Thu, 08/24/2017 - 15:36

Belmont fall meet to reward turf stayers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Turf races at 1 1/4 miles or longer will be worth $90,000 at Belmont Park this fall, continuing a program that began during the Belmont spring-summer meet, according to Martin Panza, vice president of racing operations for the New York Racing Association.

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Thu, 08/24/2017 - 15:36

Arlington Million runner-up Fanciful Angel transferred to Brown

Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club
Fanciful Angel has won five of 24 starts.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Chad Brown trained this year’s Arlington Million winner, Beach Patrol. Now, he trains runner-up Fanciful Angel as well.

Fanciful Angel, who was 73-1 in the Arlington Million, was purchased by Sol Kumin’s Head of Plain Partners and Michael Dubb and was transferred to Brown from trainer Marco Botti.

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Thu, 08/24/2017 - 15:30

Tom's d'Etat to miss rest of year with ankle injury

Barbara D. Livingston
Tom's d'Etat cruises to a nine-length allowance win Thursday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tom’s d’Etat, who was pointing to next Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes following a nine-length allowance win here July 27, is sidelined for the remainder of the year after a chip was found in his left front ankle following a recent workout.

Trainer Al Stall said the horse was scheduled to undergo surgery Friday in Kentucky and likely will resume training this fall in New Orleans.

Thu, 08/24/2017 - 15:30

Sticksstatelydude gets year started in rich allowance sprint

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Joel Rosaro, who chose to ride Sticksstatelydude rather than Governor Malibu in the Discovery, guides the 3-year-old to a 1 1/4-length victory.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sticksstatelydude ended his 3-year-old season with a victory in the Grade 3 Discovery at Aqueduct last November, and he will make his first start since then in a $93,000 allowance race on Saturday’s Travers card at Saratoga.

Sticksstatelydude, a son of First Dude, was training toward a potential start in last January’s inaugural Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park when he reinjured a tendon while training at Palm Meadows in Florida.

Thu, 08/24/2017 - 12:46

Oregon beginning to blaze his own trail on turf

DEL MAR, Calif. – Oregon, once best known as the workmate for his younger stablemate Gormley when Gormley was preparing for the spring classics, is starting to blaze his own trail.

Oregon has won two straight races on turf, one at Santa Anita, one here at Del Mar, and will go for three Saturday in race 7, an optional claimer at one mile on grass.

“We’re very excited about him,” his trainer, John Shirreffs, said at his barn Thursday morning. Shirreffs said he has his “fingers crossed” that Oregon is developing into a stakes horse.

Thu, 08/24/2017 - 12:16

Glatt pondering Breeders' Cup prep options for Blackjackcat

Benoit & Associates
Trainer Mark Glatt is mulling the options for a second Breeders' Cup prep for Del Mar Mile winner Blackjackcat.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Blackjackcat won the most important race of his career in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile last Sunday, a key prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Mile here Nov. 4. Now trainer Mark Glatt is concerned Blackjackcat must accomplish more to secure a berth in the BC Mile.

Glatt said he is reluctant to ship Blackjackcat out of California and is hoping to use the $75,000 Obviously Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 7 as a prep for the BC Mile.

Wed, 08/23/2017 - 21:16

Pick six pays $36,237; single-ticket jackpot at $121,137

DEL MAR, Calif. – The single ticket jackpot pool of the pick six has grown to $121,137 for Thursday’s program at Del Mar.

The bet was popular Wednesday, a day that began with a carryover of $147,012 in the main pool and $31,502 in the single-ticket pool from Sunday. The pool of new money Wednesday was $782,965.

There were 16 tickets with six winners, which were worth $36,237. Consolation tickets with five winners paid $174.20.

Wed, 08/23/2017 - 16:09

Pennsylvania Derby next for Timeline

Mark Wyville/Equi-Photo
Timeline, who stayed unbeaten with this victory in the Pegasus, will vie for favoritism with Irish War Cry in the Haskell Stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Timeline is being pointed to the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing on Sept. 23, according to trainer Chad Brown.

Timeline had a rough trip as the 19-10 favorite in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 30, but came out of the race well and has since had two half-mile workouts at Belmont Park. The son of Hard Spun breezed in 49.60 seconds on Aug. 12 and in 48.20 on Aug. 20.

Wed, 08/23/2017 - 15:56

Ballston Spa gets Lady Eli, adding to star-studded Travers undercard

Ronnie Betor
Lady Eli will be offered for sale at Keeneland November following the Breeders' Cup.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In a surprising move, trainer Chad Brown entered Lady Eli in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa Stakes, adding another big name to a star-studded lineup for the 13-race Travers Stakes card at Saratoga.

The Ballston Spa goes as race 12, immediately following the Grade 1 Travers, which features Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, Preakness winner Cloud Computing, and Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit. The card also includes the Grade 1 Personal Ensign, topped by two-time Eclipse Award champion Songbird.