Tue, 08/10/2021 - 19:13

Queen's Plate comes up too quickly for Weyburn

Barbara D. Livingston
If Weyburn runs in the Queen's Plate he will be returning to action 22 days after a fourth-place finish in the Jim Dandy.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Weyburn, the top-ranked contender on Daily Racing Form’s Queen’s Plate watch, will bypass the $1 million Plate at Woodbine Aug. 22 to give him more time between starts, according to Chiefswood Stable’s general manager Robert Landry.

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Tue, 08/10/2021 - 16:59

Domestic Spending will lead field of 10 in Mister D., the final chapter in Arlington Million history

Debra A. Roma
Domestic Spending got a 106 Beyer Speed Figure for his triumph in the Manhattan Stakes on Saturday.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- Ten horses, headed by American grass star Domestic Spending, were entered Tuesday in the $600,000 Mister D. Stakes, the former Arlington Million, one of three Grade 1 turf races to be run Saturday at Arlington.

Domestic Spending, who drew post 3, will be a short-priced favorite in the Mister D., expected to be the final renewal of a race run 37 times as the Arlington Million, which offered racing’s first seven-figure purse when it was introduced in 1981.

Mon, 08/09/2021 - 21:22

Big City Lights has surgery to remove chip, will miss rest of 2-year-old season

Benoit photo
Big City Lights paid $2.40 with Sunday's triumph in the Fasig-Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita.

The dazzling juvenile stakes winner Big City Lights underwent arthroscopic surgery over the weekend to remove a knee chip and is sidelined until next season.

After winning his first two starts by nearly a combined 20 lengths for owner William Peeples and trainer Luis Mendez, Big City Lights was expected to start favored Aug. 7 in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar. He missed the race when his mannerisms changed, hinting something was amiss, after a blazing 46.80-second work on July 27 at Del Mar.

Mon, 08/09/2021 - 14:46

State of Rest becomes Joseph O'Brien's first Saratoga starter – and winner

Tim Whitaker
State of Rest da la sorpresa en el Saratoga Derby Invitational

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Joseph O’Brien, a son of Aidan O’Brien, made quite an impression with his first starter at Saratoga when State of Rest pulled a 21-1 upset in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational.

State of Rest, with only one win from seven starts coming in, rallied from sixth position under John Velazquez to win by a length. He earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mon, 08/09/2021 - 14:40

Brown picks up momentum with three stakes wins

Barbara D. Livingston
Public Sector se impone en el NMRHOF Stakes G2

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After a frustrating start to the meet, things are turning around for trainer Chad Brown.

Brown, who started Saratoga with 5 wins and 15 seconds from his first 50 starters, has won nine races from his last 28 runners to move into second place in the standings, two wins behind Mike Maker. During that recent run, Brown earned his 2,000th career victory.

Mon, 08/09/2021 - 13:36

Mo Forza targets Del Mar Mile for comeback

Benoit Photo
Mo Forza wins the City of Hope Mile in October at Santa Anita.

Five-time stakes winner Mo Forza will be ready for his 2021 debut in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 21, trainer Peter Miller said over the weekend.

Mo Forza has not raced since winning the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita last October. He was a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Mile last fall when he sustained a soft-tissue injury.

Mon, 08/09/2021 - 13:36

Ginobili likely to bypass Pacific Classic for Charles Town Classic

Benoit Photo
Ginobili, winning an allowance race at Del Mar on July 17, will probably run in the Charles Town Classic on Aug. 27.

Several horses being considered for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 21 at Del Mar may instead run in stakes in the Mid-Atlantic.

Ginobili, winner of an allowance race at a mile by 9 3/4 lengths on July 17, is likely to run in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, an $800,000 race on Aug. 27.

Nick Cosato, who directs the Slam Dunk Racing partnership that co-owns Ginobili, said the other possible spots for Ginobili are the Pacific Classic or the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes on Aug. 28 at Del Mar.

Mon, 08/09/2021 - 13:26

Santa Anita gives purses for winter-spring meeting a substantial boost

Barbara D. Livingston
Santa Anita has canceled Friday's card due to rain.

Santa Anita is raising purses for overnight races and some stakes for its 2021-22 winter-spring meeting, which begins Dec. 26, the second time in less than a year the track has increased prize money.

According to a statement released Monday, maiden special weight races will be worth $67,000, an increase of $6,000 from the corresponding meeting earlier this year and $12,000 from the 2019-20 season. A first-condition allowance race will be worth $69,000, compared to $57,000 in the winter of 2019-20 and $63,000 last year.

Mon, 08/09/2021 - 12:26

Handle at 2021 Saratoga meet on record pace

Debra A. Roma
All-sources handle on the first 19 Saratoga programs of 2021 was $385,973,816.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – As the meet reaches the halfway point with Wednesday’s card, figures already show that Saratoga is on its way to a record-setting meet handle-wise.

Mon, 08/09/2021 - 11:32

Kentucky Downs bumps purses 8 percent

Coady Photography
Kentucky Downs has resodded a good portion of its turf course this fall.

Kentucky Downs will increase its overnight purses for its September meet by 8 percent after a strong showing for its casino over the past year, the track announced on Monday.

Kentucky Downs, which will run six all-turf racing days from Sept. 5-12, will now distribute an average of $876,000 a day in overnight races for Kentucky-bred horses, with maiden special weight races worth $135,000 and first-level allowance races worth $145,800, the track said. Second-level allowances will be worth $156,600.