Mon, 11/09/2020 - 13:46

Comely Stakes next stop for Miss Marissa

Debra A. Roma
Miss Marissa holds on over Bonny South to win the Black-Eyed Susan.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Miss Marissa, upset winner of the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Oct. 3 at Pimlico, is on target to make her next start in the Grade 3, $100,000 Comely Stakes on Nov. 27 at Aqueduct.

On Nov. 5, Miss Marissa worked five furlongs in 1:02.82, her second work since beating Bonny South by a neck in the Black-Eyed Susan.

“She’s had one work in company and one by herself,” trainer Jim Ryerson said. “We’re real happy with how she’s improved with stretching out.”

Mon, 11/09/2020 - 13:40

Donk sees luck change with the scenery

Barbara D. Livingston
Sky Kitten, trained by David Donk, drops in class for race 3 on Thursday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer David Donk had a bad feeling about the Belmont Park fall meet early on.

“My first six starters at Belmont, I had four seconds and a third, and when one of them didn’t win I said, ‘This could be a problem,’ ” Donk said. “And sure enough.”

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Mon, 11/09/2020 - 12:16

Firenze Fire's future remains to be determined

Debra A. Roma
Firenze Fire finished third in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland.

Firenze Fire, a solid third in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland, was back in trainer Kelly Breen’s Belmont Park barn by Sunday afternoon while owner Ron Lombardi contemplates what’s next for the 5-year-old Florida-bred son of Poseidon’s Warrior.

Lombardi said Monday he’s torn between retiring Firenze Fire and making him a stallion or continuing to race him. There’s even the possibility of running him once or twice more and then retiring him early in 2021. Lombardi didn’t reject the notion of trying the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile on Dec. 5 at Aqueduct.

Mon, 11/09/2020 - 12:06

By My Standards could run in Clark

Debra A. Roma
By My Standards is possible for the Clark and will race again next year at age 5.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Bret Calhoun said plans for By My Standards’s immediate future should be decided by week’s end, with a possible run in the Nov. 27 Clark at Churchill not having been ruled out for the 4-year-old colt.

“We’re going to give him a full evaluation and hopefully come to a decision fairly soon,” Calhoun said.

By My Standards, a winner of three graded stakes for older horses this year, was never a serious factor Saturday when finishing eighth at 16-1 in the BC Classic at Keeneland.

Mon, 11/09/2020 - 11:36

Swiss Skydiver okay after rough journey in Breeders' Cup Distaff

Barbara D. Livingston
Swiss Skydiver will be given a break in Florida before rejoining trainer Ken McPeek's stable.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Swiss Skydiver came out of her disappointing effort in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in good order despite “a couple of nicks and dings” and will be regrouped for a 4-year-old campaign, trainer Ken McPeek said Sunday at Churchill Downs.

Mon, 11/09/2020 - 11:00

No stopping Cox as he sends out impressive Sunday winner Sun Path

Coady Photography
Sun Path wins a Churchill maiden race by three lengths Sunday.

Mere hours after leading Monomoy Girl off the van at the Fasig-Tipton sales grounds early Sunday in Lexington, Ky., trainer Brad Cox was back in the winner’s circle at Churchill.

Cox saddled a 2-year-old Munnings filly named Sun Path for an eye-catching maiden victory in the second race Sunday. The Juddmonte Farms homebred overcame an awkward start to win the seven-furlong race by three widening lengths.

Mon, 11/09/2020 - 10:56

Global Campaign may resume training for Pegasus World Cup

Debra A. Roma
Global Campaign is currently at WinStar Farm, where he will stand at stud next year. He could rejoin Stanley Hough's stable and make one more start.

Global Campaign is headed to stud at WinStar Farm in 2021, but before then it’s possible he’ll have one more start in the Jan. 23 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park.

Global Campaign finished third at 25-1 on Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, earning a career-high 106 Beyer Speed Figure. The 4-year-old Curlin colt got a 104 in winning the Grade 1 Woodward in his prior start.

“The Pegasus is something that’s definitely under consideration,” Hunter Rankin, president of Sagamore Farm, said early Monday.

Mon, 11/09/2020 - 09:41

Breeders' Cup Classic: Authentic ends his racing career at the top

Debra A. Roma
Authentic's win in the Breeders' Cup Classic likely locked up both the Horse of the Year and 3-year-old male titles.

Bob Baffert left for Kentucky last week with three top contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s coming back to California with plenty of hardware, but with some pretty significant holes to fill.

Authentic beat stablemate Improbable by 2 1/4 lengths in the Classic on Saturday at Keeneland, which should secure champion 3-year-old male, as well as Horse of the Year, for Authentic, as well as the older dirt male title for Improbable.

Sun, 11/08/2020 - 18:35

Quiz show host Alex Trebek dies; was former owner of Creston Farm

Alex Trebek, who died Sunday at age 80 in Los Angeles after a lengthy illness, was famous throughout the world as the host of the popular quiz show “Jeopardy!”

But aside from television, Trebek’s sporting interest included a decade-long ownership of Creston Farm in central California in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and a small stable of racehorses. Creston Farms owned Reba’s Gold, a three-time stakes winner who earned $717,422 racing mostly in Southern California.