Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Express Train training again after pre-BC injury to hock
DEL MAR, Calif. – Several local horses who missed Breeders’ Cup races owing to ill-timed injuries are making good progress, their trainers reported Friday.
Express Train, who had to be scratched from the Classic after injuring a hock in a paddock schooling incident, has gone back to the track for training, John Shirreffs said while watching his horses train Friday morning at Del Mar.
“He’s progressing nicely,” said Shirreffs, who said he had no firm plans for a next start for Express Train, but added the horse will stay in training for 2022 at age 5.
Shirreffs has another top older horse, Midcourt, set for the Grade 3, $100,000 Native Diver on Nov. 20. Both Express Train and Midcourt are owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stables.
Richard Mandella said that both United and Bombard are doing well, but will not race for a bit. United had to miss the Turf, while Bombard was an also-eligible for the Turf Sprint.
United’s injured leg “looks really good,” Mandella said.
“I’ll wait a little longer to re-scan it, then turn him out,” said Mandella, who said United is merely walking under shed row.
Bombard, who had a foot bruise, will “get a little break.”
“There’s nothing for him. He’s a sprinter on turf,” Mandella said. “We’ll look at the Santa Anita program and see what to point him at.”
Ain’t Easy, who underwent surgery owing to a small flake in an ankle, causing her to miss the Juvenile Fillies, is doing well post-surgery and will remain at the track, trainer Phil D’Amato said.
She’s Devoted returns
The lightly raced but promising female turf sprinter She’s Devoted, whose career has been interrupted by injury, returns to action in race 7 on Sunday at Del Mar, a five-furlong turf sprint for first-level allowance runners, or those in for a $40,000 claiming price.
She’s Devoted has a history of running well fresh. She won her debut in January 2020, then was off until last November, when she won an allowance turf sprint at Del Mar. She has not raced since Jan. 16, when fourth in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
“She’s doing good,” her trainer, Richard Baltas, said Friday morning at Del Mar. “She might be a little short. But I don’t think so.”
She’s Devoted, by Grazen, has made her three prior starts in races restricted to Californiabreds. Her allowance win in statebred company does not count against her for allowance-condition purposes when facing open company, which is applicable Sunday.
“She can run,” Baltas said. “She’s had a few physical issues, but she’s coming back good.”
Grace Adler tunes up
Grace Adler, the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante winner, worked a half-mile in 47.20 seconds, equaling the best time of 33 at the distance, on Friday morning at Santa Anita as she tunes up for the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Starlet on Dec. 4.
Grace Adler was kept out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies owing to a poor performance in the Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita, which was intended as her final prep for the Breeders’ Cup.
“I had to back off her,” her trainer, Bob Baffert, said Friday morning. “She’s finally coming around. She worked today like she’s back into form.”
Breeders’ Cup tests clean
All Breeders’ Cup horses who underwent drug tests passed, the California Horse Racing Board reported Thursday.
All the tests were conducted at the Kenneth L. Maddy Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory at the University of California, Davis. According to the board, all 148 horses who competed in 14 Breeders’ Cup races Nov. 5 and 6 were tested for TCO2 levels in blood – which detects milkshaking. Post-race tests for prohibited drugs were conducted on the first four finishers in all Breeders’ Cup races, plus additional horses randomly selected by the track’s stewards. Post-race testing consisted of both blood and urine.
According to the board, tests were done to detect anabolic steroids, cobalt, and other potential doping agents. The Maddy lab is accredited by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium and is the only lab in the Western Hemisphere certified by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
There were no fatalities nor significant injuries reported from the weekend’s races.
In addition, a press release from the racing board said that Carl Woods, the assistant starter injured when Albahr was cast in his stall when loading for the Juvenile Turf, is fine and back at work.
◗ Stall applications for Santa Anita’s main winter-spring meeting are due Nov. 22, a week from Monday.