SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Greg Burchell has been around horses his whole life and helped develop several champions, though none of them generated much national recognition for him personally.
As he prepares to wind down his career in racing, Burchell, 54, has developed one more horse he believes might have star quality. If so, everyone may soon know Burchell’s name.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – V. E. Day, winless since taking last year’s Grade 1 Travers, will make his next start Saturday in the $200,000 Temperence Hill Stakes at Belmont Park, trainer Jimmy Jerkens said.
V. E. Day, fifth in the Whitney last out, worked a mile in 1:41.17 on Thursday over Saratoga’s main track. He went the opening half-mile in 50.96 seconds and went in 50.21 for the second half-mile.
“It was good, pretty typical of him going two turns,” Jerkens said. “When you work him two turns, he’s methodical like that. He’ll work unbelievably fast at Belmont.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – I Spent It, the winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special and the runner-up in the Grade 1 Hopeful last year, zipped five furlongs in 59.79 seconds Saturday over the Saratoga main track as he continues his comeback from some minor issues that have sidelined him since April.
After the work, trainer Tony Dutrow said he would point I Spent It to the Grade 3, $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx on Sept. 19.
“We’re over the moon,” Dutrow said. “I don’t think you could want a horse any better.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Percolator, who finished third but was elevated to second July 25 in the Grade 3 Sanford at Saratoga, is sidelined with a hairline fracture of the tibia, trainer John Servis said.
Servis said no surgery is needed, and the colt is getting 90 days off on the farm.
“He’ll be fine,” said Servis. “He just needs time to heal up. We’ll get him back at Palm Meadows.”
Percolator, a son of Flashy Bull, won his debut by 4 3/4 lengths at Monmouth Park in June.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Linda Rice spent a lot of money in the last year on young horses, and if the initial results are any indication, it has been money well spent.
Rice won her fourth 2-year-old race of the meet and her third with a horse she purchased when Championofthenile, an $840,000 purchase as a 2-year-old in training, scored a front-running six-length victory Friday at Saratoga.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Smokey Image extended his unbeaten streak to four races with a sharp win Friday in the $150,000 I’m Smokin Stakes for 2-year-old California-breds at Del Mar.
Trainer Greg James, based in Northern California, is likely to look south again for a chance to extend Smokey Image’s streak this fall. After the I’m Smokin, James said the next goal is the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile for California-bred 2-year-olds at seven furlongs here Oct. 30.
After Monday, closing day at Del Mar, there is no live Thoroughbred racing in Southern California until Thursday, opening day of the Los Alamitos September meeting.
The Los Alamitos meet runs 10 days on a Thursday-through-Sunday basis, concluding Sept. 25. The Santa Anita autumn meeting opens Sept. 26.
Thursday’s opening-day program at Los Alamitos is led by the $75,000 Beverly Lewis Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Beholder, the two-time champion who beat males Aug. 22 in the $1 million Pacific Classic, worked three furlongs in 36 seconds Saturday at Del Mar.
Trainer Richard Mandella timed the workout slightly quicker in 35.80 and said the exercise puts Beholder on course for the $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares Sept. 26 at Santa Anita.
“If she looks like she does now, we’ll be running,” Mandella said.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Honor Code got to stretch his legs a bit when breezing an easy and slow half-mile in 52.49 seconds at his regular training time of 6:30 a.m. Saturday at Saratoga. Honor Code picked up the pace a little once passing the wire, galloping out five furlongs in 1:06.04 before pulling up six panels in 1:18.33.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Vyjack, entered and scratched on two occasions at the meet, will try to make it to the starting gate in Monday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap on closing day.
Vyjack was entered in the Lure Stakes on Aug. 8 and scratched because owner David Wilkenfeld wanted to run him in the Grade 2 Fourstardave a week later. Vyjack was scratched out of that race because he developed a temperature the night before.
Vyjack has twice run on turf, finishing third behind King Kreesa in the Poker and in the Forbidden Apple at Belmont Park.
