Tue, 09/17/2013 - 15:19

Laurel: Stakes grouped on six big days; super high 5 added

Taking its cue from other racetracks that have enjoyed success by bundling multiple stakes onto a single program to create a major event day, the Maryland Jockey Club has altered its presentation of stakes at Laurel Park and added a new exotic wager tied to those races.

Tue, 09/17/2013 - 14:39

Belmont: Street Secret tunes up for Turnback the Alarm in Parlo Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Street Secret ran well on turf early in her career, but will focus on dirt routes this fall, starting with Thursday's Parlo at Belmont.

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ELMONT, N.Y. – When Street Secret came to Chad Brown’s barn, it looked like she would be another one to add to his deep roster of potential turf stakes fillies and mares.

But Street Secret has proven to be perhaps a shade better on dirt, and with an eye toward next month’s Turnback the Alarm, Brown will prep Street Secret in Thursday’s $100,000 Parlo Stakes at Belmont Park.

Tue, 09/17/2013 - 11:49

Delaware: Vegas No Show outbattles Smash and Grab in Ricci Tavi

Vegas No Show reaffirmed his affinity for the dirt track at Delaware Park when he scored a neck victory over pacesetter Smash and Grab in Monday’s $50,375 Ricci Tavi Stakes for 3-year-olds at Delaware Park.

In 4 starts locally, the Monmouth Park-based Vegas No Show ($6) now has 3 wins and a runner-up finish in which he missed by a nose.  At all other tracks, he is 0 for 10.

Tue, 09/17/2013 - 09:09

Churchill Downs: Fort Larned to stay home for final Breeders' Cup prep

Barbara D. Livingston
Fort Larned, most recently fifth as the favorite in the Aug. 3 Whitney, is pointing to the Sept. 28 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fort Larned, the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, will make his next start Sept. 28 in the new Homecoming Classic at his home track of Churchill Downs and not the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park the same day, as had been originally planned.

Trainer Ian Wilkes said he had a change of heart after evaluating all the factors involved in getting Fort Larned back to the $5 million BC Classic, which is set for Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Mon, 09/16/2013 - 17:13

Woodbine: Minakshi, Colonial Flag may meet again in E.P. Taylor Stakes

Michael Burns
Minakshi and jockey Luis Contreras (left, blue cap) win the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes by a half-length Sunday.

Michael Matz enjoyed a good day at Woodbine on Sunday as the trainer of Minakshi and Colonial Flag, the top two finishers in the Grade 2, $306,400 Canadian Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 1/8 miles on turf. The result was not very surprising to Matz, who expected good things from the 4-year-old Colonial Flag and the 5-year-old Minakshi.

Mon, 09/16/2013 - 17:05

Pletcher stars breeze at Saratoga

Barbara D. Livingston
Cross Traffic (left) and Graydar breeze five furlongs in 1:01.26 in company at Saratoga on Monday.

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Led by Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice, trainer Todd Pletcher put a bevy of his stakes stars through workouts at Saratoga on Monday over the Oklahoma training track. Palace Malice, preparing for the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 28, worked five furlongs in 1:02.03 after covering his first eighth in 14 seconds.

Mon, 09/16/2013 - 17:03

Pennsylvania Derby: Will Take Charge to start from outside

Barbara D. Livingston
Will Take Charge (left) and Moreno, who finished a nose apart in the Travers, are expected to be rematched in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 21.

The rematch is set.

Will Take Charge and Moreno, separated by a nose in last month’s $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga, head a field of eight entered Monday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

Will Take Charge, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, drew the outside post, while Moreno, trained by Eric Guillot, will leave from post 3.

Mon, 09/16/2013 - 16:47

Churchill Downs: Joyful Victory breezes

Shigeki Kikkawa
Joyful Victory, the winner of the Grade 1 Santa Margarita in March, will run May 27 in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps.

Joyful Victory continued working for her final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff when breezing five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Monday at Churchill for trainer Larry Jones.

Joyful Victory, owned by Fox Hill Farms, will make her next start in the Grade 1 Zenyatta on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita, where earlier this year the 5-year-old mare won the Grade 1 Santa Margarita by four lengths. The Nov. 1 Distaff also will be run at Santa Anita.

Mon, 09/16/2013 - 16:40

Belmont Park notes: Gyarmati's small stable running big

Barbara D. Livingston
Sweet Reason and jockey Alex Solis win the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths Sunday at Saratoga.

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ELMONT, N.Y. – These are heady times for trainer Leah Gyarmati, who ended the Saratoga meet with her first Grade 1 victory and began the Belmont fall season with two victories, including one from another promising juvenile prospect.

Not bad for an outfit that had just 20 horses as of Monday morning, though a new prospect was set to arrive Tuesday.

Mon, 09/16/2013 - 16:40

Little Mike targets Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

Tom Keyser
Little Mike has not been as sharp this year as in 2012 but his owner expects him to regain his best form in the Arlington Million.

Owner Carlo Vaccarezza has announced that Little Mike, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf last year, will run next in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on Sept. 28 at Belmont instead of the Shadwell Turf Mile a week later at Keeneland.

The $600,000 Joe Hirsch goes at 1 1/2 miles, while the $750,000 Shadwell is run at a mile. Both are Grade 1 events.

Vaccarezza had been leaning toward the Shadwell Mile since Little Mike, winless in four starts this year, finished sixth in the Aug. 17 Arlington Million. Dale Romans trains.