DEL MAR, Calif. – The summer heat on the East Coast threatened to ruin the career of the 4-year-old filly Three Hearts earlier this year.
In the summer of 2013 and again earlier this year, the filly suffered the effects of heat stroke after races in Virginia and New York. Barry Irwin, who directs the Team Valor International partnership that owns Three Hearts, decided to make a drastic move.
The filly was sent to trainer Neil Drysdale in California in September.
VINTON, La. – Take Charge Brandi might have strengthened her credentials for champion 2-year-old filly Saturday with her clear win in the Grade 3, $400,000 Delta Downs Princess, but the race also ended up showcasing her versatile nature. Take Charge Brandi stalked and rolled home by 1 1/2 lengths, one start after wiring the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies field at 61-1.
DEL MAR, Calif. – California Chrome, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, worked a half-mile on turf in 52 seconds on Sunday morning at Del Mar in what was to serve as a test drive for a scheduled start Saturday in the Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby here.
His trainer, Art Sherman, later Sunday morning said he was “satisfied with the work” and planned to enter California Chrome at entry time Wednesday. Sherman also said he hoped to get California Chrome back on the turf early Thursday morning so he could open gallop through the lane.
VINTON, La. – Ocho Ocho Ocho will be put on the Santa Anita Derby trail next year, trainer Jim Cassidy said on Sunday, a day after the horse won his two-turn debut in the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot. Ocho Ocho Ocho fought for a nose win over Mr. Z to remain undefeated in three starts. He left the Delta Downs stable area Sunday morning to return home to Santa Anita.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Led by Lexie Lou, the Queen’s Plate winner in July, trainer Mark Casse will have a big team of runners for stakes in the final days of the Del Mar autumn meeting.
Lexie Lou, who won her California debut in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes over a mile on turf for 3-year-olds fillies Oct. 25 at Santa Anita, will start in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby next Saturday. The Hollywood Derby is run over 1 1/8 miles on turf, a distance that appeals to Casse.
“The farther for her, the better,” Casse said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Phil Sims said Friday from Keeneland that he is “seriously considering” running Don’t Tell Sophia in the Grade 2 Falls City at Churchill Downs on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.
Sims said Don’t Tell Sophia has trained forwardly since finishing second to Untapable in the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and that there “really aren’t any drawbacks” to racing the 6-year-old mare one more time before heading to Oaklawn Park for the winter.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fruit Ludt set a track record for a mile Friday at Churchill, but it comes with a giant asterisk.
Facing five others under a $40,000 never-won-two claiming condition, Fruit Ludt finished in 1:33.26 on a track labeled fast but undoubtedly frozen. Claimed two starts back by trainer Chris Richard for owner Maggi Moss, the 3-year-old Congrats colt won by 2 1/2 lengths under Corey Lanerie.
The former record of 1:33.31 was set by Infrattini in a 7 1/4-length optional-claiming win on Nov. 22, 2012.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lacking any of the big-name 3-year-olds from the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Clark Handicap still could have a pair of 3-year-olds as major contenders.
Constitution and Hoppertunity, both of whom missed the Kentucky Derby in May with injuries, are among the prospective field for the 141st running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Clark, the annual fall-meet highlight to be run Friday at Churchill Downs.
MIAMI – There will be a lot of long faces around trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.’s barn at Gulfstream Park West on Monday when stable star Itsmyluckyday boards a van that will take him to New York. Itsmyluckyday is scheduled to make the final start of his career next Saturday at Aqueduct in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.
Spendthrift Farm has acquired the breeding rights to Itsmyluckyday, who will stand stud at the farm in Lexington, Ky., next season. That means Plesa and his crew will bid adieu to the Grade 1 winner for the final time on Monday.
NEW ORLEANS – On a recent morning on the Fair Grounds backstretch, trainer Keith Desormeaux was stopped a few times by colleagues congratulating him for winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Texas Red.
“This is the area that I’ve frequented the most,” said Desormeaux, 47, who is from Maurice, La., and has made Fair Grounds his winter base for many years. “To see a guy like me sneak up there and win such an important race, it’s fun. It’s what we bust our ass for.”
