It is becoming a tradition for trainer Gary Sherlock. One year ago on April 25, Sherlock won the first 2-year-old race of the 2013 Southern California season with Pay the Debt. On Friday, he won the first 2-year-old race of the season, race 1, with Robo Girl ($11).
A pick 6 carryover of $61,540 (races 6-11) is offered on the first California Gold Rush at Santa Anita. Five stakes for statebred runners are on tap as Santa Anita hosts the event that was held for 13 years at now-defunct Hollywood Park.
Speed should be at a premium in the lone stakes of the weekend, the Grade 3 Whimsical, unless Youcan’tcatchme is rated off the rapid Goldstryke Glory, who drew the rail in the six-horse field.
Churchill Downs kicks off Derby week Saturday evening, unveiling its new $12 million “Big Board” high-definition television, while unfortunately ushering in a new era of higher takeout. Win, place, and show bets have received a hike from track executives to go from 16 percent to 17.5 percent, and all other wagers go from 19 to 22 percent.
Slow fractions were common during the blustery afternoon, due to a very strong east wind. Only two frontrunners found the mark, favorites Last Minute Lucy and Guitar Solo, who bookended the nine-race card.
After some rain overnight, the main track was muddy and sealed during training hours, and today’s three scheduled turf races have been switched to the main track.
After two days of a stiff headwind late on the backstretch and into the far turn, there was a complete about-face on the final Friday of the meet. A backstretch tailwind provided a turbo-boost to early fractions – Smashing (race 6, $5.50) rolled through a half-mile in 44.83 seconds – and final times clocked in significantly faster than par as well.
DRF Plus closer looks for Aqueduct on Sunday, April 27.
Winning graded stakes with longshots has become a habit for trainer Todd Pletcher this month. Just a couple weeks after his 41-1 shot Danza lit up the board in winning the Arkansas Derby, Pletcher was at it again in Friday’s Elkorn when 18-1 shot Unitarian scored an upset for him.
DRF Plus Graded Stakes analysis for Saturday, April 26.
