Monday Evening Notes
– In his final prep for Sunday’s Vosburgh Stakes, Discreet Cat breezed five furlongs in 1:00.84 over the Belmont track Monday morning. The now six-furlong Vosburgh will be Discreet Cat’s first start since finishing seventh in the Dubai World Cup six months ago; the race is hardly a soft comeback spot, with First Defense and Fabulous Strike among the expected starters. “Obviously, he’s a top class horse and it’s exciting getting him back to the races,” said assistant trainer Rick Mettee. “I’d feel a little better if this race was 6 1/2 or seven furlongs and it’s a tougher field than you’d like to meet in the comeback race, but the Vosburgh is here and we’ve got to get him going again” (NYRA).
– Street Sense and Hard Spun will meet again, in Saturday’s Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway (Blood-Horse).
– Beyers: For his labored Brooklyn win, Any Given Saturday earned a speed figure of 103. For his Super Derby upset, Going Ballistic scored 95.
– A fundraiser for the Peter J. Foss Memorial Scholarship will be held at Suffolk Downs on Saturday in the Topsider Room. Benefit tickets are $50 and include lunch, program, handicapping seminar, and a donation to the scholarship fund. A handicapping contest with a prize of a West Point Thoroughbreds share will also be held. More information can be found on suffolkdowns.com or here (PDF).
– Bill Finley argues for Suffolk’s survival: “It’s where racing has existed, albeit with some interruptions, since 1935. Back in that era, there used to be a bunch of tracks in New England. Suffolk is the last one standing. That means that its demise would not just wipe out one track with a rich history but an entire industry in an important region of the country. Does anyone really want that to happen?” (ESPN).
– Veteran turf writer Paul Moran may be retiring from Newsday at month’s end, but he’ll continue handicapping and covering races from his new perch, Paul Moran at the Races, where he’ll begin regular posting October 1.
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