Wed, 09/01/2021 - 14:40

War Like Goddess solid Flower Bowl favorite

Barbara D. Livingston
War Like Goddess trains at Saratoga on Aug. 18. She won the Glens Falls on Aug. 7.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – War Like Goddess, impressive winner of the Grade 2 Glens Falls on Aug. 7, will get a chance to capture her first Grade 1 when she starts as a strong favorite in the $600,000 Flower Bowl Stakes at 1 3/8 miles on turf.

The Flower Bowl, like the Jockey Club Gold Cup, was moved to this meet from Belmont Park and is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. It will be run for the first time at 1 3/8 miles.

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 14:36

Asmussen can end season strong, starting with Jockey Club Gold Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Max Player upsets Mystic Guide in the Suburban at Belmont Park. Expect him once again to be put into the race early.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Steve Asmussen has had a memorable Saratoga meet already with a chance to punctuate it even further with horses to run in three of the final four Grade 1 races of the meet.

At Saratoga this summer, Asmussen became the all-time leading trainer in wins (9,467 through Tuesday), and last weekend won the Grade 1 Forego and Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens about 40 minutes apart.

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 14:16

Harvest Moon, Scotish Star pointing to Zenyatta Stakes

Emily Shields
Harvest Moon is expected to make her next start in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes on Oct. 3 at Santa Anita.

The field for the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes on Oct. 3 at Santa Anita may feature a filly who won the race in 2020 but has not raced since the spring and another who has struggled at Del Mar in her first two starts in the country.

Harvest Moon, trained by Simon Callaghan, won the Zenyatta Stakes at 1 1/16 miles last fall in advance of a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland last November. Harvest Moon was fourth and third in leading stakes for older fillies and mares at Santa Anita in March and April before she was given a rest.

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 14:06

Big, accomplished cast set for Del Mar Derby

Benoit Photo
Sword Zorro (right) finishes first in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap over Zoffarelli (center) and Hudson Ridge. Sword Zorro was disqualified and placed third for interference.

The Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Saturday may be the betting race of the track’s summer season. It certainly has the field size required to earn such a distinction.

The $250,000 race at 1 1/8 miles on turf is expected to have a full field of 14, including stakes winners Cathkin Peak, Flashiest, Hudson Ridge, Jimmy Blue Jeans, None Above the Law, Sword Zorro, and Zoffarelli; the stakes-placed Crew Dragon, Hockey Dad, No Foolery Here, and Petruchio; as well as Barraza, Lincoln Hawk, and Optimstic Valor.

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 14:06

Myfavoritedaughter out to prove romp was no fluke in Del Mar Debutante

Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos
Myfavoritedaughter wins a June 30 maiden race at Gulfstream Park by 25 lengths.

The number is so large it looks odd in a race record.

Myfavoritedaughter won a seven-furlong maiden special weight race on a sloppy track by an astonishing 25 lengths on June 30 at Gulfstream Park.

The race was meant to be run on turf. Racing on grass can wait for Myfavoritedaughter. The result has turned into a trip to California for Myfavoritedaughter and a start in Sunday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante, California’s top race for 2-year-old fillies in the summer.

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 11:36

Heroes from barn fire honored

Coady Photography
Monomoy Girl (No. 6) drops a nose decision to Letruska in the Apple Blossom last April. She is back galloping for trainer Brad Cox at Ellis Park.

Five horsemen whose quick action averted a disaster during the Aug. 22 barn fire at Ellis Park were honored Sunday in a winner’s circle tribute at the western Kentucky track.

Marvin Prado, a groom for Eddie Kenneally, was first on the scene in freeing six horses and a stable pony from a blaze that destroyed the receiving barn. Prado braved the fire when getting the horses out of their stalls and handing them off one by one to the other men on the scene.

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 11:30

Kentucky Downs entries out far in advance of meet

Coady Photography
Flavius wins the 2020 Tourist Mile at Ky. Downs. He could be favored Monday in the race now known as the Mint Million.

With entries being drawn as far in advance as a whole week, entries were already out Wednesday afternoon for the first three cards of the six-day meet at Kentucky Downs, where colossal purses once again will attract some of North America’s top jockeys and trainers to the turf-only track in rural south-central Kentucky.

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 10:56

Summers reflects on narrow miss in Quarter Horse Triple Crown

Jake Rogers/Ruidoso Downs
Jess Savin Candy (7) is trying to become the first horse since 1981 to win the Ruidoso Triple Crown of major 2-year-old stakes.

The 1993 season at Ruidoso Downs is one of many fond memories for former jockey Nancy Summers, now a trainer at The Downs at Albuquerque.

That year, Summers, then 31, was the regular rider of Treacherously, who won the Ruidoso Futurity in May and the Rainbow Futurity in July only to miss a sweep of the Triple Crown with a third-place finish in the All American Futurity on Labor Day.

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 10:00

D'Amato finishing Del Mar meet with a flourish

Emily Shields
Phil D'Amato is now tied for third in the Del Mar trainer standings after getting off to a 1-for-36 start for the meet.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Phil D’Amato is showing this summer at Del Mar that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

D’Amato, who topped the trainer standings solo during the summer meet in 2015 and tied for the title in 2016, had an uncharacteristically chilly start to this year’s meet, winning with just one of his first 36 starters. But he’s turned it around of late. D’Amato has won with 13 of his last 54 starters to vault to a tie for third in the standings with 14 wins heading into the final week of the season.

Wed, 09/01/2021 - 08:26

Ironstone romps in Simcoe after addition of Lasix

Julie Wright
Ironstone wins the $201,200 Simcoe Stakes by 8 1/2 lengths at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ironstone gave Willy Armata his biggest win Sunday at Woodbine in the $201,200 Simcoe Stakes. The personable trainer has some big plans for the son of Mr Speaker.

After ending up second in his June 20 debut, Ironstone flattened out to finish fifth in a longer 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight sprint on July 18.