SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher had his arsenal of 3-year-old stars out for some work on a picture-perfect Sunday morning at Saratoga, a group that included Belmont Stakes and Jim Dandy winner Palace Malice, Haskell winner Verrazano, and the filly Princess of Sylmar, the winner of the Kentucky Oaks as well as the Coaching Club American Oaks here earlier in the meet.
Magical Moon, an impressive allowance winner on turf in her last start, may vie for favoritism along with the stakes winner Funfair and the speedy Lignite in Monday’s co-feature, the $100,000 Coronation Cup, carded at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf for 3-year-old fillies.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Byrama, the winner of the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park in June, might start in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 25, trainer Simon Callaghan said over the weekend.
Callaghan emphasized that Byrama is not a definite for the Pacific Classic and could stay in the older-female division, but he added that another race on the Polytrack synthetic surface here is being strongly considered.
DEL MAR, Calif. – A day after he made a triumphant return to riding following a four-week break to undergo counseling for alcoholism, jockey Garrett Gomez had a typical start to his morning Sunday.
Gone were meetings with psychiatrists and track stewards, replaced by a busy morning of working horses in preparation for races later this month. Gomez worked horses for Peter Miller and later for Paddy Gallagher.
All-sources handle was basically flat, while ontrack business was down slightly, through the first half of the 2013 Saratoga meet when compared with the first half of the 2012 meet, according to figures released Sunday by the New York Racing Association.
OPELOUSAS, La. – Relishing the off going, Brethren ($20.80) stalked the early pace before splashing home 3 1/4 lengths the best in Saturday night’s $125,000 Evangeline Mile Handicap.
Fellow longshot Arkansas Martini rallied from last to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of even-money favorite and 118-pound highweight Sabercat. It Happened Again reported home fourth, followed by Smoke It Right and pacesetter Unitas. Sweetsouthernmoon was a late scratch.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Up With the Birds, coming off a second-place finish in the July 7 Queen’s Plate, breezed five furlongs in company on the turf training track here Sunday in preparation for the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes.
The Breeders’ Stakes, a 1 1/2-mile turf race here next Sunday, is the final leg of the Triple Crown for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.
Regular rider Eurico Rosa da Silva was aboard Up With the Birds, who worked in 1:01.40 while going head-to head outside of older stakes-winning stablemate Hotep.
ALTOONA, Iowa – Smack Smack kept his undefeated record intact by rallying for a 1 3/4-length win over a game Ethical in Saturday night's $60,000 Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile.
Smack Smack, conditioned by Don Von Hemel, who was polishing off a 12-for-32 meet, relaxed early in his typical fashion, surged up when roused entering the far turn, and stayed on well while edging clear of the John Hall-trained Ethical.
Down Town Allen stalked the pace from the outside for six furlongs before rallying in the stretch to win the $51,250 Sadie Hawkins Stakes by one length at Charles Town on Saturday evening.
Bred, owned, and trained by John Casey, Down Town Allen won the Sadie Hawkins for the second year in a row. After stalking the pace to midstretch, the 6-year-old West Virginia-bred rallied to the lead under Matthew McGowan, reeling in the pacesetting Jax and Jill, who finished second under Gerald Almodovar. It was four lengths farther back to Autumn Affair in third.
Stopshoppingdebbie rallied for a three-length victory in Saturday night’s $63,375 Washington Oaks at Emerald Downs to remain undefeated in five career starts.
Stopshoppingdebbie, a daughter of Curlin, has won four stakes races in as many starts this year at Emerald Downs, with Rocco Bowen aboard each time for trainer Tom Wenzel. The filly, a homebred for Northwest Farms, won the Seattle, Irish Day, and Kent handicaps, worth $50,000 apiece, earlier in the meet. Saturday’s win boosted her earnings to $128,773.
