Charlie Em, the 10-1 winner of the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes in her U.S. debut Saturday, will start in the $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap on June 8, co-owner Aron Wellman said.
Wellman, who operates the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners syndicate that owns Charlie Em, said the Honeymoon “makes the most sense.”
“She should move forward,” he said.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Let Em Shine, who won his stakes debut with a sharp performance in Saturday’s Came Home Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park, is likely to have two starts this summer.
Trainer Adam Kitchingman said the long-term goal remains the $500,000 King’s Bishop Stakes over seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 24. Where Let Em Shine starts in the interim has not been finalized, but the $150,000 Carry Back Stakes for 3-year-olds over six furlongs at Calder on July 6 is a strong possibility.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Alpha Bettor saved ground under a good ride from Justin Stein en route to an upset score in the $200,000 Eclipse Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.
Alpha Bettor ($29.60) raced in third along the backstretch in the Grade 2 route as Don Cavallo set lively fractions, with 1-5 favorite Delegation in close proximity. Alpha Bettor came along the rail in the stretch and prevailed by a neck over Delegation in a quick 1:42.69 for the 1 1/16 miles.
Preakness Weekend will get off to a rousing start Friday, when Ashland Stakes winner Emollient takes on Maryland hotshot Walkwithapurpose in the Grade 2, $500,000 Black-Eyed Susan.
The 3-year-old filly classic is one of 16 stakes to be run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Friday and Saturday. The races are worth $3.4 million in total, with the centerpiece the second leg of the Triple Crown, the 138th Preakness Stakes on Saturday.
Itsmyluckyday worked a half-mile in 47.20 seconds Sunday afternoon at Monmouth Park, a drill Eddie Plesa Jr., his trainer and co-owner, wanted to get in prior to Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.
Normandy Invasion, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, will not run in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes and instead will make the $1 million Travers on Aug. 24 at Saratoga his next major objective, owner Rick Porter said Sunday.
Porter said Normandy Invasion would make his next start in either the $600,000 Jim Dandy at Saratoga on July 27 or the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on July 28.
ALTOONA, Iowa – Wings of War benefited from an ideal trip under jockey Shane Laviolette and a duel between heavily favored stablemates when rallying for a half-length victory in the $70,000 John Wayne Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for Iowa-breds, at Prairie Meadows on Saturday.
As the Chris Richard-trained coupled entry of Ice Hockey and Cresco Direct Hit, sent off at 3-10, battled through fractions of 22.61 and 45.83 seconds, Wings of War ($13.80) bided his time along the rail before angling three wide approaching the furlong pole and taking aim on the pacesetters.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Departing, one of the top threats to Orb in the 138th Preakness Stakes, had his final workout for the race when going a very easy half-mile in 50.40 seconds on a beautiful Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - I Think So ran away and hid from her rivals in the $50,000 Ross McLeod for 3-year-old fillies at Hastings on Saturday. Sent off as a slight favorite over Goldstryke Glory in the seven-horse field, I Think So paid $4.20 for her impressive front-running win.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - There is a pick six carryover at Betfair Hollywood Park for the first time in two weeks for Sunday’s nine-race program.
Consecutive wins by the outsiders Charlie Em ($21.40) and Jovita’s Tuffy ($46.80) in Saturday’s sixth and seventh races eliminated most tickets from contention, and has led to a carryover of $119,916 for Sunday.
