SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There is something about Saratoga that brings about the best in Bigger Is Bettor.
For the second time in two years, Bigger Is Bettor pulled off an upset in a stakes at Saratoga, this time rallying along the inside under Joe Rocco Jr. to win Monday's $100,000 Evan Shipman Stakes by a head over Awesome Vision in a four-horse blanket finish. It was a neck back to Readthebyline, who was third by a neck over Groomedforvictory.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Charlie LoPresti’s reigning Horse of the Year, Wise Dan, escaped a potentially disastrous situation after stumbling and nearly unseating exercise rider Damien Rock shortly past the finish line during a routine gallop here Monday.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Kitten's Dumplings looks to continue her ascension in the 3-year-old female turf division when she seeks her third consecutive victory in Wednesday's Grade 2, $200,000 Lake George Stakes at Saratoga.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Barclay Tagg called Wednesday’s sixth race at Saratoga “a Grade 1 allowance race,” and it’s likely the majority of his colleagues who also may have been looking for a soft spot for their stakes-caliber turf horses would agree with that assessment.
DEL MAR, Calif. – The pick-six pool Wednesday at Del Mar is expected to soar well past $1 million when bettors take aim at a single-day carryover of $238,499.
While hitting the pick six never is easy, the degree of difficulty is increased Wednesday because of challenging circumstances facing two top horses in the sequence – Indy Point in race 7 and Sweet Lulu earlier in race 6.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Richard Mandella has high hopes for Station House, a colt by Rock Hard Ten who is set to make his debut in Wednesday’s third race, a one-mile grass test for 2-year-olds that kicks off a pick six that has a carryover of $238,499.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Micromanage was among the more impressive of the nearly two dozen 2-year-olds trainer Todd Pletcher unleashed here last summer.
However, in two subsequent stakes tries, he was unable to duplicate the performance he gave in winning his debut by five lengths Sept. 1. Thus, Micromanage spent about two months on the farm during the winter, eating grass and enjoying sunshine.
The Louisiana Racing Commission has begun an investigation into the ontrack euthanization of Grade 1 winner Monzante after the horse was apparently injured while running in a $4,000 claiming race Saturday night at Evangeline Downs.
Del Mar broke strongly from the gate, with across-the-board increases in ontrack handle, overall handle, and ontrack attendance through the first week of the meet, which ended Sunday.
The overall handle averaged $13,044,595 daily, a solid 5-percent jump from 2012. The ontrack handle averaged $2,736,147, an increase of 3.3 percent.
The handle increase likely was propelled by an increase in field size, an average of 8.8 runners per race compared with 8.2 during opening week last year.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – So Long George has come a long way since finishing last of eight in a maiden $32,000 claiming race here Nov. 18, 2011.
Last Sunday, the 4-year-old So Long George reached a new plateau when he rallied under Emma-Jayne Wilson to win the Grade 2, $216,000 Nijinsky Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf by three-quarters of a length.
