SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In Wicked Strong, trainer Jimmy Jerkens will have one of the favorites for next Saturday’s $1.25 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga. In V. E. Day, Jerkens will send out one of the intriguing longshots in the “Mid-Summer Derby.”
On Friday, Jerkens sent out V. E. Day for a stamina-building seven-furlong workout in 1:30.17 over the Saratoga main track. He galloped out a mile in 1:42.62.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Minutes after winning the 2,000th race of his career at Del Mar Thursday, Tyler Baze was walking from the winner’s circle to the jockeys’ room following that day’s third race when he was met by a longtime friend.
“It’s about time,” Baze’s buddy said. “What were you waiting for?”
“I wasn’t waiting,” he said, flashing a broad grin.
Baze, 31, went two weeks without a winner, a span of 46 races, before the breakthrough victory. He was as much delighted as relieved when he rode Kate’s Event in the $50,000 claimer over a mile for the milestone win.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Mystery Train has won seven stakes in Argentina in the last 18 months. Even with those credentials, trainer Darrell Vienna said he is unsure what to expect when Mystery Train makes his American debut in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 24.
Recently purchased by Jed Cohen, Mystery Train has been in California since late July. On Thursday, the 4-year-old had his second workout since arriving, running seven furlongs in 1:27 on the Polytrack synthetic surface.
Vienna said Mystery Train will work five furlongs next Thursday.
AUBURN, Wash. – Nominations for the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile came out this week, and a glance at the list of 25 confirmed what had become increasingly apparent over the past few weeks: Stryker Phd, the leading handicap horse at Emerald Downs and unbeaten in two starts this year, likely will be a heavy favorite Aug. 24 in the 79th running of the Northwest’s richest race.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. – The celebration in the winner’s circle Wednesday for Mrs. Bean, the only horse with a perfect record at Suffolk Downs this year, turned out to be her retirement party.
“Unfortunately, after the race, she came back sore, so she’s going to be retired,” said John Assimakopolous, who runs trainer David Jacobson’s 13-horse stable here. “At the first sign of anything that would ever hurt her, we were sure that right away, that would be it. We’re not going to take any chances with her. Now we’ll be good to her because she’s been good to us.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Alpha returns to his favorite track Sunday, when he runs in the $100,000 Alydar Stakes at Saratoga.
Alpha has recorded four of his six victories at Saratoga, including a dead-heat win in the Travers in 2012 and a front-running score in last year’s Grade 1 Woodward Stakes. He also won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy in 2012 and a maiden race here in 2011.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The way he ended last year and began this season, Imagining appeared poised to successfully fill the shoes of departed stablemates Point of Entry and Boisterous in trainer Shug McGaughey’s shed row.
Imagining took a step backward, however, in the Grade 1 Manhattan two months ago when he finished sixth behind Real Solution. Imagining has shown the ability to rebound from a bad effort with a good one, and he will look to do that again in Sunday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Serious, a former $5,000 claimer who suffered sesamoid injuries in a turf sprint July 31 at Del Mar, was euthanized Thursday because of complications from the injury, according to California equine medical director Dr. Rick Arthur.
An effort was made to save Serious in the weeks following her injury, but the filly’s condition deteriorated in recent days. She is the fifth horse to be euthanized as a result of injuries sustained in turf races since the meeting began July 17.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Twice in a week, trainer Bob Hess Jr. has won stakes that disrupted racing plans for early September.
When Merit Man won Wednesday’s $94,540 Green Flash Handicap on the Polytrack synthetic surface, he earned $56,100, making him no longer eligible for the $90,000 Pirate’s Bounty Stakes over six furlongs on the closing-day program Sept. 3.
