Hear My Prayer won her California debut in an allowance race for fillies and mares at Del Mar on Thursday, her first start in more than six months. It may be more than two months before Hear My Prayer races again.
Friday, trainer Vladimir Cerin said Hear My Prayer may run next in the Grade 3 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes, a $200,000 race for fillies and mares at five furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 5.
“There’s no place else to run,” he said. “We know she likes the track.”
Rain changed the training schedule of Jimmy Blue Jeans, but it did not affect the plan to start the California-bred gelding in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on Sept. 4.
Trainer Andy Mathis intended to give Jimmy Blue Jeans a turf workout last Sunday, but persistent light rain led to the cancellation of turf works. Thursday, Jimmy Blue Jeans worked five furlongs on turf in 1:00 for the $300,000 Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles on turf. The Del Mar Derby will be the first start in a graded stakes for Jimmy Blue Jeans.
Jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. was suspended for 10 days and apprentice Diego Herrera for five as a result of an accident in last Sunday’s seventh race at Del Mar that eliminated seven of the 12 runners and caused the race to be declared a no-contest.
The rulings were issued Thursday by Del Mar’s stewards. On Friday morning, Valdivia’s agent, Nick Hines, said his rider would appeal the ruling. The agent for Herrera, Vince DeGregory, said they would not appeal. Herrera will miss the final five days of the meet, which closes Labor Day, Sept. 6.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – DeShawn Parker has been named the winner of the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, the New York Racing Association announced Thursday.
Parker received the majority of votes from more than 350 ballots cast by professional jockeys at North American tracks, NYRA said in a press release. Other nominated riders were Junior Alvarado, Julien Leparoux, Scott Stevens, and Gerard Melancon.
Parker, currently based at Indiana Grand, will be recognized in a special ceremony to be held at Saratoga on Sept. 2.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Channel Maker used a victory in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer last year as part of a late run that netted him the male turf championship.
Saturday, he will try to rebound from a seventh-place finish in the Bowling Green Stakes when he makes his fourth consecutive start in the Grade 1, $750,000 Sword Dancer. The winner of this race gets a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Channel Maker will take on a field that includes Tribhuvan, who won the Grade 1 United Nations, Gufo, Rockemperor, Cross Border, Moretti, and Japan.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Letruska’s presence didn’t scare off anyone from Saturday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign field, as eight fillies and mares were entered against her in the Grade 1 race, which offers a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
One of the surprise entrants in the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign was As Time Goes By, trained by Bob Baffert. As Time Goes By won the Grade 2 Santa Margarita and Grade 2 Santa Maria at Santa Anita before finishing fourth of five in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar earlier this month.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sconsin came closer to beating Gamine than anyone has in a one-turn race, getting beat 1 1/2 lengths by the champion female sprinter in the Derby City Distaff.
Trained by Greg Foley, Sconsin will try Gamine again in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina at Saratoga.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Whitmore has had chronic issues with his feet throughout his marvelous career. In many of his races, he has worn bar shoes on his front feet for protection.
Trainer Ron Moquett said Wednesday that Whitmore’s feet are in good enough shape that he will remove the bar shoes from the 8-year-old gelding for Saturday’s Grade 1 Forego. Moquett believes the last time Whitmore ran without bar shoes was the 2018 Forego, which he won.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The return of Life Is Good to the races in the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens headlines a terrific Travers Day undercard at Saratoga.
Had an injury not sidelined him in late winter, Life Is Good might have been among the choices for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers. Instead, he enters the Jerkens, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-olds, off a near six-month layoff while having to face the multiple graded stakes winner Jackie’s Warrior in a field of six.
Lieutenant Dan’s win in Sunday’s Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap for turf sprinters at Del Mar has left owner and breeder Nick Alexander considering a $100,000 gamble this fall.
Lieutenant Dan won the first graded stakes of his career in the $101,500 Green Flash Handicap, leaving Alexander and trainer Steve Miyadi to consider the 5-year-old gelding as a prospect for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar. The Green Flash and BC Turf Sprint are run at five furlongs on turf.
