Bottas

A trio of turf graded stakes kicks off the Thoroughbred season at Saratoga on Thursday, headed by the GIII Pennine Ridge Stakes which features sophomores going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Installed the 9-5 morning-line choice, Mo Speed Racing's West End Kid (Twirling Candy) will attempt to secure his third consecutive victory after posting a pair scores over this distance in a 3 1/2-length win Keeneland maiden on Apr. 11 followed by another confident tally in a Churchill optional claimer on May 8. Trained by Will Walden, the colt...

Bottas (Vekoma), a 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard at first asking at Saratoga and recent winner of the 'Win and You're In' GII Pilgrim Stakes at Aqueduct, breezed five furlongs Wednesday over the Oklahoma training track in 1:03.82 as he prepares for his next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Oct. 31. "Bottas worked very well. Controlled. Easy by design. Came back sound," trainer Miguel Clement said of the work, completed in the company of a maiden. "He was moving very well. We...

Dahman's Bottas (Vekoma) found himself in tight quarters with push coming to shove in Friday's GII Pilgrim Stakes at Aqueduct, but he sliced through a narrow opening at the eighth pole and refused to let three-start maiden Heeere's Johnny (Oscar Performance) push past in the dying stages, scoring by a head. The 8 1/2-furlong contest serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Oct. 31. Named a 'TDN Rising Star', presented by Hagyard off an impressive 2 1/4-length debut...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--In the opener of the Travers Day program Saturday, Bottas (Vekoma) delivered a double maiden-breaking victory. Not only did he win his career debut in the $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds, he notched the first triumph for the Dahman stable of Qatari businessman Abdulhadi Mana Al Hajri. With a last-to-first run under Flavien Prat, Bottas secured the lead by the sixteenth pole and finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Franklin Delano (Liam's Map) in the 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course in 1:41.70. The...

Backed into 2.45-1 favoritism for his career debut in the Saratoga lid-lifter on Travers Day, Dahman's Bottas (c, 2, Vekoma--Iadorakid, by Lemon Drop Kid) became the second 'TDN Rising Star' for his dam as he was ridden quietly from the back of a six-horse field by Flavien Prat and exploded through the final furlong and a half to defeat the well-meant Franklin Delano (Liam's Map) by 2 1/4 comfortable lengths in solid time. A $300,000 OBS April breezer (see Summer Breezes), the dark bay--a 7-2 chance on the morning line...

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Saturday at Saratoga, Ellis Park and Del Mar. Saturday,...