Horse Racing News

Grade 3-placed Take Charge Brandi will aim for her breakthrough stakes win Saturday, Sept. 6, when she faces an expected nine other 2-year-old fillies in the $200,000 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Bob Baffert scored his 12th Del Mar Futurity victory Sept. 3 when Zayat Stables homebred American Pharoah posted an impressive gate-to-wire victory over Calculator in the seven-furlong test at Del Mar Racecourse.

A rule that would limit use of the riding crop by jockeys during races is expected to be put in place at the upcoming 24-day Santa Anita Park autumn meet to begin Sept. 26.

Vicar's in Trouble, who captured the Louisiana Derby and Lecomte at Fair Grounds last winter by a combined margin of 10 ¼ lengths, returns to his home state Saturday as the one to catch in the Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

Bourbon Lane Stable's Hashtag Bourbon will try to add a second straight stakes win and more luster to the strong start by his freshman sire Super Saver in the $100,000 Iroquois Stakes Sept. 6 at Churchill Downs.

The top two jockeys by wins in the history of Thoroughbred racing, Russell Baze and Jorge Ricardo, are scheduled to square off in a five-race showdown being billed as the Champions Challenge Sept. 18.

Spendthrift Farm's Medal Count, a close third in this year's Belmont Stakes and one-for-one on turf, will return to the grass Sept. 6 for the inaugural $250,000 Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs, which kicks off its five-day meet.

Miss Serendipity, reunited with a confident Brice Blanc, roared down the center of the Del Mar turf course to capture the $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap Sept. 1.

Competitive Edge lived up to his 3-5 odds with a no-doubt-about-it romp in the $350,000 Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds on closing day of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet Sept. 1.

Unheralded as the 17-1 second longest shot on the board, Dye and Venneri Racing's homebred Midnight Storm quickly made an impression with a 3 1/4-length wire job in his stakes debut in Sunday's Grade 2, $300,750 Del Mar Derby.