Thursday, August 02 2012

AGAVE KISS SEEKS REDEMPTION IN PRIORESS

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Agave Kiss, who suffered her first defeat in her most recent start, will attempt to start a new winning streak and land the first Grade 1 of her career when she competes in Saturday’s $300,000 Prioress, a six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies and a new addition to the Saratoga Race Course stakes schedule.

Owned by Flying Zee Stables, Agave Kiss opened her career with six consecutive dominant victories, including a win in the Grade 3 Cicada on Aqueduct’s inner track in March.

Wednesday, August 01 2012

$239K PICK 6 CARRYOVER WHEN RACING RESUMES WEDNESDAY AT SARATOGA

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Horseplayers can take advantage of the Tuesday dark day to analyze Wednesday’s Pick 6 sequence at Saratoga Race Course, which will include a two-day carryover of $239,114.97.

The Pick 6 gets underway at 3:13 p.m. with race 5. Three of the six races attracted 10 or more entries, excluding also-eligible and main-track-only entrants.

SARATOGA WAGERING STAYS STRONG THROUGH WEEK TWO

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Wagering and attendance remain up compared to 2011 after ten days of racing at Saratoga, according to The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA).

Attendance for the first two weeks of the meet was 203,780, a 1.2 percent increase from 201,400 in 2011.

ISLAND BOUND SEEKS UPSET IN G2 HONORABLE MISS; TAHOE LAKE FAVORED IN JOHN’S CALL

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Having run at five different tracks in her past five starts, the 5-year-old mare Island Bound is a stakes-seeking mercenary. Last year, she roamed from oval to oval, too, but it’s no longer at the $30,000 claiming level.

When the gate opens Friday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss, a six-furlong handicap for fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course, the Robert Manfuso-owned daughter of Speightstown will face her toughest challenge.

SANTA ANITA AUTUMN MEET STALL APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE, 24-DAY MEET OPENS SEPT. 28

ARCADIA, Cal. (July 30, 2012)—Stall applications for Santa Anita’s 2012 Autumn Meet are available to horsemen now at Santa Anita, Del Mar, Hollywood Park and on-line at http://www.santaanita.com. Applications are due Friday, Aug. 10.

Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet gets underway on Friday, Sept. 28 and the 24-day stand will be highlighted by the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 2 & 3. Closing day is Nov. 4.

Monday, July 30 2012

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES: Monday, July 30, 2012

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Endorsement had his final serious work for Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap this morning, traveling an easy five furlongs in 1:04.52 after the renovation break on the main track.

“It wasn’t nearly as fast as last week. I didn’t want him to go nearly as fast as last week,” said trainer Eoin Harty of Endorsement, who on July 23 breezed five furlongs in a bullet 58.96. “I’m not sure what the official time was, but he did it very easily and came back very well. I don’t think his fitness is in question.”

SHACKLEFORD CONFIRMED FOR GRADE 1 VANDERBILT; LOOKS TO JOIN ELITE COMPANY

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Dale Romans confirmed Monday morning that multiple Grade 1 winner Shackleford will run in the Grade 1, $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on Sunday, August 5 at Saratoga Race Course.

“Our plan is to run in the Vanderbilt,” said Romans, who added that the 4-year-old Forestry colt would arrive on a flight from Kentucky to New York later this week. “The only thing that would change our plans is if we don’t like the way he is handling the track after he arrives at Saratoga.”

BACK HOME, POMPAY WINS GRADE 2 AMSTERDAM WITH CURRENCY SWAP

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – On Sunday, Saratoga Springs native Terri Pompay brought her big horse, Currency Swap, to the Spa, where he delivered another devastating performance, collaring leader Doctor Chit with a sixteenth of a mile to go and rolling through the stretch to victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam for 3-year-olds.

Ridden by Rajiv Maragh, the son of High Cotton finished 1 ¾ lengths in front of Doctor Chit, who was a neck ahead of late-moving Unbridled’s Note. In returning to the scene of his greatest victory – the Grade 1 Three Chimneys Hopeful last September – Currency Swap completed the 6 ½-furlong race in a sharp 1:15.33.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES: Sunday, July 29, 2012

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Godolphin Racing’s Alpha emerged from his Grade 2 Jim Dandy victory in fine fettle and is definitely Travers-bound, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Sunday.

“He ate everything up and cooled out quickly,” McLaughlin noted. “I’ve already spoken to Simon [Crisford, Godolphin Racing Manager]; he called yesterday at 6:04 [p.m.], he was very happy, and we’re going to the Travers [Grade 1, $1 million, August 25]. Yesterday was a very important win, and we’re very happy, all of us.”

Saturday, July 28 2012

STREET LIFE EARNS TRIP TO TRAVERS WITH CURLIN VICTORY

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Street Life punched his ticket for the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga Race Course on Friday afternoon as he swept widest of all on the turn and on to a 1 ¾-length victory over Five Sixteen in the $100,000 Curlin for 3-year-olds.

Making his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 9, Street Life settled in sixth as Love to Run took the field through an opening quarter-mile in 23.64 seconds, with favored Easter Gift ranging up to get a head in front as the half went in 47.68. Given his cue by jockey Jose Lezcano on the far turn, Street Life moved up quickly to engage the leaders, and after being floated four-wide on the turn, barreled down the sloppy stretch to take command approaching the eighth pole and galloped unchallenged under the wire.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES: Friday, July 27, 2012

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Instead of going straight to the Grade 1, $500,000 Forego on Saturday, September 1 as originally planned, multiple Grade 1 winner Shackleford may run on Sunday, August 5 in the Grade 1, $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap.

“There is a slim chance that Shackleford might show up in the Vanderbilt,” said trainer Dale Romans. “A lot depends on how he breezes at Churchill tomorrow. It has been in the back of my mind for a while.”

Friday, July 27 2012

CURRENCY SWAP RETURNS TO SPA FAVORED IN G2 AMSTERDAM

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Nearly a year ago, trainer Terri Pompay showed up in the Saratoga Race Course paddock with a big, flashy son of an unproven sire named High Cotton and minutes later watched him run away from a field of maidens by six lengths.

The victory turned out just to be a warm-up as that flashy bay, Currency Swap, returned a month later to overhaul a runaway Trinniberg in the final strides to win the Grade 1 Three Chimneys Hopeful on the closing day of the meet.