ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Don’t Leave Me, who was a troubled fourth in her most recent start in the Grade 3 Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 13, will start in Saturday’s Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes, trainer Malcolm Pierce said.
“She had a breeze on Friday,” he said. “It went very well, and we’re on target for the Ontario Colleen.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Should all go well for Tower of Texas in Sunday’s Grade 2 Play the King Stakes, he likely will start in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 13, trainer Roger Attfield said.
In the July 31 prep for the Play the King Stakes, Tower of Texas finished second to Stacked Deck after lacking running room in the stretch. Despite not getting up in time, Attfield said he was pleased with Tower of Texas’s effort.
“He finished well,” he said. “We shortened it back a little bit, too. It was a lead-in to the Play the King anyway. He seems to be doing fine still.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Two-time graded stakes winner Deceptive Vision has been retired from racing due to bone bruising on her left hind leg, trainer Malcolm Pierce said.
When the injury occurred in June, Pierce expected Deceptive Vision, 5, to return to training within a couple of weeks, but a scan revealed that the recovery time was going to take longer than anticipated.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Irad Ortiz Jr. rode five winners from nine mounts Sunday at Saratoga, coming within one victory of tying the track record for wins on one card.
It was the first five-win day at Saratoga for Ortiz and fourth at a New York Racing Association track in his career. Ortiz had ridden four winners three previous times at Saratoga, most recently last Sunday. It also was the first five-win day at Saratoga for any jockey since Javier Castellano did it Sept. 2, 2013.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The Grade 1 winner Warren’s Veneda will not start Aug. 29 in the $750,000 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga because of the lingering effects of a bruised foot, trainer Craig Lewis said Sunday.
Warren’s Veneda was third in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes for fillies and mares Aug. 1 and was considered an outside candidate for the $1 million Pacific Classic next Saturday until the foot issue arose. Lewis said Warren’s Veneda has not rebounded quickly enough to justify a trip to Saratoga’s top race for older fillies and mares.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The upset win by Sharla Rae in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on turf Saturday has left trainer Doug O’Neill temporarily without a plan.
On Sunday, O’Neill said he was unsure what race to try in the short term with Sharla Rae, who won her fourth stakes but first graded stakes in the $300,750 Del Mar Oaks as a 6-1 shot. O’Neill said he plans to discuss options with owners Gary Barber, Niles Brous, and Adam Wachtel.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Obviously has done more than expected to convince trainer Phil D’Amato a start in the $250,000 Del Mar Mile on turf Aug. 23 is justified.
Unraced since finishing fifth behind Karakontie in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita last November, Obviously worked five furlongs on turf in 1:01.40 Sunday. The exercise surprised D’Amato.
“It looked like he was just galloping around there,” he said.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Triple Crown winner American Pharoah “looked like the Pharoah we know,” trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday morning at Del Mar after a half-mile workout officially timed in 47.60 seconds, though it was more like a five-furlong drill with a six-furlong gallop out.
Regardless, the work – his first since a victory two weeks ago in the Haskell – indicated American Pharoah is holding his already-lofty form. Baffert said American Pharoah’s next work will come next weekend, “and then we'll decide what to do.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Untapable, second in the Grade 3 Shuvee Handicap on Aug. 2, worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 over the Oklahoma training track Saturday in preparation for a rematch with Stopchargingmaria in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 29.
Working in company with Gold Hawk, Untapable went her first three furlongs in 37.60 seconds, came home in 24.20, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.80 and seven furlongs in 1:29.80.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Curalina, elevated to first in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here July 26, worked four furlongs in 48.65 seconds over the Saratoga main track in company with Tango Time as she prepares for this coming Saturday’s Grade 1 Alabama Stakes.
Curalina came home in 23.80 seconds and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.29 and six furlongs in 1:14.90.
Curalina is 4 for 4 this year and has won at distances ranging from seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. The Alabama is 1 1/4 miles, and trainer Todd Pletcher believes Curalina is tailor-made for it.
