SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Seymourdini, who has won all three of his starts this year by a combined 36 1/4 lengths, worked five furlongs in 1:02.18 on Friday over Saratoga’s main track. It was his first official workout since he won the State Dinner Stakes at Belmont Park by 10 1/2 lengths on July 3.
Trainer Linda Rice said her long-term objective remains the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 2, with one potential start before then, perhaps in the Bold Ruler at Belmont Park on Oct. 28.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Chad Brown said he’s not as consumed with being the leading trainer at Saratoga this year as perhaps he was last year, when he won his first Saratoga title with a meet-record 40 victories.
Brown entered the final four days of this year’s meet with a 36-35 lead over Todd Pletcher, a 12-time leading trainer at Saratoga. Over the final three days of the meet, Pletcher had 33 horses entered in 25 races, while Brown had 25 horses entered in 16 races. That includes also-eligibles and horses in turf races entered only to run on the main track.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Being leading rider at Penn National this year left Tyler Conner wanting more.
Earlier this week, Conner relocated to Southern California, and he will have his first mount at Del Mar on Sunday when he rides Ippodamia’s Girl in the sixth race, for 2-year-old maidens.
The 23-year-old Conner, who spent his first morning in the Del Mar stables on Friday, said the move is permanent.
“I wanted to ride good horses,” Conner said. “I didn’t want to get stuck. I decided I’d give it a shot.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – There’s a crowd atop the list of hopefuls for Monday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity.
Aside from the first four finishers of the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes on Aug. 12 – Run Away, Dia de Pago, Fleetwood and Master Ruler – the candidates include Bolt d’Oro, Gracida, Soul Streit, Tatters to Riches, and Zatter, all maiden race winners here this summer.
Owner and trainer Mick Ruis is eager to see where Bolt d’Oro rates in the division since winning a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs by 2 1/4 lengths as the 4-5 favorite on Aug. 5.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - World Approval, Mondialiste, and Deauville head the list of 26 nominees to the $800,000 Woodbine Mile here Sept. 16. The Grade 1 fixture is a Win and You’re In qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Mile.
World Approval has won three of four starts this year, all for trainer Mark Casse, who captured last year’s Woodbine Mile with champion Tepin. A handsome gray/roan gelding, World Approval is coming off a decisive score in the Grade 1 Fourstardave at Saratoga.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Voodoo Song will look for his fourth win of the Saratoga meet when the New York-bred takes a big step up in class in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Saranac Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.
Owner Barry Schwartz gave Voodoo Song to Linda Rice after trainer Mike Hushion retired at the end of the Belmont spring-summer meet. For Hushion, Voodoo Song mostly sprinted on dirt despite having won his maiden on turf last November.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mr. Crow recorded his second blowout win of the Saratoga meet when he won a seven-furlong allowance race by 6 1/4 lengths here on Wednesday. Mr. Crow finished in 1:22.07 and earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure.
On July 22, Mr. Crow won a six-furlong maiden race here by 11 1/2 lengths, running the distance in 1:09.44 and earning a 109 Beyer.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said he will consider running Mr. Crow in a stakes next out and has not ruled out the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont on Sept. 30.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher has entered American Patriot in Monday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap, and provided the turf is firm, he will run him.
American Patriot, who won the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland in April, finished last of six in the Grade 1 Fourstardave just three weeks ago. Pletcher said jockey John Velazquez told him the son of War Front didn’t handle the yielding turf that day.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While his former boss D. Wayne Lukas will be in search of his eighth Hopeful Stakes win on Monday, trainer Todd Pletcher will be looking for his fourth when he sends out Mojovation and National Flag in the Grade 1, $350,000 stakes for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs.
Mojovation and National Flag were among the eight horses entered Thursday for the Hopeful, the closing-day feature of the 40-day Saratoga meet.
Canterbury Park announced Friday it was raising the purse of the Sept. 16 Shakopee Juvenile from $60,000 to $75,000 and that Minnesota-breds in the race would be eligible for a $100,000 purse.
The six-furlong Shakopee Juvenile is somewhat noteworthy this year because it is expected to attract the very talented 2-year-old filly Amy’s Challenge. Amy’s Challenge beat males in her Aug. 6 career debut, a 16 1/2-length cakewalk victory in a six-furlong Canterbury maiden race that produced a 91 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest 2-year-old number in North America so far this year.
