Racing News

Under cover of darkness in the early morning hours of Sept. 1 at Keeneland, two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan put in his final serious move for the Sept. 13 Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Can-IT).

The 8-year-old Wiseman's Ferry gelding went five furlongs in 1:00 flat on trainer Charlie LoPresti's watch, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.

The Woodbine Mile, a race Wise Dan won in 2012 and 2013, will be the first start for the six-time Eclipse Award winner since his victory last October in the Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland, after which he was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture at the bottom of the cannon bone of his right front fetlock.

Hronis Racing's Elektrum outfinished three rivals late to earn her first graded stakes in the $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes (gr. IIT) Aug. 8 at Del Mar. 

With less than a length separating the top four finishers, jockey Victor Espinoza and the 4-year-old High Chaparral filly hit the wire first between horses to claim her first graded stakes, just a head in front of runner-up Queen of The Sand.Emotional Kitten finished third, a neck back, and pacesetter Fanticola came in fourth.

"I had to work hard at the end, but it was worth it," Espinoza said. "She ran good, but they caught me by surprise. They all came at me at once, but she's a fighter. She was strong at the end. We got it done."

Louisiana-bred String King seems to be getting better with age as the 7-year-old gelding rolled to an impressive victory in the Louisiana Turf Classicat Harrah's Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack Aug. 8. 

The Turf Classic was one of seven stakes on the Louisiana Downs card, six of which were for accredited Louisiana-breds. In the only open race, Melissa Cantacuzene's The Pickett Factor won the $100,000 Super Derby Prelude Stakes.

Owned, bred, and trained by Charles Craig Smith, 3-5 favorite String King stalked the pace from the inside before making a winning move rounding the second turn in the 1 1/16-mile grass test and was never tested down the lane as he drew off to win by four lengths.

Dream of Me and It's High Time secured victories in divisions of the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds and 2-year-old fillies Saturday, Aug. 8 at Gulfstream Park.

Dream of Me, under Eduardo Nunez, surged past two rivals in the stretch to win the Dr. Fager division for 2-year-olds by 2 1/4 lengths while It's High Time scored an upset win in the Desert Vixen division for 2-year-old fillies. Both races were contested at six furlongs.

In the $200,000 Dr. Fager, Kathy Machesky's Dream of Me secured the first stakes win of his career. Trained by Anna Varsi, Dream of Me completed six furlongs in 1:12.11 on a fast track. He was followed home by longshot Mr. Kisses second and Brighton Lanethird.

Honor Code caught early leader Liam's Map in the final strides to win the $1.25 million Whitney Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 8 atSaratoga Race Course.

The 4-year-old ridgling from the final crop of A.P. Indy registered his second straight major victory in New York. Honor Code won the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) June 6 at Belmont Park. He's owned by Lane's End Racing and Dell Ridge Farm.

The Whitney is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Oct. 31 atKeeneland.

Stonestreet Stables continued its winning ways Aug. 8, when Cavortingrallied to win the $500,000 Longines Test Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course.

Cavorting shifted into her top gear with an eighth of a mile to run and flew pastBar of Gold to register a clear victory in the seven-furlong stakes. The filly is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and was ridden to victory by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Southwind Frank took the lead at the halfway point and was never threatened the rest of the way as he won Saturday’s (Aug. 8) $349,850 Peter Haughton Memorial for 2-year-old male trotters by 2-1/4 lengths over Brooklyn Hill in 1:53.4.

State Treasurer put on the afterburners in the home stretch, making a statement in his 1:47 win in the $215,400 U.S. Pacing Championship for older pacers by 3-3/4 lengths on Saturday (Aug. 8) at The Meadowlands. The time was a new world race record for older pacing stallions on a mile track.

State Treasuer is trained by Dr. Ian Moore and co-owned by Sally and Paul MacDonald. David Miller was the driver.

Dancin Yankee (Jim Morrill Jr.) was first to the lead in :26, but was quickly overtaken by Foiled Again (Yannick Gingras) who held it to the :53 half. State Treasurer was on the move on his outside and quickly took that lead away and held it through the 1:19.4 three-quarter marker.

Monday's (Aug. 31) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Northfield Park and Plainridge Park.

If horses on the list of probable starters all show up, the Sept. 5 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Coursecould prove very interesting.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has four under consideration for the 1 1/8-mile Woodward, including Teresa Viola Racing Stables' Liam's Map, who came very close to wiring the field in the Aug. 8 Whitney Handicap (gr. I) in an excellent effort. The Unbridled's Song colt, who has four wins and two seconds in six starts, was nailed at the finish byHonor Code, who earlier this year captured the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I).

Pletcher also has Coach Inge, who finished third in the Suburban Handicap (gr. II) in his last start; Mylute, second in the Alydar Stakes behind Bay of Plenty; and Protonico, who won the Alysheba Stakes (gr. II) in his most recent start in May.

Closing night of the State Fair races at Scioto Downs saw 3-year-old trotting and pacing colts go head to head in one division each on Saturday (Aug. 8).

I Know My Chip and Chris Page took the $101,500 Governor’s Cup Trot in 1:55.1. Trained by Ron Burke, the son of Deep Chip out of the Pegaus Spur mare Madeline’s Crown took to the front after a :28.1 opening quarter and never looked back.

“Three days ago when they drew the race, he drew the rail, so I got to dictate things a little bit,” said Page. “Tonight he was absolutely two fingers, real manageable, let me make all the decisions, as opposed to him; just real marvelous tonight.

Reddam Racing's Nyquist built off his debut success to win the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 8 at Del Mar. 

The 2-year-old son of Uncle Mo  stalked Doug O'Neill stablemate Found Money early on, surged three wide to his outside, and drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths, ahead of Swipe in second andAnnie's Candy, a half-length back in third.

"I think it's safe to say he stays No. 1 of our 2-year-olds," O'Neill said. "Physically and mentally, he's the best. But you never know, things can change so quickly, good and bad, for 2-year-olds. If he stays injury free, he's got the mind of a champ."

Already a group III winner in France, Goldy Espony secured her first North American graded stakes win when she led every step of the 1 1/2-mile Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes (gr. III) Saturday, Aug. 8 on the Saratoga Race Course turf.

With the victory in the $200,000 race for fillies and mares 3 and older, Swift Thoroughbreds and Bradley Thoroughbreds’ Goldy Espony extended her win streak to three straight races, including a front-running score in the River Memories Stakes July 5 at 1 1/2 miles on the Belmont Park turf.

Miller Racing's Call Pat and Joe Rocco Jr. unleashed a huge move late in the middle of the track to catch pacesetting longshot Fioretti for a half-length victory in the Groupie Doll Stakes (gr. III) for fillies and mares at Ellis Park. 

Fioretti, sent off at 22-1 odds, and Sophie Doyle opened up by six lengths down the backside, as they sizzled in fractions of :23.55, :45.80, and 1:09.25 through six furlongs, and led by four into the stretch. Call Pat, last early in the 12-horse field and ninth after six furlongs, came flying late to just get up in time.

The deadline for nominations to the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic is Thursday, August 13. It costs $300 and there will be both serious and speculative names on the list at the end of the day.

Missing the deadline, however, won’t preclude participation by horses of late-breaking candidacy. Supplementary nomination, for a fee of $10,000, is possible up to the close of entries on Wednesday, August 19 for the race on Saturday, August 22. There have been six supplemental entrants in Pacific Classic history, three of them (Claret, Paseana and Jolie’s Halo) in 1992.

So we’ll know a lot more about the Pacific Classic late next week, and all about it when entries close the following Wednesday.

D’One was the one in the $181,450 Fresh Yankee for trotting mares on Saturday (Aug. 8) at The Meadowlands, charging down the center of the track to overtake Bee A Magician in the final strides to win the 1-1/8 mile contest by a length.

Flanagan Memory and driver Brian Sears won Saturday’s (Aug. 8) $301,500 John Cashman Jr. Memorial for older trotters by three lengths over Gural Hanover in 2:05.4 for 1-1/8 miles at Meadowlands Racetrack.