Fri, 11/13/2020 - 14:00

Glatt may keep Sharp Samurai sheathed for now

Trainer Mark Glatt was uncertain of the immediate plans for Sharp Samurai, who was third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to Knicks Go after encountering traffic trouble in a rough run to the first turn.

Fri, 11/13/2020 - 13:56

Hard-luck horse Imprimis not throwing in the towel

Barbara D. Livingston
Traffic trouble cost Imprimis and Irad Ortiz Jr. their best chance in the BC Turf Sprint last Saturday at Keeneland.

MIAMI – Trainer Joe Orseno went into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint confident Imprimis had as good a chance as anybody to win the race. And as the field turned into the stretch, with Imprimis well positioned to launch his closing bid, Orseno’s confidence level grew.

But within seconds the dream ended. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. had to steady Imprimis sharply inside Leinster, ridden by Luis Saez, and behind the tiring Texas Wedge at the furlong marker, losing all chance. Ortiz eased Imprimis to the finish line in 13th place, 9 1/2 lengths behind race winner Glass Slippers.

Fri, 11/13/2020 - 13:46

Collusion Illusion added to star-studded cast in Malibu

The Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Dec. 26, which already had a number of top-class 3-year-olds pointing to it, picked up another candidate Friday, when trainer Mark Glatt said that was the next likely spot for Collusion Illusion, who is back home at Santa Anita after finishing 12th last weekend in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland.

“That seems like the obvious choice – last 3-year-old race of the year, Grade 1, makes perfect sense for him,” Glatt said.

Fri, 11/13/2020 - 11:30

Season is not over for Romans juveniles

Debra A. Roma
Iroquois winner Sittin On Go is likely to breeze Saturday as Dale Romans prepares him for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The top 2-year-old colts in the Dale Romans barn are expected to have one more start this year, although the trainer’s top 2-year-old filly Girl Daddy won’t run again until 2021.

Sittin On Go and Smiley Sobotka will stay separated, with one likely to go in the Nov. 28 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill and the other in the Dec. 5 Remsen at Aqueduct. Romans said that Ultimate Badger will run in either of those Grade 2 races.

Fri, 11/13/2020 - 11:26

Three allowance races highlight Sunday card

Coady Photography
Change of Control, here winning an allowance race at Churchill Downs in June, figures as one of the favorites in race 7 on Sunday at Churchill.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A trio of Sunday allowances anchor a 10-race Churchill card that brings the race week to an end with a 1 p.m. Eastern first post.

Race 7, the nominal feature, is a $95,000 turf sprint with wide-open conditions. A full field of 12 fillies and mares figures to have A Bit of Both and Change of Control among a core of lukewarm favorites, assuming weather conditions permit it to remain on the grass. A chance of showers and a high of 55 are in the Sunday forecast.

Fri, 11/13/2020 - 11:20

Frank Lyons to take Julien Leparoux's book at Gulfstream

Coady Photography
Julien Leparoux, the leading rider at Keeneland, was not injured when his mount, Call to Victory, broke down in the sixth race Sunday. Call to Victory had to be euthanized.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Julien Leparoux will have a new agent in Frank Lyons when he moves his tack to Gulfstream Park for the winter while his longtime agent Steve Bass stays home in Kentucky to recover from a serious heart ailment.

Leparoux, a two-time Eclipse Award winner, has been a perennial top-five rider for the last 15 years on the Kentucky circuit while mostly spending the winter months in Florida. He said Bass’s illness necessitated the change.

“We’ve had a lot of success together,” he said.

Thu, 11/12/2020 - 10:04

Final time for Authentic's Breeders' Cup Classic win adjusted

Debra A. Roma
Authentic wins the 2020 Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland.

Officials at Keeneland Race Course on Wednesday said the final time of the Breeders’ Cup Classic has been revised to 1:59.60 after further scrutinizing replays of the Nov. 7 race at the Lexington, Ky., track.

Wed, 11/11/2020 - 15:26

Ballagh Rocks can make claim look good in Artie Schiller Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Ballagh Rocks, shown winning the Lure Stakes in his most recent start, is entered for the optional $62,500 claiming price on Thursday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Luis Miranda and owner Darryl Abramowitz will look to get a quick return on their investment when they run Ballagh Rocks, claimed for $62,500 out of his most recent race, in Saturday’s $100,000 Artie Schiller Stakes going a mile on turf at Aqueduct.

Ballagh Rocks was one of 13 horses entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Artie Schiller, though four of those were entered to run only if the race is moved to the main track.

Wed, 11/11/2020 - 15:20

Fort Lauderdale Stakes will test Halladay's aptitude for distance

Debra A. Roma
Halladay turned back a stretch bid from runner-up Got Stormy (center) to win the Fourstardave by 1 1/4 lengths.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Halladay, who finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, will attempt to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes on Dec. 12 at Gulfstream Park, trainer Todd Pletcher said Wednesday.

How Halladay handles that distance will determine whether the Grade 1-winning miler will forge on to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at 1 3/16 miles on Jan. 23.

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Wed, 11/11/2020 - 15:16

Valiance, withdrawn from sale, will race next year

Coady Photography
Valiance won the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland (above) and then finished second in the Breeders' Cup Distaff.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Valiance, the Grade 1 Spinster winner and runner-up to Monomoy Girl in last Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, will remain in training for a 5-year-old campaign, her connections said Wednesday.

Valiance was withdrawn from Sunday’s Fasig-Tipton November auction and is getting a freshening at WinStar Farm before joining trainer Todd Pletcher’s South Florida string early in 2021.

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