ARCADIA, Calif. – Eddie Plesa Jr. wasn’t singing the trainer’s familiar refrain of “it was just what we wanted” following Souper Colossal’s super-fast half-mile workout in 45.57 seconds Monday at Santa Anita in preparation for Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
“It wasn’t ideal. I would much rather go too slow than too fast,” said Plesa, who added that he was looking for a half-mile in 48 or 49 seconds.
ARCADIA, Calif. – A third-place finish by Starspangled Heat in Sunday’s $81,850 Lure Stakes was good enough for trainer Barry Abrams to plan a quick turnaround to Saturday’s $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
Starspangled Heat was beaten seven lengths by Pure Tactics in the one-mile Lure, closing from sixth in a field of eight to nip 9-5 favorite Hay Dude at the wire for third. Abrams acknowledged that Starspangled Heat will be a longshot but said the BC Turf over 1 1/2 miles is worth a try.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Passion for Action emerged as one of the leading 2-year-olds at Woodbine when he captured the Cup and Saucer Stakes on turf Oct. 12 and will now be pointed toward the $250,000 Coronation Futurity for Canadian-bred 2-year-olds on Nov. 29, trainer Michael De Paulo said.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After a game second-place finish behind Conquest Harlanate in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes on Oct. 5 at Woodbine, Muskoka Stakes winner Brooklynsway is firmly on track for a start at that track in Sunday’s $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies.
Trainer John Ross said he was pleased with how Brooklynsway responded in her first test around two turns in the Mazarine.
At one point, trainer Shug McGaughey had thought about bringing Honor Code, last year’s Grade 2 Remsen winner, back in Saturday's $200,000, Grade 3 Discovery at Aqueduct. But he changed his mind weeks ago, not even nominating the ridgling to the race.
There is an allowance race at Aqueduct on Friday for which Honor Code was eligible, but McGaughey opted not to run there either.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Although he’s still a maiden, if his performance in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes on Oct. 5 is any indication, big things could be in store for the 2-year-old colt Hollywood Critic.
Going off at odds of 24-1 in the Grey, Hollywood Critic put together a strong stretch run to be third behind International Star and Conquest Typhoon, both of whom will start in Friday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. Hollywood Critic, meanwhile, likely will be a key contender in Saturday’s $125,000 Display Stakes at Woodbine.
Several barns on the Belmont backstretch are undergoing a makeover, with the hopes of adding 250 new stalls by the time racing returns here next spring.
Several barns that currently can house horses only on one side are being expanded to double-sided barns. Those barns include 1, 6, 10, and 15. It is possible that barns 18 and 19 also could be expanded.
These renovations are in addition to a new 54-stall barn that could be completed by the end of November.
Rajiv Maragh, who broke his arm when he was unseated from Wicked Strong during the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 27 at Belmont, likely will not return to race-riding until early December at Gulfstream Park. Maragh met with his doctor last week and was told that the bone has not fully healed. Maragh’s next visit with the doctor isn’t until Nov. 21.
Maragh said that on Dec. 1, he will head to south Florida to ride the winter meet at Gulfstream.
Irad Ortiz Jr. followed his four-win Saturday by winning the first three races on Sunday’s card and capturing his first Belmont fall riding title with 46 victories, three more than Javier Castellano. The two tied for the spring riding title with 51 wins apiece.
Ortiz, 22, had previously won the last two Aqueduct inner-track riding titles.
East Hall, the winner of the Grade 2 Indiana Derby in his last start, will not be coming to New York as planned for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct, trainer Bill Kaplan said Monday.
Kaplan, based in south Florida, was planning to bring both East Hall and the 2-year-old filly Naval Command, the latter being slated for Sunday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Nashua Stakes. But Kaplan said Naval Command came out of a work Sunday at Gulfstream Park with an issue, and his owner didn’t want to ship just one horse.
