ELMONT, N.Y. – Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey had an air of confidence about him Sunday morning when talking about Honor Code, several hours after watching his handicap star breeze five furlongs in 1:00.13 with jockey Javier Castellano aboard.
Working in company with Gold Shield, Honor Code readily pulled away from his partner coming to the wire without need of urging and, on the gallop out, getting six furlongs in 1:12.98 before pulling up seven-eighths in 1:26.91.
Lone Star Park near Dallas was forced to cancel its final three races Saturday night due to inclement weather, while its sister track, Remington Park in Oklahoma City, lost 10 of its races, also due to heavy rains. Both tracks are scheduled to resume racing Sunday.
Lone Star, which also experienced lightning, lost its seventh, eighth, and ninth races. It was the fourth partial-card cancelation this meet, according to track spokeswoman Diantha Brazzell. There was to be no training Sunday morning, according to racing officials at Lone Star.
Three-time Monmouth Park riding champ Elvis Trujillo is leaving California and will beging riding at Monmouth next Saturday, according to Danny Mellul, who said he would be Trujillo's agent.
Trujillo led the Monmouth standings in 2009, 2011, and 2012. He was runner-up in 2010 and 2013.
Trujillo, 31, has been riding out west for about a year. He was third in the Del Mar standings last summer and was second at the fall Del Mar meet. He is 5 for 48 at the current Santa Anita session.
What do you do with a horse who finishes next to last in the Kentucky Derby? One option is to try working him on turf, which is what trainer George Weaver did with Tencendur on Saturday morning at Belmont Park.
With jockey Manny Franco aboard, Tencendur breezed five furlongs in 1:02.67 around the dogs, finishing well after walking through an opening three furlongs. He finished a head behind workmate High Noon Rider at the wire.
Joe Bravo became the 31st rider in history to win 5,000 races in North America when he won the sixth race at Monmouth Park on Saturday aboard Boss Man for trainer Jason Servis.
Bravo, who has led the Monmouth rider standings 13 times, is the third rider to reach 5,000 North American wins this year. Alex Solis won his 5,000th race in January and Gary Stevens turned the trick in February. Both are Hall of Famers.
After his milestone win, Bravo made a point to thank everyone who helped him, especialy when things were not going well for him.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Several members of trainer Chad Brown’s turf brigade were out for morning workouts Saturday at Belmont Park, led by the Grade 1-winning duo of Stephanie’s Kitten and Ball Dancing, who are targeting graded events during Belmont Stakes week.
Stephanie’s Kitten, who scratched out of the Woodford Reserve on Derby Day, and Ball Dancing, who won the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, went five furlongs in 1:02.11, with a final quarter of 22.75 seconds over the inner turf course.
It is likely Frammento will be one of the longest shots on the board in the Belmont Stakes on June 6, when American Pharoah will attempt to become Thoroughbred racing’s 12th Triple Crown winner. But before you dismiss Frammento and his 1-for-8 record, just look who trains the chestnut son of Midshipman.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Gary Sciacca looks well armed to have a big Memorial Day when he runs Saratoga Snacks in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes and Wincoma in the $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes.
The Commentator and Mike Lee are two of six stakes on Big Apple Showcase Day, a 10-race card entirely devoted to New York-breds at Belmont Park.
Tapiture will be making his first start in Texas on Monday when he runs in the Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap, but he should feel right at home. His trainer, Steve Asmussen, has a division at the Dallas-area track. Asmussen also has a residence near Lone Star and ranks as the track’s all-time winningest trainer. Asmussen also notched a Lone Star Handicap win in 2013 with Master Rick.
AUBURN, Wash. – An anticipated rematch between the speedy 3-year-olds Prime Engine and Trackattacker will have to wait. Prime Engine will start Sunday in the $50,000 Auburn Handicap at Emerald Downs, but Trackattacker, the fastest 2-year-old at Emerald last summer until Prime Engine eclipsed him in the season-ending Gottstein Futurity, will not.
