ELMONT, N.Y. – Za Approval has been unable to duplicate his stellar 2013 form in three starts this year, but it might pay to keep the faith a little longer.
On Wednesday at Belmont Park, Za Approval worked five furlongs over the main track in 1:00.80, according to Daily Racing Form, a move that pleased trainer Christophe Clement.
“He worked very good today. He is on his way back,” Clement said. “We are looking at a Belmont race next week for him.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Nikki’s Sandcastle will be among the horses trying to ruin the return of Silver Max when the Grade 2, $200,000 Firecracker Stakes is run Saturday on the Churchill Downs turf.
Silver Max, perhaps best known for defeating Wise Dan last fall in the Shadwell Mile at Keeneland, will be making his first start in nearly eight months in the Firecracker, for which entries were drawn Wednesday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Rafael Bejarano began therapy on his injured shoulder Wednesday and intends to resume riding after a two-month absence on opening day at Del Mar, July 17.
Bejarano’s agent, Joe Ferrer, said Wednesday the jockey received doctor’s clearance Tuesday to begin a 10-day therapy session. Ferrer said Bejarano likely will begin exercising horses early the week of July 8 and has targeted Del Mar for his comeback.
“He will ride on opening day,” Ferrer said.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine will begin broadcasting in high definition beginning with tonight’s Thoroughbred card. Initially, it will only be offered in-house and on the TVG network in the United States.
“The fans will love watching the races on the hundreds of HD TVs we have around the facility,” said Doug Flaherty, Woodbine Entertainment Group’s senior director of broadcasting. “The sport is shot so beautifully in high-def, and it will also provide sharper graphics and odds displays for the bettors.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – William Antongeorgi III is coming home, with confidence.
Two days after riding Longview Drive to victory in the $100,000 Oak Tree Handicap at Pleasanton, the biggest win of his riding career, Antongeorgi arrived Monday at Santa Anita to give it another shot in Southern California.
“It’s a risk when you give up good business, but I’ve always been hungry to make it back here,” Antongeorgi said at Santa Anita Clocker’s Corner. “When you make a move, it’s good to make it with a lot of confidence.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Gary Stevens is the new rider for Fury Kapcori, the front-runner whose presence Saturday in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita presents a challenge for likely favorite Game On Dude, a horse with the same style.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer confirmed Tuesday that Stevens will replace Corey Nakatani on Fury Kapcori. Two other Hollendorfer stakes entrants on Saturday also will have rider changes – Joe Talamo rides Sahara Sky in the Grade 1 Triple Bend, Elvis Trujillo will ride Parranda in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine.
Heitai is being freshened following his win in Saturday’s inaugural Evangeline Downs Turf Sprint, a $300,000 race that Boyd Gaming plans to renew next season after the program, which included four other stakes, produced near-record handle figures for its Opelousas, La., track.
Heitai won his sixth stakes of the year in the Turf Sprint, a five-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up in which he led throughout. He finished 3 3/4 lengths clear of runner-up Whiskey Bravo and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98.
This week is the calm before the holiday storm as the only stakes scheduled in the Mid-Atlantic are relatively minor ones at Monmouth Park and Delaware Park. Both of those tracks will take a big step forward on the national calendar over the July 5-6 weekend when Monmouth puts on the Grade 1 United Nations (July 6) and Delaware serves up its Grade 2 Oaks (July 5).
Still, as of Tuesday morning there were some interesting races to take a look at early in the week:
Delaware, Thursday, June 27
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – D. Wayne Lukas will turn 79 on Sept. 2 but continues to exude the enthusiasm of a far younger man – especially when he’s winning.
Lukas, the Hall of Fame trainer honored with the 2013 Eclipse Award of Merit, sent out a 2-year-old filly named Take Charge Brandi for a winning debut Sunday at Churchill Downs and was all smiles at his Barn 44 headquarters the following morning.
“How’d ya like that one?” he grinned. “She might be okay, that filly.”
