Sat, 05/03/2014 - 12:15

Social Inclusion has foot bruise, still possible for Preakness

Tom Keyser
Social Inclusion has been scratched from Saturday's Sir Bear Stakes at Gulfstream Park with a foot bruise.

Social Inclusion was scratched out of Saturday’s $75,000 Sir Bear Stakes at Gulfstream Park due to a bruised foot, but is still expected to ship to Baltimore later this week to run in the Preakness on May 17.

Sat, 05/03/2014 - 09:22

Untapable unlikely to go in Preakness

Debra A. Roma
Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable is the produce of several generations of the Winchell breeding program.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Untapable came out of her impressive Kentucky Oaks romp in fine fashion and will remain at Churchill Downs with the rest of the Steve Asmussen stable before heading to Saratoga in early July.

Asmussen was noncommittal about a next start for Untapable, who came within 0.04 seconds of a stakes record when completing the 1 1/8-mile Oaks in 1:48.68. Her 4 1/2-length triumph Friday in the filly classic equated to a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest of her seven-race career.

Thu, 05/01/2014 - 11:25

Social Inclusion preps for Preakness in Sir Bear

Barbara D. Livingston
Social Inclusion (right), who barely missed qualifying for the Kentucky Derby field, will try to use the Sir Bear as a stepping-stone to the May 17 Preakness.

Owner Ron Sanchez and trainer Manny Azpurua had hoped to be at Churchill Downs on Saturday to run their star 3-year-old, Social Inclusion, in the Kentucky Derby. Instead, they will watch the Derby on television from Gulfstream Park, where a short while earlier, Social Inclusion will prep for a potential start in the Preakness by taking on seven rivals, including the undefeated Little Daddy, in the one-mile Sir Bear Stakes.

Tue, 04/29/2014 - 14:13

Strong Mandate is candidate for Preakness

Tom Keyser
Strong Mandate is pointing to the Arkansas Derby on April 12 at Oaklawn Park.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said he would not enter Strong Mandate in the Kentucky Derby and instead will consider running him in the Preakness Stakes on May 17.

Though Strong Mandate would not have enough points to make it into the field of 20 for the Derby, he could have been one of four also-eligibles entered.

Strong Mandate, who won last year’s Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga, is coming off a last-place finish in the Arkansas Derby.

“I’m looking at the Preakness, but I might even wait until Saratoga,” Lukas said.

Mon, 04/21/2014 - 15:16

Kid Cruz on target for Preakness

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Kid Cruz, winner of the Federico Tesio on Saturday at Pimlico, will point to the Preakness Stakes on May 17, according to trainer Linda Rice.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Like many of her colleagues, trainer Linda Rice was at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. auction Monday, trying to find the 2-year-old who possibly could take her to the spring classics next year.

It appears as though she already has that base covered this year.

Rice could be headed to her first Preakness Stakes with Kid Cruz, who scored a 3 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico. The win came six weeks after Kid Cruz stormed from 22 lengths back to win the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park.

Sat, 04/19/2014 - 20:04

Dynamic Impact takes Illinois Derby in rapid time

Four Footed Fotos
Dynamic Impact (1), ridden by Miguel Mena, noses out Midnight Hawk in the Illinois Derby.

STICKNEY, Ill. -- Dynamic Impact, who scored a narrow maiden victory March 1 in his fifth career start, ran down heavily favored Midnight Hawk to win the Grade 3, $500,000 Illinois Derby by a nose in a very tight photo finish Saturday at Hawthorne.

“With those head bobs, you never know,” said winning rider Miguel Mena.

Sat, 04/19/2014 - 18:44

Kid Cruz may try Preakness after dominating Federico Tesio

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Kid Cruz, ridden by Julian Pimentel, romps by 3 1/2 lengths in the Federico Tesio Stakes.

Kid Cruz put himself in position for a possible start in the Preakness Stakes with a dominant victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico.

No Tesio winner has captured the Preakness since Deputed Testamony in 1983, but 2011 Tesio runner-up Ruler On Ice went on to win the Belmont Stakes.

Kid Cruz, scratched from the April 5 Wood Memorial Stakes in New York because of a sore shoulder, was returning to Maryland for the first time since winning the 1 1/8-mile Private Terms by four lengths on March 1.

Thu, 04/17/2014 - 14:06

Kid Cruz takes step toward Preakness in Federico Tesio Stakes

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Kid Cruz won the Private Terms Stakes on March 8 at Laurel Park.

His last-to-first victory in the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park had the connections of Kid Cruz briefly flirting with the Kentucky Derby.

But a physical issue prevented Kid Cruz from making the Wood Memorial on April 5 and now his connections have turned their sights on a possible start in the Preakness Stakes on May 17.

Fri, 04/04/2014 - 16:32

Aqueduct: Kid Cruz eyes Illinois Derby, perhaps Preakness

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Based on his impressive last-to-first move in the Private Terms at Laurel, Kid Cruz could make an impact in stakes for 3-year-olds sometime this spring.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Kid Cruz will not make a last-ditch effort to make the Kentucky Derby.

Kid Cruz, who impressed with an eye-catching last-to-first victory in the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel on March 8, was scratched from Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial due to a minor shoulder strain, trainer Linda Rice said.

Rice said that if the horse improves she will try to run him in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne on April 19 as a possible prep for the Preakness at Pimlico on May 17.

Tue, 04/01/2014 - 13:35

Pimlico: Preakness meet opens, Jackpot 5 minimum lowered

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Broad Rule, winning the Fire Plug Stakes, goes in the Thursday feature at Pimlico.

Horseplayers on a budget will be happy to learn that the minimum bet has been lowered from 50 cents to a dime for the Pimlico Players Jackpot Pick 5. The revised version of the exotic wager debuts Thursday, when Pimlico launches its 35-day spring meet.

From opening day through May 3, any bettor with a unique 10-cent winning ticket on the Pimlico Pick 5 will receive a minimum of $50,000, plus a trip for two to the 2014 Preakness with seats in the Turfside Terrace section. As a 50-cent wager, the most recent Jackpot  5 at Laurel Park paid $87,835 on March 13.