Horse Racing
4th-Presque Isle Downs, $30,150, Msw, 9-5, 2yo, 6f (AWT), 1:10.67, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. BANNEKER (c, 2, Not This Time--Bosserette, by Street Boss), a $210,000 Keeneland September purchase, was the lone firster in a field of five and turned in a dominating debut effort. Off as the 29-10 second choice, the attractive dark bay broke on terms, but was content to take a trail from third through the middle stages. Going ominously well under a full-Nelson nearing the stretch, he was eased out and around odds-on Hector (Maclean's Music) in...
Trainer Gary Contessa, who sprang a 21-1 upset in the opening-day GIII Schuylerville S., brought the curtain down on the 2023 Saratoga season with another shocker when 54-1 outsider Nutella Fella (Runhappy) ran down the field late to take the GI Hopeful S. Monday in upstate New York. Fractious behind the gate and away slowly, Nutella Fella was well back in last as a four-way speed battle developed up front. After tacking onto the rest of the field approaching the three-eighths pole, Nutella Fella was committed to an inside run...
Due to extreme high temperatures forecast for the greater Toronto metropolitan area, the live racing program scheduled for Monday at Woodbine has been cancelled. The decision was made in consultation with the local HBPA and the commissioned veterinarian. According to a release, the track will endeavor to make up for the lost races over the next few live racing days. Live racing is scheduled to return on Thursday, September 7, with first post scheduled for 4:50 p.m. ET.
Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the entries for Labor Day at Saratoga and Del Mar: Monday, September 4, 2023 Saratoga 1, $136k, 2yo, (S), 5 1/2fT, 12:40 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze Dunedin Causeway (Gormley)-AE, OBSJUN, 35,000,...
Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) will get a second chance at the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. With a win in Del Mar's GII Del Mar H., the 5-year-old gelding earned a 'Win And You're In' spot in the gate for the November event. 10th behind Rebel's Romance (Dubawi {Ire}) in last year's rendition of the race, Gold Phoenix rebounded in 2023 with a pair of graded-stakes wins including a narrow victory in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. to start his year March 23. Though he faltered in both...
Sent off as the 2-1 favorite despite a below-par third behind the re-opposing Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22, Zedan Racing Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) became the first 3-year-old since Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) in 2014 to best his elders in the GI FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic at Del Mar, earning a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita in the process. "Those two horses (Arabian Knight and Geaux Rocket Ride)...
Anthony Fanticola's Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) rallied smartly through the final furlong and half to prove a much-the-best winner of Saturday's GIII Green Flash H. at Del Mar, sewing up a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint up the road at Santa Anita in early November in the process. Sent off the 13-5 favorite with Geovanni Franco replacing the injured Umberto Rispoli in the irons, Motorious raced in about seventh position of the 12 runners down the backstretch, but not terribly far off the pace disputed by...
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's lightly raced Bright Future (Curlin), a well-backed 7-2 in Saturday's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. at Saratoga, dug down deep beneath the ageless Javier Castellano to hold off Proxy (Tapit) by a nose and punch his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. "It was a good spot to try a Grade I and he delivered a big performance," winning trainer Todd Pletcher said. "In order to go to the next one, he's going to need to make another move...
Off as the 6-5 chalk in Saturday's $1-million Listed Gun Runner S. at Kentucky Downs, Joe Allen and CHC's TALK OF THE NATION (c, 3, Quality Road--She's Not Here, by Street Cry {Ire}) took command in upper stretch and staved off a stinging late rally from Wadsworth to lead home a 1-2 finish for their in-form stallion. Away in good order, Talk of the Nation took up a stalking position from second early on as Smokey Mandate (Strong Mandate) made the running down the hill and towards the side of...
Repole Stable and St Elias Stable's Agate Road (c, 2, Quality Road--Yellow Agate, by Gemologist) was hammered into even-money favoritism for his turf and two-turn debuts on the strength of a near-miss runner-up effort in a rained-off maiden Aug. 5. At the end of 8 1/2 very eventful furlongs Saturday afternoon at the Spa, the $650,000 Keeneland September purchase was named a 'TDN Rising Star'. Drawn widest in a field of 10, Agate Road was behind the eight ball right from the opening bell, as he broke a good two...
Dale P. Ladner's Alva Starr (Lord Nelson), a smashing winner over older female sprinters while making her stakes debut in the Dashing Beauty S. at Delaware Park July 8, negotiated the hike into graded stakes company with aplomb, routing four rivals in Saturday's GII Prioress S. at Saratoga. Sent off as the 7-2 third choice, with GIII Victory Ride S. runner-up Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief) the pari-mutuel princess at 3-5, the bay--bred by Ladner in partnership with trainer Brett Brinkman--attended a sharp early pace while three wide, turned back a...
West Point Thoroughbreds and Dream With Me Stable's Parnac (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) was sent to the front by Dylan Davis and never looked back against the three rivals in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GII Flower Bowl S. at Saratoga. The 8-1 shot took the initiative in the 1 3/8-mile journey, led through easy fractions of :25.19 and :51.33 over the firm going, kicked for home as the one to catch and kept on finding to score by 1 1/4 lengths over heavily favored McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Two for...