HORSE RACING UPDATE: BIG WEEKEND INTACT EMPIRE MAKER OUT, BUT FRANKEL HAS THE HORSES.Byline: Kevin Modesti Staff Writer Only Bobby Frankel could scratch the nation's most talented racehorse racehorse refers usually to thoroughbred but may also include standardbred, trotter. but go on to have the most lucrative weekend any trainer has enjoyed this year. Frankel did the former Friday when he pulled a coughing Empire Maker from the Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Travers is the oldest Thoroughbred horse race in the United States. First held in 1864, it was named for William R. but will be favored to do the latter when he saddles Peace Rules for today's $1 million Travers at Saratoga and Medaglia d'Oro and Milwaukee Brew for Sunday's $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar. It's another measure of the dominance of Frankel, the Hall of Famer and four-time Eclipse Award winner whose $13.8 million in purses in 2003 put him on pace to break D. Wayne Lukas' single-season record of $17.8 million. If Peace Rules, Medaglia d'Oro, Milwaukee Brew, Sea of Showers (in today's $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap The Ballston Spa Handicap is an American race for thoroughbred horses open to fillies and mares, age three and up, on the turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. at Saratoga), War Zone (in today's $200,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga) and Personal Legend (in Sunday's $300,000 Del Mar Oaks The Del Mar Oaks is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies. The race carries a purse of $400,000 and is a Grade I event at a distance of one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on the turf at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. ) all come through, the Frankel barn would add more than $1.8 million to its earnings. Frankel withdrew Empire Maker officially on the same morning Barclay Tagg scratched Funny Cide from the Travers. Empire Maker had missed training time with a cough since finishing second to Strong Hope in the Jim Dandy Stakes The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to horses age three, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. . Funny Cide had fought a fever since running third to Peace Rules and Sky Mesa in the Haskell Invitational. ``When in doubt, take him out,'' said Frankel, who indicated Empire Maker could return in the Sept. 27 Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers at Belmont Park on his way to the Oct. 25 Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 years old and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. at Santa Anita. ``I'm just not comfortable with him.'' Tagg said of Funny Cide: ``I have no idea when he'll run again. I'll do nothing with him until he's better. If he doesn't run for the rest of the year, I don't care. We hope to have a long future with him.'' The Travers, which had been much anticipated as the star 3-year-olds' first meeting since Empire Maker spoiled Funny Cide's Triple Crown bid in the Belmont Stakes, becomes a six-horse race with Haskell winner Peace Rules and jockey Jerry Bailey 8-5 morning-line favorites over Sky Mesa, Strong Hope, Ten Most Wanted, Congrats con·grats Informal interj. Congratulations. pl.n. Congratulations: sent him my congrats. , and Wild and Wicked. The Pacific Classic also suffered a scratch Friday when Richard Mandella reported Kudos came out of a Thursday-morning workout with a bowed tendon in his right foreleg. Mandella said the 6-year-old could race next season. The remaining four-horse field will be the smallest in the Pacific Classic's 13 runnings. In a revised morning line, Medaglia d'Oro and Bailey are even-money, Candy Ride 6-5, Milwaukee Brew 3-1 and Fleetstreet Dancer 20-1. If Medaglia d'Oro or Milwaukee Brew wins, it will be Frankel's seventh Pacific Classic victory. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Kevin Modesti, (818) 713-3616 kevin.modesti(at)dailynews.com |
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