Tarifa and Our Pretty Woman, separated by three-quarters of a length in a respective one-two Fair Grounds Oaks finish Saturday, are set for a rematch in the Kentucky Oaks.
Both fillies appeared Sunday to have come out of the race in good condition, and both will arrive at Churchill Downs in coming days.
Catching Freedom is catching a ride on a horse van from New Orleans to Louisville, where he’ll have the better part of a six weeks’ wait until a start in the May 4 Kentucky Derby.
Catching Freedom exited his one-length win Saturday in the $1 million Louisiana Derby healthy and happy, trainer Brad Cox reported Sunday morning, and will have a chance to become Cox’s first outright Derby winner.
West Saratoga, second to Endlessly in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on Saturday at Turfway Park, will proceed to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, having likely amassed the points to get into the starting gate.
West Saratoga, trained by Larry Demeritte for Harry Veruchi, won the first points race toward the Kentucky Derby, last September’s Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs, before finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.
Endlessly, who dominated the Grade 3, $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on Saturday at Turfway Park, was to ship to trainer Michael McCarthy’s Churchill Downs barn on Sunday – but most likely not to prepare for the Kentucky Derby, despite essentially assuring himself a spot in the field.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Grade 1 winners Muth and Timberlake were among 10 horses entered in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby, which will be run for the 88th time on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
Entries for the 1 1/8-mile race were taken on Sunday. The Arkansas Derby carries Kentucky Derby points on a scale of 100-50-25-15-10. The race was drawn during a winner’s circle ceremony. It will be supported by three others stakes, including the Grade 3, $750,000 Fantasy, which drew 12. There will be a special first post of noon Central to accommodate the 13-race card.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – If there is any consolation for trainer Todd Pletcher after his 8-5 morning-line favorite Fierceness drew post position 10 for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, it’s the fact the reigning juvenile champion will break one spot closer to the rail than his 1-5 favorite Forte did in the important Kentucky Derby prep here one year ago.
The 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby will be run as the finale on a 14-race program with first post at 11:30 a.m. Eastern.
Dornoch, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth winner, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 6, trainer Danny Gargan said Saturday.
“It’s been my plan since December,” Gargan said. “All our owners want to run in the Blue Grass, if he wins it makes him more valuable as a stallion. He won over the track, it’s one ship, and three days after the race I’ll be at Churchill.”
The California Horse Racing Board voted 6-0 on Thursday to allocate racing dates for a season beginning in October at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton that will serve as a replacement for Golden Gate Fields, which is scheduled to close in June.
The dates allocation is the first stage of an approval process. Organizers of the proposed race meeting must submit a detailed license application to the racing board later this year, most likely in August, before receiving full accreditation for a 26-day meeting scheduled from Oct. 19 to Dec. 15.
