Wise Dan, the 2012 and 2013 Horse of the Year, continues to train forwardly at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.. Conditions permitting, the 8-year-old Wise Dan is on schedule to have his third workout this weekend as he continues his comeback from an injury sustained last October.
Trainer Charlie LoPresti has said he is considering several races as return spots for Wise Dan, including the Aug. 15 Fourstardave and Sept. 7 Bernard Baruch, both at Saratoga.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The first time trainer Bob Baffert ever went to Monmouth Park was in 1997. He’s become a regular over the years. Though he’s based here in the summers at Del Mar, Baffert has made the Haskell Invitational a priority, and he’s continued to have every reason to go back, for his record in the race is one of the most dominant of any trainer in any major race this era.
Ellis Park racing officials are expecting a well-matched field of fillies and mares for the western Kentucky track’s signature race, the one-mile Groupie Doll Stakes, to be run next Saturday, Aug. 8.
According to racing secretary Dan Bork, probable starters for the Grade 3, $100,000 race include Ambusher, Enchanting Lisa, Gamblers Rose, Pretty Fancy, Rathbaun, Willow Hills, and “hopefully a few more” from a nominations list of 29. Entries will be taken Sunday.
It’s not often a horse with a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure in his most recent start shows up in an allowance race at Ellis Park, but that will be the case Friday when Runhappy makes the fourth start of his enigmatic career.
“We thought about a stakes for him and even nominated him to the Amsterdam at Saratoga,” said Maria Borell, who trains Runhappy for Jim McIngvale. “But he still does things a little green that he couldn’t afford if he ran in a big race like that. The timing is right at Ellis, and if he runs big again Friday, we’ll go in a stakes next time.”
Breaking Lucky, a 13-1 outsider trained by Reade Baker, outran the 3-5 favorite Shaman Ghost and Field of Courage to land the 80th running of the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, the middle leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, at Fort Erie on Tuesday.
Jockey Alex Thomas, who was badly injured in a four-horse spill in the first race at Charles Town last Saturday night, is in critical but stable condition in the trauma intensive care unit at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va.
Thomas, 32, was thrown heavily to the ground when his mount, Quality Soldier, clipped the heels of Jayden’s Nightmare and fell nearing the backstretch. Three horses behind Quality Soldier also fell. Jayden’s Nightmare went on to win the race but was disqualified to last for coming inward into the path of Quality Soldier.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Beholder, a two-time champion, is the marquee name for the weekend’s stakes at Del Mar. She is scheduled to head the field in the Grade 1, $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on Saturday.
The Clement Hirsch, at 1 1/16 miles, is the championship race of the meet for fillies and mares on dirt. Among those expected to face Beholder are Honey Ride, Thegirlinthatsong, Warren’s Veneda, and Yahilwa.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Dortmund, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness, is starting to put together a series of works after being knocked out from his spring campaign.
“He’s coming along slowly,” trainer Bob Baffert said after Dortmund worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds on Monday at Del Mar, his second work in seven days following a gap of one month. “He’s getting his weight back.”
Baffert said he had no plans just yet for Dortmund, who won the Santa Anita Derby earlier this year and went into the Kentucky Derby undefeated.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Derek Lawson has been a jockey agent for most of the past 30 years, but he’s having his greatest success representing Flavien Prat, who is tied atop the jockeys’ standings with nine wins after two weeks of the Del Mar meet.
Lawson, 61, often has represented riders from France, like Prat, because of his ability to speak fluent French. Lawson was born in New York, but moved as a youth to the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, and the name Lawson isn’t French, so what’s the French connection?
DEL MAR, Calif. – He’s not quite yet ready, but Obviously, the brilliant turf miler, is likely just a few works away from returning to action, and there is the distinct possibility he could attempt to win the Grade 2, $200,000 Del Mar Mile for the third time in four years on Aug. 23.
Obviously has not raced since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, finishing fifth after leading a world-class field with a furlong to go. He is up to five furlongs in his workouts, including a turf drill in 1:01.60 on Sunday.
