ARCADIA, Calif. - Tripoli, winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in August, will be ridden for the first time by Irad Ortiz Jr. in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 6, trainer John Sadler said Sunday.
Tiago Pereira rode Tripoli for five starts from early May to earlier this month. Pereira was aboard Tripoli in the Pacific Classic when the 4-year-old colt won by 1 1/2 lengths.
Sam Houston Race Park has increased the purse of the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic to $400,000 from $300,000 and renamed the $200,000 Texas Turf Mile for the late racing executive Bob Bork, the track announced. The changes are the most significant to the $2.2 million stakes schedule for the meet that opens Jan. 6.
Welder is already slacking off in retirement.
The millionaire and three-time Oklahoma-bred of the year was enjoying a late morning nap Saturday at his farm base near Tulsa. One day earlier, Welder closed out his career with a third-place finish in the $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint at Remington Park.
It was decided ahead of time that the 8-year-old would be retired following the start. He will be let down from racing, and eventually become a stable pony for his owner, Ra-Max Farms, and his trainer, Theresa Luneack.
Mr. Wireless emerged from the Oklahoma Derby with a minor physical setback and will return to the races next year at 4, according to his trainer, Bret Calhoun.
Mr. Wireless finished an uncharacteristic fifth in last month’s Grade 3, $400,000 race at Remington Park and was found to have a small bone chip in one of his knees. Prior to the Oklahoma Derby he won back-to-back stakes, taking the Grade 3 Indiana Derby in July and the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby in August.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Bella Sofia, the New York-based 3-year-old filly who likely will be second choice behind Gamine in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 6, will ship to California in time to get one work over Del Mar’s main track, trainer Rudy Rodriguez said Friday.
On Friday, Bella Sofia worked five furlongs in 1:01.54 over Belmont’s main track in company with the New York-bred Trinni Luck. Rodriguez said he plans to work her one more time at Belmont and then ship to California on Oct. 23.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Life Is Good, among the top 3-year-olds in training, and Malathaat, the clear leader of the 3-year-old filly division, led a quintet of Todd Pletcher-trained Breeders’ Cup hopefuls who put in workouts Friday morning over Belmont Park’s training track.
Life Is Good, the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, went a half-mile by himself in 49.08 seconds, but his gallop-out of 1:01.72, 1:13.50 and 1:26.22 is what truly impressed.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Kathleen O’Connell has developed more than her share of talented horses during a long and successful career that has produced 2,283 victories, 83 of those coming in stakes races. Her latest star is the undefeated 3-year-old Florida-bred filly Khozmore, who gives every indication she will add to O’Connell’s stakes total.
Khozmore won Thursday for the third time in as many tries, drawing away to a 3 3/4-length allowance triumph.
Led by Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit and champion Gamine, there were several notable workouts at Santa Anita on Friday in advance of Breeders’ Cup races at Del Mar on Nov. 5-6.
Medina Spirit worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds, his first major exercise since a win in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes against older horses on Oct. 2. Medina Spirit is one of the leading 3-year-old hopefuls for the BC Classic on Nov. 6.
Princess Grace, unbeaten in three graded stakes this year, is returning to California for a start on the first weekend of November at Del Mar, with the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes on Nov. 6 a likely goal.
Trainer Mike Stidham said on Friday that Princess Grace is under minor consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 6, if the race loses a few leading contenders.
“It would take hearing that a couple of the ones that we consider the really tough horses are not running,” he said.
