LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Maybe the Saturday stakes at Churchill Downs with the most quality is the Shawnee, which matches multiple graded winners Envoutante and Paris Lights in a field of eight fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles.
Envoutante, a romping winner of the Falls City here last fall for trainer Ken McPeek, comes off a runner-up finish behind Shedaresthedevil in the Grade 1 La Troienne, an April 30 race in which Paris Lights had a four-race win streak snapped when sixth.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The fairly good news for Helium is that he finished ahead of 11 opponents in the Kentucky Derby. The fairly bad news is that he not only incurred his first career defeat when eighth at 38-1, but the effort also suggested he’ll need to improve substantially to join the ranks of North America’s elite 3-year-olds.
Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields, and Santa Anita are enacting a policy later this summer to ban horses that run in two consecutive 1,000-yard races for Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds at Los Alamitos.
The loosely worded terms, which appear in the first condition book of the Del Mar summer meeting, urge Thoroughbred trainers to communicate with racing officials at three venues before entering at Los Alamitos.
From start to finish, Crazy Beautiful had a troubled journey in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on April 30.
There is the strong likelihood of a less eventful trip in Sunday’s Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita.
The $200,000 Summertime Oaks, run at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies, drew only seven nominations and may have four starters. The field is led by the unbeaten filly Soothsay, the winner of the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3 in her second start.
The Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on Monday will have a late and much-needed addition to the field with the supplemental entry of the multiple stakes winner Say the Word.
Trainer Phil D’Amato said Wednesday that several factors have led to the decision to pay the $4,000 supplemental fee when entries are taken on Friday.
“I thought small field, sharp horse, and Win and You’re In,” he said. “I can get Flavien Prat. All those were pros. All that makes it worth a shot.”
ELMONT, N.Y. – For the third time in eight days, Rebel’s Romance recorded an official workout at Belmont Park in preparation for a start in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 5. Wednesday morning was his most serious and, to listen to his connections, the best Rebel’s Romance has gone since he arrived in New York from overseas nearly four weeks ago.
A total of 45 horses were entered Tuesday in six races on the first card of Monmouth Park’s 2021 race meet, which commences Friday.
As noteworthy as the names of the horses entered are the names of the jockeys riding them. The opening of the Monmouth meet has unfolded in controversy with the track set to conduct racing under the most stringent rules in North America regarding use of the whip.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Mind Control, who won Grade 1 stakes at 2 and 3 for trainer Gregg Sacco, has been moved to Todd Pletcher.
Mind Control, a 5-year-old son of Stay Thirsty, has lost his last eight races, including a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on May 1. On Saturday, Mind Control worked a half-mile in 48.30 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.
Pletcher said that Mind Control would be pointed to the Grade 2, $250,000 John Nerud Stakes here on July 4.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Both Mr. Buff and jockey Junior Alvarado escaped injury after the 11-time stakes winner unseated Alvarado following a Sunday morning workout at Belmont Park. Mr. Buff remains on schedule for a start in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes for New York-breds on Monday.
Alvarado rode two winners from five mounts on Sunday’s card.
ELMONT, N.Y. – In addition to running potential favorite Essential Quality in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 5, trainer Brad Cox will have a select group of runners for some of the other 16 stakes to be run from June 3 through June 5 at Belmont Park.
Chief among them is Knicks Go, who has been rerouted from Monday’s Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star to the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 5.
“No Charlatan,” Cox texted when asked why the change of plans.
