One of the most exciting 2-year-old maiden-race winners in Southern California this fall will not be in a Breeders’ Cup race.
Acceptance, a colt by Vronsky, won his debut last Sunday by 13 1/4 lengths in a maiden race for California-breds over 6 1/2 furlongs. Acceptance was timed in 1:15.27.
“I wish he hadn’t made it so close at the finish,” co-owner Bud Johnston said. “He was very impressive. We thought he was a good colt.”
One year after making Breeders’ Cup history by becoming the first woman to saddle the winner of the Classic, Kathy Ritvo is headed back to Santa Anita. Unfortunately, she is not returning with defending Classic champion Mucho Macho Man, who was retired this year, but with the lightly raced Sprint hopeful Fast Anna.
“Nobody will ever be like Mucho Macho Man, but it’s really exciting to be able to go back to the Breeders’ Cup with a horse I believe has exceptional talent and who has proven he belongs to be there,” Ritvo said.
Long Hot Summer, the unbeaten California-bred 2-year-old filly, worked three furlongs in 36.80 seconds Wednesday at Santa Anita, preparing for the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies over seven furlongs Oct. 31.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Long Hot Summer has run twice, beating maidens in July and winning the Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 27. Wednesday’s workout was the filly’s first recorded workout in a month. D’Amato timed Long Hot Summer galloping out a half-mile in 49 seconds.
MIAMI, Fla. – Trainer Marty Wolfson says to just draw a line through Atreides’s disappointing performance last Saturday night in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby.
Atreides, one of just a handful of horses to earn three triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures to launch his career, broke slowly and finished sixth, beaten 10 1/4 lengths by East Hall, when stretching out around two turns for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Derby. Atreides, a homebred son of Medaglia d’Oro owned by Stonestreet Stables, won his first three career starts at Gulfstream Park by a combined 25 3/4 lengths.
On Wednesday, trainer Tom Amoss confirmed Ria Antonia for the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, saying the 3-year-old filly exited her runner-up finish here Sunday in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes in fine shape.
“She ran the best race of her career on the Ragozin sheets,” said Amoss. “Now we’re hoping she progresses forward again when she goes back to the track where she had her greatest success.”
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Bourbon Courage, an impressive winner of a 6 1/2-furlong allowance last Friday, will target the Grade 1 Cigar Mile on Nov. 29 at Aqueduct, trainer said Kellyn Gorder.
“We may or may not get another race into him before then, depending on what’s available,” said Gorder.
ARCADIA, Calif. – There are big goals around trainer Bob Baffert’s stable for Fascinating, the Grade 1-placed 3-year-old filly who returns from a yearlong layoff in a maiden race at Santa Anita on Friday.
“The plan is to win numerous Grade 1’s,” Baffert said somewhat facetiously Wednesday.
On Friday, Fascinating starts in a one-mile race for fillies and mares. The maiden race will be her first start since a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes here in September 2013. For Baffert, the coming months present an opportunity to showcase Fascinating’s ability.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockey Rajiv Maragh, who broke his arm in a spill in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, was told by doctors that he could possibly get clearance to get on horses beginning Oct. 24. If that’s the case, then he could be ready in time for the Breeders’ Cup.
It remains to be seen if any trainers wait for him. Maragh rode Artemis Agrotera in her last two races, but trainer Mike Hushion said Tuesday he has tabbed Jose Ortiz to ride in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The late entries Sistas Stroll and Speed Seeker are among the nine 3-year-old fillies set to clash Saturday in the sixth and last Grade 1 race of the Keeneland fall meet, the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Malcolm Pierce’s last trip to Belmont Park was so productive that he has decided to come back, and he hopes to double his pleasure when he runs horses in a pair of graded stakes here this weekend.
Pierce, based most of the year at Woodbine, will be saddling Up With the Birds in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes, and Overheard in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Athenia Stakes.
