Wicked Courage will be seeking to win his 10th consecutive race when he starts in Saturday’s trials for the Grade 1, $2.8 million All American Derby at Ruidoso Downs. He is in the 10th race on a program of 10 trials.
Others set to start include champion Pj Chick in Black, who has overcome a shipping accident that forced her to scratch from last month’s Grade 1, $1 million Rainbow Derby. She goes in the fourth race Saturday.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Tiz Flirtatious, who stormed home to win the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes on Sunday, will target the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, with a prep in the Rodeo Drive, both Grade 1, 1 1/4-mile grass races this fall at Santa Anita, according to trainer Marty Jones.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Turning into the stretch behind a wall of horses aboard favored Balance the Books in the $100,000 Stroll Stakes, jockey Javier Castellano had a decision to make: Go wide and make an outside run or try to find room along the rail.
After initially attempt to go outside, Castellano steered Balance the Books to the inside, got through on the rail, and outfinished Hardest Core to win the Stoll by a neck. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Mills in third.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Endorsement, second in the Wickerr Stakes on turf on July 24, and Hawk’s Eyes, a group stakes winner in Brazil in 2012, are candidates for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 25.
Endorsement was beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Arlington Million hopeful Indy Point in the Wickerr, his first start for trainer Hector Palma. Endorsement won the Grade 3 Texas Mile at Lone Star Park in 2012 when trained by Eoin Harty.
My Miss Aurelia, the juvenile filly champion of 2011 who is unraced since March, was shipped to Saratoga on Wednesday and will now be trained by Todd Pletcher. My Miss Aurelia, owned by Stonestreet Stable and George Bolton, previously had been trained by Steve Asmussen.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hogy made his Saratoga debut a winning one, rallying from just off the pace of 6-5 favorite Great Mills for a 1 1/2-length victory in Wednesday’s $100,000 Troy Stakes.
The 5 1/2-furlong Troy was decided over a yielding turf course and, as a result, scratched down to only five starters.
Hogy shipped in from Arlington Park off a second-place finish in the Arlington Sprint. He was making his first start for trainer Wayne Catalano in the Troy.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There was a mad rush to the entry box for Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga as the 1 1/2-mile turf race drew a field of 13 colts and geldings.
Fair Grounds in New Orleans opens for its sixth season of Quarter Horse racing on Friday with a full slate of trials. The nine races are qualifiers for the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association Sale Futurity, which will be run on the meet’s closing day, Sept. 7.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Oscar Party, purchased for $510,000 by Deron Pearson at the Del Mar Paddock Sale on July 22, starts from the rail in Friday’s $90,000 Sandy Blue Handicap at Del Mar.
It is a race that she is overqualified to win.
AUBURN, Wash. – Politicallycorrect, runner-up in a Grade 3 sprint stakes at Saratoga in his last start, drew post position 3 Wednesday morning when entries were taken for Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.
Rob Rao, Emerald Downs’ linemaker, installed Politicallycorrect as the 7-2 morning-line favorite, with Herbie D, a romping winner in the final local Longacres Mile prep race, next at 4-1 in a full field of 12. Politicallycorrect and Herbie D will start as co-highweights at 121 pounds.
