sprinter of 2016, and West Coast, who has emerged as the dominant 3-year-old male this year, worked at Santa Anita on Sunday in advance of scheduled starts in Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 4.
Both worked six furlongs in 1:12, which tied for the fastest times among 13 recorded works at the distance. Finest City and West Coast did not work together.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Run Away, the winner of three sprint stakes for 2-year-olds in Southern California this year, is a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 4, trainer Simon Callaghan said Sunday.
The BC Juvenile is run at 1 1/16 miles and would be Run Away’s first start around two turns.
“I think he deserves a shot,” Callaghan said. “We haven’t totally made up our minds.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – An impressive five-furlong team work by Abel Tasman on Sunday morning at Santa Anita reestablished the Kentucky Oaks winner as a major player for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Abel Tasman did it the right way Sunday. She broke off about five lengths behind a workmate, relaxed comfortably, and blew past her rival inside the furlong pole. Abel Tasman was timed in 1:00.40. More importantly, she did it professionally.
“That was good,” trainer Bob Baffert said moments after the 9 a.m. workout. “She sat behind that horse.”
