Trainer Gustavo Delgado’s first venture into racing in the United States certainly has been an unequivocal success. With less than two weeks to go in the meet, Delgado sits atop the standings, with Kirk Ziadie and David Fawkes as his two closest pursuers.
Delgado came to the U.S. at the behest of jockeys Javier Castellano and Junior Alvarado, who began their riding careers in Venezuela before moving on to even greater success in this country.
Two of California’s leading turf milers – Obviously and Tom’s Tribute – will pass the $200,000 City of Hope Mile on Oct. 4 and be trained to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile, their trainers said on Friday.
Tom’s Tribute, trained by Jim Cassidy, won two stakes at Del Mar – the Grade 1 Eddie Read Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf on July 20 and the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 24.
Obviously, trained by Phil D’Amato, won the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita in June, but was only fourth in the Del Mar Mile.
“I want a nice, fresh horse for the Breeders’ Cup,” D’Amato said.
ELMONT, N.Y. – A matchup between undefeated graded stakes winners Cavorting and Condo Commando is expected to take place in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette Stakes for juvenile fillies at Belmont Park.
Cavorting, a daughter of Bernardini trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for Stonestreet Stables, is 2 for 2 with an 11-length maiden win at Belmont and a 1 3/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 10.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Saratoga Heater, who won the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes by four lengths last Sunday at Belmont Park for Lisa Lewis, is headed back to trainer Al Stall, with whom she began her career at Saratoga.
Stall said Saratoga Heater would likely be pointed to the Delta Jackpot Stakes in late November.
Stall said it had been a prearranged agreement that Saratoga Heater, who raced twice for Stall in Saratoga, would be sent to Lewis for the Bongard.
AUBURN, Wash. – A total of $115,000 in purse money will be up for grabs Sunday in a pair of stakes races for 2-year-olds on closing day at Emerald Downs, and trainer Dan Markle has a sneaky chance to get a large slice of the pie. He will send out leading contender Carson’s Start in the $50,000 Cahill Road Stakes, and follow a race later with Old Fashioned Grit in the $65,000 Gottstein Futurity.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Although The Truth Or Else had made the first three starts of his career on the turf, trainer Ken McPeek always viewed him as a dirt horse.
So it was little surprise to McPeek when The Truth Or Else galloped to a 2 1/2-length victory in a one-mile dirt race at Belmont Park on Sept. 12. The performance was good enough to have McPeek strongly considering running the son of Yes It’s True here in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne Stakes. McPeek also has him cross-nominated to the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland the same day.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – In late August, Rich Papiese, the principal of Midwest Thoroughbreds, had tentative plans to send two homebreds, The Pizza Man and Work All Week, to Breeders’ Cup races, but a trip to the Breeders’ Cup is all but out for The Pizza Man, and Work All Week will make his next start Oct. 4 in the Phoenix at Keeneland.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Little Alexis, who finished a wide-running fourth in the Grade 1 Cotillion, has returned to her South Florida base at Gulfstream Park, where she will begin preparations for her next start, which is set to come in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
Four jockeys were fortunate to escape serious injury on an eventful closing-day program Wednesday at Kentucky Downs.
Corey Lanerie and Rafael Mojica Jr. both took off later mounts after a sixth-race spill. Lanerie’s helmet broke and his pants were torn when he suffered a minor neck injury, while Mojica escaped with bruising. Greta Kuntzweiler eventually returned after taking off an unruly mount who threw her in the paddock prior to the second, while Miguel Mena incurred a minor knee injury when his mount broke through the gate prior to the seventh.
