LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The weekend of the 2020 Kentucky Derby was a whitewash for untold thousands, but it was a watershed for Greg Foley.
A lifetime in racing came to a peak for Foley when he saddled Major Fed for the Sept. 5 Derby, from which fans were barred because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It was his first-ever Derby starter in nearly 40 years as a licensed trainer.
“It was a really awesome week for our family and owners,” said Foley, who recently surpassed 1,400 career wins.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Barbara Heads is heading to Century Mile where she will have a strong presence with four possible starters on the biggest day of racing in Alberta on Sunday.
Foremost is Synergy, who could be favored in the Grade 3, $100,000 Canadian Derby. The 1 1/4-mile derby is supported by the $75,000 Century Mile Handicap for 3-year-olds and up, the $75,000 Century Casino Oaks, and the $75,000 Northlands Park Distaff for fillies and mares.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Churchill Downs backstretch visitor caught sight of Steve Asmussen early Saturday and asked him to raise nine fingers. Asmussen grinned and complied – without even trying.
“How’s this?” said Asmussen, quickly referring to what little remains of his left thumb.
Asmussen had achieved the incredible feat of 9,000 career victories the previous night when Troy Ounce won the second race at Remington Park in Oklahoma, so the nine digits are symbolic. Asmussen, now 54, was 10 years old when he lost most of his thumb.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Trainer Chad Brown sent out an arsenal of graded stakes winners for workouts over the Belmont turf course Sunday as they prepare for upcoming stakes. Many have the Breeders’ Cup as their ultimate destination.
Rushing Fall, the six-time Grade 1-winning mare, and Uni, the champion female turf horse of 2019, led the procession of 14 horses, breezing five furlongs together in 1:00.78, in tandem through a final quarter in 23.21 seconds.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Josie Carroll said a decision has yet to be made regarding whether Larry Cordes’ blowout Queen’s Plate winner Mighty Heart will run back in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes on the dirt at Fort Erie on Sept. 29.
Mighty Heart rode a speed bias to a 7 1/2-length score under Daisuke Fukumoto in the Sept. 12 Queen’s Plate. His 1 1/4-mile time of 2:01.98 was the fastest Plate in the synthetic era at Woodbine, and the one-eyed homebred earned a big 99 Beyer Speed Figure.
Befitting a top sprinter, the three-time stakes winner Collusion Illusion had one of the fastest half-mile workouts at Santa Anita on a busy Sunday morning.
The 3-year-old colt is approaching the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sept. 27 in excellent form despite a disrupted training schedule in recent weeks, trainer Mark Glatt said.
Sharp Samurai, second in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 22, worked a quick half-mile in 47.40 seconds at Santa Anita on Saturday, moving closer to a start in an important turf stakes.
Sharp Samurai is under consideration for two races on Oct. 3 - the Grade 1 Shadwell Mile on turf at Keeneland or the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on turf at Santa Anita, said co-owner Tim Cohen on Saturday. Cohen said in a text message that Sharp Samurai is unlikely to run in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Santa Anita on Sept. 26. Sharp Samurai is trained by Mark Glatt.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Authentic was sent through his first breeze on Saturday since winning the Kentucky Derby, going five furlongs in 59.20 seconds at a chilly Churchill Downs.
With his Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, watching frontside, Authentic was ridden by Martin Garcia when working over a fast track shortly after 9 a.m. Eastern. According to Churchill clocker John Nichols, the Into Mischief colt went in splits of 23.80 and 35.40 before proceeding in out times of 1:12.20 and 1:25.20.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Funny Guy this weekend is expected to have his second workout back from his fourth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga, and could make his next start in the Grade 2, $150,000 Kelso Handicap here Oct. 3, trainer John Terranova said this week.
:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Belmont Clocker Report
ELMONT, N.Y. – In a perfect world, Tiz the Law, the Kentucky Derby runner-up, would likely have breezed this weekend toward a potential start in the Preakness.
In the real world, Tiz the Law has been slow to bounce back from the Derby and is not expected to breeze until mid-week at the earliest, trainer Barclay Tagg said Friday.
:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Belmont Clocker Report
