Tue, 08/25/2015 - 15:44

Ivan Fallunovalot eyes BC Sprint

Coady Photography
Ivan Fallunovalot will start in either the Remington Park Sprint Cup on Sept. 27 at Remington Park or the Grade 3 Phoenix on Oct. 2 at Keeneland.

Ivan Fallunovalot has been made eligible for the Breeders’ Cup, and now his connections are debating the best path to get him to the $1.5 million Sprint on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. The options are the $150,000 Remington Park Sprint Cup on Sept. 27 at the horse’s home track or the Grade 3, $250,000 Phoenix on Oct. 2 at Keeneland, trainer Tom Howard said.

“We got to do a little research and see what’s best,” Howard said. “We want to get him there in good shape, without really putting rough miles on him and beating him up. The fresher I can go into it, the better I feel.”

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 15:36

Louisiana adopts national uniform medication rules

The Louisiana Racing Commission adopted national uniform medication rules during a meeting Monday, but there will be a grace period before penalties are levied against the connections of horses in violation of the new guidelines, state officials said. Trainers will be made aware of violations during the grace period that runs from Sept. 20, when the uniform rules take effect in Louisiana, through Nov. 15.

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 15:31

Texas Red finally gets another shot at American Pharoah

Barbara D. Livingston
Texas Red, under jockey Corey Lanerie, works five furlongs Saturday ahead of the Travers Stakes on Aug. 29.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – They were the two best 2-year-olds of 2014, and one of them has turned into the best 3-year-old of this or most any other season in the last 37 years.

While American Pharoah has annihilated virtually every 3-year-old he has faced this year en route to winning the Triple Crown, the intrigue of Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.6 million Travers Stakes is the first meeting between him and Texas Red, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner, in 11 months.

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 15:18

Del Mar: Miller able to retire All Squared Away

Coady Photography/Keeneland
Peter Miller paid only $1,000 to purchase All Squared Away, who will run in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby.

Trainer Peter Miller’s quest to re-acquire and retire stakes winner All Squared Away has come to fruition. A private purchase last week enabled Miller to take possession of All Squared Away and retire him, bringing to a close a saga in which Miller claimed the horse with the intention to retire him, only to start anew when the claim was voided.

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 14:16

Jess’s Dream lives up to pedigree in debut

Barbara D. Livingston
Jess's Dream, by Lane's End stallion Curlin, wins his debut on Aug. 24 at Saratoga.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin had a cell phone full of congratulatory texts and was still receiving kudos from fellow horsemen Tuesday morning for the eye-catching debut performance of Jess’s Dream in Monday’s sixth race.

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 14:16

Del Mar: Bayern status up in the air

DEL MAR, Calif. – Bayern will head to Santa Anita at the end of this meet and could race there this fall, but already there have been discussions between trainer Bob Baffert and owner Kaleem Shah about whether to go on with him, being as Bayern has not reproduced the strong form of 2014, when he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Bayern finished ninth in the Pacific Classic on Saturday, beating only Midnight Storm, who hounded Bayern through blazing early fractions.

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 14:16

Tekton injured, out for season

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Tony Dutrow suffered his first significant setback of the meet when Tekton sustained a condylar fracture to his left hind leg on Monday. Tekton will be forced to miss Saturday’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop and the remainder of the year.

Tekton, runner-up in the Curlin Stakes on July 31, had a very sharp workout here on Monday, going four furlongs in 48.21 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. Dutrow, who has gone 5 for 14 at the meet, was looking forward to running him in the King’s Bishop.

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 14:11

Del Mar: Dortmund back on work tab

DEL MAR, Calif. – Santa Anita Derby winner Dortmund, idle since the Preakness Stakes, worked three furlongs in 36.40 seconds on Monday as he gears up for a return to the races, which was interrupted earlier this meet when he was cast in his stall and severely bruised his ribs.

“That rib thing was a painful thing for him,” said his trainer, Bob Baffert.

Baffert said Dortmund was “decimated after the Preakness” and needed a rest to put the weight back on him.

“It was all too much for him,” he said. “Some horses just can’t handle all the racing.”

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 14:11

Lukas sticking to plan for Mr. Z

Barbara D. Livingston
Mr. Z, winner of last month's Ohio Derby, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday's Indiana Derby.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – D. Wayne Lukas said after the Indiana Derby that he was going to shorten up Mr. Z in distance and, despite having nominated him to the Grade 1 Travers, he will stay true to his word by running him in Saturday’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop at seven furlongs.

Mr. Z has run in 13 consecutive stakes around two turns, including a nose win in the $500,000 Ohio Derby and a runner-up finish to Tiz Shea D in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby.

Tue, 08/25/2015 - 14:11

Del Mar: Two turns next for Gloryzapper

DEL MAR, Calif. – Gloryzapper, who overcame a slow start to win a first-level allowance sprint and remain unbeaten on Sunday, will stretch out around two turns for her next start, according to trainer Phil D’Amato.

Gloryzapper, 3, a daughter of Ghostzapper, won her debut here on July 16 going six furlongs and won going seven furlongs on Sunday, both times with Joe Talamo up. She earned an 83 Beyer for her allowance win after getting an 81 in her maiden victory.