ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Multiple graded stakes winner Five Iron, who faded to sixth after an early pace duel with Really Sharp in the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes in his last start July 19, could run in Saturday’s Grade 2 Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Brian Lynch.
“We’ll certainly look at the race if there’s no speed,” he said. “We got into suicide fractions with Ian Black’s horse [in the Nijinsky], and that certainly took us out of our own tactics.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Mark Casse had a big weekend at Woodbine, sweeping all three stakes races with victories by Dixie Twist in the Ontario Debutante, Kaigun in the Grade 2 Play the King, and Lexie Lou in the Wonder Where.
Kaigun’s win in the Play the King was his final prep ahead of the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 14, while Lexie Lou became the first Queen’s Plate winner since Wando in 2003 to win his or her next start.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The depth of trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s 2-year-old fillies increased Sunday with a debut win by Manahatta and could be further bolstered by Majestic Presence, who stretches out around two turns for her second start in the fifth race Wednesday.
Majestic Presence, a daughter of Majestic Warrior, finished third in her debut behind the highly regarded Luminance, a Bob Baffert-trained filly who, along with Hollendorfer’s first-out winner Tara’s Tango, are considered the leading prospects for the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 30.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The well-bred, lightly raced Unikat won his maiden in impressive fashion over 1 1/4 miles on turf here July 9 and now appears to be a key contender for Sunday’s $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes, the final jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown.
“If everything goes according to plan, we should be on schedule,” said trainer Brian Lynch. “He’s certainly bred to get the distance, and I think he showed that in a nice manner [in his last race]. If he can duplicate that in the Breeders’, he’d have a very happy trainer.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – There is a pick six carryover of $171,914 for Wednesday’s eight-race program at Del Mar.
An 8-1 upset win by Moulin de Mougin in Sunday’s Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes clinched the carryover after eight of nine races were run.
The pool of new money in Wednesday’s pick six could easily exceed $800,000.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Turf racing resumed at Del Mar over the weekend for the first time since July 31, with five races run without incident over a course where four horses were euthanized as a result of injuries suffered in late July.
After three races were run Saturday and two Sunday, several jockeys and trainers said the course met their satisfaction, with some saying that conditions were softer than in late July.
“It’s better than before,” jockey Martin Garcia said Saturday. “It’s longer, and the horses have cushion.”
DEL MAR, Calif. – Om vaulted to the forefront of California’s 2-year-old male division with an emphatic maiden race win in his second start Saturday.
Ridden by Fernando Perez, Om led throughout 6 1/2 furlongs, pulling away to win by 7 1/4 lengths in 1:15.75. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97. Om will start in the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity over seven furlongs Sept. 3, trainer Dan Hendricks said.
By Munnings, Om was fifth in his debut at Santa Anita in June.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Enterprising, who has emerged as the star 3-year-old turf male in Southern California this summer, is likely to stay in his age group this year, according to Craig Bernick of Glen Hill Farm.
Glen Hill bred and races Enterprising, who won the Oceanside Stakes on the July 17 opening day program, and the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap over 1 1/16 miles on turf Saturday.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Fashion Plate will run in a graded stakes at Del Mar next weekend, but trainer Simon Callaghan is undecided between Saturday’s $300,000 Del Mar Oaks over 1 1/8 miles on turf or Sunday’s $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for fillies and mares over 6 1/2 furlongs. Fashion Plate may be entered in both races before a decision is made, possibly as late as Saturday.
“I think we’ll consider both races,” he said Sunday.
While Cassatt’s victory in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks on Saturday was impressive, owner Rick Porter saw both the positive and the negative.
He knows Cassatt, a lightly raced, long-striding daughter of Tapit trained by Larry Jones, has vast potential, but he also realizes she has a lot of growing up to do. Cassatt was hot in the paddock, a bit fractious in the starting gate, and bobbled when the gate opened.
