Wednesday, August 31 2011

SIDNEY’S CANDY RETURNS TO DIRT FOR FOREGO

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Sidney’s Candy has won graded stakes going long on dirt, turf, and synthetic and sprinting over an all-weather surface. On Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, the versatile 4-year-old will attempt to acquire a Grade 1 dirt sprint victory when he competes in the $250,000 Forego at seven furlongs.

The Forego, carded as race 9, is the second of three Grade 1 events to be contested on “Super Saturday at Saratoga” and will be shown live on VERSUS, which will present a live telecast from 5-6 p.m. featuring the Grade 1 Woodward.

SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR ASK THE MOON

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – What a difference a few days didn’t make.

When the Grade 1, $300,000 Personal Ensign Invitational was redrawn on Wednesday after being postponed this past Sunday, the same tough band of fillies and mares had been signed up to compete.

NEW YORK WATCH: FIRE ON ICE

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fire On Ice may not be the easiest horse to train, but trainer John Kimmel will happily cope with the colt’s quirks if he continues to offer the brilliance he displayed in his debut win on Travers Day at Saratoga Race Course.

“We had the horse for a couple months, and we were trying to come up with a name,” said Kimmel, who owns the son of Unbridled’s Song in partnership with Eli Gindi. “We thought the name might be taken, but we looked it up and it wasn’t taken. It certainly is appropriate for his demeanor. He has a lot of energy, and you certainly have to keep a close eye on him when you’re walking him or he’ll take a nice, big chunk out of you.”

Monday, August 29 2011

SARATOGA ON-TRACK WAGERING STILL POSITIVE DESPITE CANCELLED SUNDAY

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – On-track wagering at Saratoga Race Course remains positive compared to 2010 totals through week six (33 days) of the meet, despite the cancellation of racing on Sunday due to Hurricane Irene, according to The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA).

Attendance through week six (33 days) was 733,844, down 0.8 percent from 739,623 for 34 days in 2010.

MAIDEN WINNERS CAPTAIN WEBB, OPTIMIZER MEET IN WITH ANTICIPATION

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In 2004, English Channel used Saratoga Race Course as his launching pad, breaking his maiden at first asking as a juvenile before going on to win the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Turf and being named that year’s Champion Male Turf Horse. This year, Captain Webb and Optimizer, both sons of English Channel, will look to follow in their father’s footsteps and become stakes winners when they compete in Thursday’s Grade 2, $150,000 With Anticipation for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on Saratoga’s Mellon turf course.

The With Anticipation is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, with the winner, if nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by October 24, guaranteed a berth in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES August 30, 2011

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Hurricane Irene forced trainer Larry Jones to cancel a planned workout for Grade 1 Woodward Stakes prospect Havre de Grace, the 4-year-old filly sensation who will be taking on males in the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile Woodward on Saturday.

“We’ll just gallop into it,” Jones said early Monday afternoon. “We normally would have breezed today and of course there was no training today at Delaware Park.”

Thursday, August 25 2011

ROMAN TREASURE SEEKS BREAKTHROUGH IN GRADE 3 VICTORY RIDE

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Three weeks after making the pace against a top-class field in the Grade 1 Test, Black Swan Stable’s Roman Treasure returns to action Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Victory Ride presented by Jose Cuervo at Saratoga Race Course.

The 3-year-old daughter of Roman Ruler out of the top-class racer Jeanne Jones easily opened up by two lengths heading into the turn in the Test before being overtaken by eventual winner Turbulent Descent, one of the premier sprinting fillies in the country.

SASSY IMAGE EN POINTE FOR BALLERINA

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With two Grade 1 wins under her belt so far this year and a pair of sharp works at Saratoga Race Course, Sassy Image looks like the horse to beat in Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Ballerina.

The seven-furlong Ballerina – the 10th of 13 races on the Travers card – is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, with the winning horse earning a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on November 4 at Churchill Downs.

UNCLE MO RETURNS VS. TOUGH GROUP IN FOXWOODS KING’S BISHOP

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – One year after his auspicious winning debut on Travers Day at Saratoga Race Course, Uncle Mo will attempt to steal the limelight once again when he makes his first start in more than four months in Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Foxwoods King’s Bishop, the featured undercard race preceding the Travers.

Owned by Mike Repole, Uncle Mo lived up to the potential he showed in his 14 ¼-length maiden score, going on to win the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile en route to being named Champion Two-Year-Old Male. He began his 3-year-old season as the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, winning the Timely Writer at Gulfstream Park in March before tasting defeat for the first time when third in the Grade 1 Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial in April at Aqueduct Racetrack.

KENSEI, 2009 JIM DANDY WINNER, EUTHANIZED

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Kensei, winner of Saratoga’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy in 2009, was euthanized on Tuesday after breaking down during a gallop over the Belmont Park training track.

Owned by Stonestreet Stables and trained by Steve Asmussen, the 5-year-old son of Mr. Greeley suffered a broken right front cannon bone, and was euthanized by a private veterinarian.

STAY THIRSTY, COIL, SHACKLEFORD, RULER ON ICE AND SIX OTHERS DREAM BIG IN TRAVERS

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For Preakness winner Shackleford, Haskell Invitational hero Coil and Belmont Stakes victor Ruler On Ice, Saturday’s 142nd running of the $1 million Travers at Saratoga Race Course is a golden opportunity to grab control of the wide-open 3-year-old division with a second Grade 1 victory.

For six others, the 1 ¼-mile race offers the chance to become part of the mix for year-end championship honors.

Wednesday, August 24 2011

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES August 23 2011

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A 46.12 bullet half-mile work on Tuesday at Saratoga Race Course appeared enough to persuade Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to send Coil to Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes.

“Coil, if he looks great tomorrow, he is definitely running in the Travers,” Baffert declared after the work.