Larry Collmus, who stepped up to pinch hit for Del Mar's longtime caller Trevor Denman during the height of the COVID 19 crisis in 2020, will take over for the recently injured Denman for the majority of the track's upcoming fall race meet starting Nov. 3. Denman, 68, suffered a herniated disc in his back earlier this week after a fall at his home in Minnesota. Collmus, who will cover the Breeders' Cup for NBC at Del Mar, will take over calling duties at Del Mar though closing day Nov. 28, with the exception of three days (Nov. 12-14) when he'll be on a previously planned holiday.
“I have never missed a day's racing in 50 years and now I have had to miss racing two years in a row because of the virus and this freak accident,” Denman said. “I am devastated, but this is completely out of my control.”
Del Mar will call on John Lies to handle the three days that Collmus will be away.
It an East versus West match-up in the GIII Autumn Miss S. at Santa Anita Saturday when Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) meets Madone (Vancouver {Aus}). Runner-up in the GIII Regret S. at Churchill May 29, Spanish Loveaffair faded to eighth in the July 10 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. and was fourth in Saratoga's GII Lake Placid S. over a yielding course Aug. 21. She enters off a win in the Pebbles S. at Belmont Sept. 19.
Winner of the GIII Senorita S. earlier this year, Madone captured the GII San Clemente S. July 24. The dark bay rallied for fifth in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 21 and filled the same spot in the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. at Belmont Sept. 18.
Peter Miller saddles a filly on the rise in Zero Tolerance (Mizzen Mast). Rallying from well back to miss by just a nose on debut at Del Mar Aug. 1, the gray graduated on dirt next out there Aug. 20 and captured the grassy Unzip Me S. at Santa Anita Oct. 3.
With a stud career at Lane's End just a few short months away, MGISW Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) looks to add to his already formidable resume Saturday in Keeneland's GII Hagyard Fayette S. Winner of the 2019 GI Runhappy Travers S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Farish homebred captured the GIII Winchester S. in 2020 and placed in several other stakes, including the GI Clark S. Fifth in his seasonal bow in the GI Pegasus World Cup Jan. 23, the chestnut scored a facile victory in the GIII Phillip Iselin S. Aug. 21 and was fourth when last seen in the GI Woodward S., which was run at Belmont Oct. 2.
One of his biggest competitors in this event will be the 3-year-old King Fury (Curlin), who enters off a 13-length demolition of the Bourbon Trail S. at Churchill Sept. 25. Winner of the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. Apr. 10, the $950,000 FTSAUG buy was a close second in the GIII Ohio Derby June 26. Trainer Ken McPeek was forced to call an audible when a barn quarantine kept King Fury out of the GII Jim Dandy S. and tried him on turf, resulting in a 10th in the Saratoga Derby Invitational S. Aug. 7. He was fifth in the Travers 21 days later.
Independence Hall (Constitution) looks to return to winning ways in this spot. Fourth in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 6, he was third in the GII Californian S. Apr. 17 in Arcadia. The dark bay checked in fifth in the GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar Aug. 21 and was second to leading GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GIII Lukas Classic Oct. 2.
In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. As promised, a second installment this weekend featuring the horses of interest for this weekend running at Niigata and Tokyo Racecourses. Click for a preview of Sunday's G1 Tenno Sho, featuring the produce of American-sourced mares Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song), Tapitsfly (Tapit) and Ginger Punch (Awesome Again), among others:
Sunday, October 31, 2021 2nd-TOK, ¥9,680,000 ($85k), Maiden, 2yo, 1600mT WORLD CONNECTOR (c, 2, Connect–Wild Hoots, by Unbridled's Song) was made the 8-5 favorite for a 1600-meter newcomers' event over the local dirt track on debut Oct. 9, but sat a three-wide trip from a high draw and settled for a clear second (see below, SC 16). The half-brother to SW & GISP Savings Account (Medaglia d'Oro), whose dam is a full-sister to GISW Buddha, switches to the turf for this second go and has the services of Christophe Lemaire. The most expensive of 29 of his first-crop sire (by Curlin)'s weanlings to sell in 2019 when hammering for $250K at Keeneland November, World Connector was bought back for $285K at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga last summer, but fetched $410K at this year's FTFMAR sale. B-Dell Ridge Farm LLC (KY)
3rd-NII, ¥14,360,000 ($126k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1800m COSMIC MIND (c, 3, Into Mischief–Mystical Star, by Ghostzapper) turned in a remarkable performance on Nakayama debut Jan. 17, overcoming a world of trouble to score narrowly. Though off the board in three subsequent starts, he wasn't beaten far and makes his first start since April in this spot. A $280K KEESEP acquisition, the late April foal is out of a versatile dam who was a Grade II winner and Grade I-placed on the grass and runner-up in an all-weather renewal of the GI Juddmonte Spinster S. in 2012. B-Candy Meadows LLC (KY)
