ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Leading rider Rafael Hernandez had quite an eventful last week at Woodbine.
On Thursday, he breezed the unbeaten Kentucky Derby prospect Shirl’s Speight five-eighths in a sizzling :57 on the training track for trainer Roger Attfield. The spectacular work generated lots of interest after it was posted on Twitter by Woodbine’s television department.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The champion Midnight Bisou returned to the worktab Sunday morning at Saratoga, breezing a half-mile in 50.80 seconds over the Oklahoma training track as she prepares for a fall campaign that will begin with the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland on Oct. 4, her connections said.
Midnight Bisou, coming off a controversial neck loss to Vexatious in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes here Aug. 1, went her opening quarter in 25.84 seconds and her second quarter in 24.96.
Forest Caraway, the winner of a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar on Saturday, is one of several juveniles trainer Peter Miller plans to run in stakes on Labor Day weekend.
Forest Caraway is a candidate for the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante, a $250,000 race at seven furlongs on Sept. 6. By Bodemeister, Forest Caraway was purchased for $70,000 as a weanling at Keeneland in 2018.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Pneumatic, the relatively easy winner of Saturday’s $150,000 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park, will be pointed to the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Oct. 3, his connections said Sunday.
Though Pneumatic would have enough points to get into the Kentucky Derby field on Sept. 5, his connections believe the seven weeks to the Preakness is a better fit for the large son of Uncle Mo.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Swiss Skydiver gave trainer Ken McPeek his second victory in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alabama in the last three years Saturday, and now the four-time graded stakes-winning 3-year-old filly will try to give McPeek his first victory in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs.
McPeek, a Kentucky native, is winless in nine runnings of the Oaks, having finished second in 2002 with Take Charge Lady and second in 2017 with Daddy’s Lil Darling. He’s also run fourth three times.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Slow early, fast late. That was how Maximum Security worked on a warm Sunday morning at Del Mar, his final drill before he starts favored in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic next Saturday.
“He’s ready now,” trainer Bob Baffert said after Maximum Security worked seven furlongs in company following the 6:30 a.m. renovation. Maximum Security broke off behind McKale at the 5 1/2-furlong pole, rolled past his workmate in the lane, and galloped out a mile in 1:38.20.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Not since prior to the Santa Anita Derby had Mike Smith been able to get on Honor A. P. for a workout, something both he and trainer John Shirreffs believe is paramount to Honor A. P.’s development and progress.
The interruption was caused first by Smith’s travel in late June and early July to major races out of town, and once the Southern California circuit moved to Del Mar, jockeys were not allowed to work horses in the morning, a change of policy from Santa Anita, where horses were brought to the paddock pre-work when a jockey was employed.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Creed, a promising late-developing 3-year-old who won his last two starts, will be sidelined for 60 days due to an ankle injury, trainer Shug McGaughey said Friday.
Creed was diagnosed with the injury following a workout Aug. 3 at Saratoga.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Both Irad Ortiz Jr. and his brother Jose Ortiz will not be heading to Churchill Downs for Kentucky Derby week, according to their agents, electing to stay at Saratoga through the conclusion of the meet on Sept. 7.
Jose Ortiz did not have a Kentucky Derby mount, while Irad Ortiz Jr. has ridden Derby probable Dr Post in two of his three most recent starts.
:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Dr Post worked five furlongs in 1:01.34 on Friday morning over Saratoga’s main track, after which trainer Todd Pletcher stopped just short of committing him to the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.
“I thought he worked great – steady breeze, strong gallop-out – the kind of work we’ve come to expect from him,” Pletcher said. “Right now, he’s training like a horse you’d have to strongly consider for the Derby.”
