Racing News

The Coolmore connections of Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith hit a nice jackpot July 5 when theirMinorette drew clear in the $1 million Belmont Invitational Oaks (gr. IT). With trainer Chad Brown at the helm, they'll try to grab another rich pot Aug. 16 atSaratoga Race Course in the $300,000Knob Creek Lake Placid Stakes (gr. IIT). 

The nine-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies drew just six with Mathis Stable'sMy Miss Sophia in the lineup as a main-track-only entrant. My Miss Sophia, a daughter of Unbridled's Song, disappointed last time out in the one-mile Acorn Stakes (gr. I) but earlier in the year was second to division leader Untapable in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) and won the Gazelle Stakes (gr. II).

The Lake Placid, scheduled for the inner turf course, goes as race 3 on a card that features the $600,000 Alabama Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies on the main track.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's defending victor Real Solution is set for a showdown with 2013 Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) winner Magician in the Arlington Million (gr. IT) at Arlington International Racecourse Aug. 16 in the 32nd edition of the Illinois oval's marquee turf event.

Encompassing many countries and continents over the yeas, the 1 1/4-mile fixture continues to flourish despite environmental turmoil in a struggling state racing scene. Seven top class horses—including five group I winners and two other stakes victors hailing from Ireland, England, France, America, and Canada—are set to test the deep waters of one of the world's most competitive and unpredictable racing events.

If all seven start, the field would match the smallest in Arlington Million history.

Since its creation in 2012, the $400,000American St. Leger has belonged to Darren Dance's Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock and trainer Marco Botti. They won the inaugural running of the 1 11/16-mile race with the globetrotting Jakkalberry and then withDandino, who returns for a repeat bid in the Aug. 16 marathon event.

The St. Leger is one of four major turf races to comprise Arlington's International Festival of Racing, highlighted by the 32nd edition of the Arlington Million (gr. IT) and including the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) and the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT). The St. Leger kicks off a 50-cent Pick 5 wager with a $100,000 guaranteed pool and a takeout rate of 15%.

Tuesday's (Aug. 12) edition of Racing Roundup features a results story from Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Three-year-old filly pacer Sandbetweenurtoes improved to 8-for-8 this season and moved from No. 10 to seventh in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll.

Sandbetweenurtoes won a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and was the only horse in the Top 10 to improve its position from last week. The top six remained unchanged, with older male trotter Sebastian K holding onto the No. 1 spot, followed by older male pacer Sweet Lou.

Sebastian K, who was idle, and Sweet Lou, who won the Dan Patch Invitational, were the only horses receiving first-place votes, with Sweet Lou adding two to his total from last week.

The 3-year-old trotting fillies of the Ontario Sires Stakes are back in action in both Gold and Grassroots action over the next two days. Six C$18,000 Grassroots divisions highlight Tuesday night’s (Aug. 12) card at Mohawk Racetrack. The following evening two C$105,000 Gold divisions will be part of Grand River’s Wednesday night (Aug. 13) program.

Making her OSS debut Tuesday night at Mohawk is Acapulco Hall, a daughter ofDeweycheatumnhowe who has post five in race five. A winner in her only lifetime start, on July 29 at Pocono Downs, in 1:57.4 for former trainer Fred Grant, the filly has been transferred to the Rick Zeron barn for her Ontario stay.

What makes her appearance notable is the fact that she’s a half-sister to 2003 Hambletonian winner Amigo Hall, the second Ontario-sired horse to ever win the coveted event. Ontario trainer Blair Burgess orchestrated the Balanced Image horse’s career which saw him earn nearly $1 million lifetime.

In addition to being a top Grand Circuit performer, Amigo Hall was also dominant in the Ontario Sires Stakes program during his sophomore season, earning more than $198,000 from just five starts.

Bal a Bali, the Brazilian Triple Crown winner who has qualified for a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), is being treated for laminitis, according to Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm, which owns the son of Put It Back with Siena Farm.

Fox Hill reported on its website that Bal A Bali was scheduled to fly out to trainer Richard Mandella's Southern California stable over the weekend, but a small lameness issue cropped up nearing the end of last week. The 4-year-old colt was sent to a clinic near Fox Hill and the problem was later confirmed as laminitis.

He is being treated by Dr. Weston Davis of Palm Beach Equine and Dr. Vernon Dryden of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital.

Between the $1.05 million earned byStopchargingmaria and the $394,000 earned by Stopshoppingmaria, owner Mike Repole is getting his money’s worth from his wife Maria’s apparent shopping sprees. There was evenStopspendingmaria, who placed in the grade III Schuylerville Stakes in her brief four-race career.

So, with three black-type fillies, Repole should hope his pleas to his wife go unheeded. What’s next, Stopsplurgingmaria? Why not? It is doubtful that Repole’s credit card statements from Bloomingdales and Lord and Taylor exceed the earnings of his wife’s equine namesakes.

As dominant as Stopchargingmaria was in last month’s Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, one would think she is about to add to her growing bankroll in the $600,000 Alabama Stakes(gr. I) Aug. 16.

A diverse field of 11 filly and mare turf stars will tee it up in the $750,000Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) going 1 3/16 miles over the Arlington International Racecourse green Aug. 16 as part of the track's International Festival of Racing.

The field includes six grade/group I winners, three internationally bred stars, and a host of local hopefuls mixed into a spicy stew of intrigue. The race is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, with the winner landing an expense-paid berth in the starting gate for the BC Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) atSanta Anita Park.

The depth of the field is indicated by lukewarm 7-2 morning-line favoritism bestowed on Ken andSarah Ramsey's 5-year-oldStephanie's Kitten. The Chad Brown trainee sports the most impressive bankroll of the bunch with $1.7 million in earnings, but hasn’t visited the winner’s circle since last year’s Longines Just A Game Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park.

One of the most prominent races of the upcoming Kentucky Downs meeting has been renamed the More Than Ready Mile after the internationally successful stallion standing at WinStar Farm.

The $200,000 stakes race, which is expected to attract some of North America's top milers, is part of a $1.7 million racing program Sept. 13.

"It is an honor to involve WinStar Farm in the upcoming live season and to rename our prestigious one mile event the More Than Ready Mile," said Kentucky Downs president Corey Johnsen. "More Than Ready   has international acclaim as a stallion, so it is appropriate that he be identified with our unique one mile course, which is run with one long sweeping turn."

The Arlington Million (gr. IT) at Arlington Park has always been a competitive race with a top-class international field, and most years it would draw a field of 13 or 14 turf stars. 

But something unusual has happened this year: Only seven horses were pre-entered in the 1 1/4-mile event, the smallest number of pre-entries in the race’s 32-year history. Only four North American-based horses were pre-entered, and one of them is not even a certainty to run, being pre-entered in the American St. Leger as well.

Although likely favorites Magician and Real Solution are good horses, there is no major standout, which bodes well for the chances of the Canadian-based Up With the Birds, even if just to pick up a piece of the million-dollar purse.

Horsemen worked in their barns and watched the sky instead of racing at the Illinois State Fair Monday afternoon as all racing for the day was once again canceled due to unfavorable track conditions.

Heavy rain Thursday, a morning shower Monday and bits of rain in between forced officials to cancel races on Friday, Saturday and Monday because the 1-mile track was too muddy.

The track finally dried out enough for officials to get the racing started at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday. They hope races scheduled for noon Wednesday and Thursday also will go off without any trouble.