Rainbow Heir will be heavily favored to begin his 5-year-old campaign on a winning note when he faces seven New Jersey-bred rivals Saturday in the John J. Reilly Handicap at Monmouth Park.
No driver dominated the sport in 2014 quite like Yannick Gingras. Having driven multiple champions a year ago, it is no surprise that he could conceivably be guiding all four favorites in Saturday’s New Jersey Sire Stakes finals at the Meadowlands.
Trainer Carlo Vaccarezza said he’s at a loss to explain the poor performance of his Grade 1-placed filly Little Alexis in her last start, a fourth-place finish as the 4-5 favorite in the Sunrise Stakes. So, he’s just going to put a line through the race and hope the “real” Little Alexis shows up when she faces virtually the same group in Saturday’s $60,000 Sea Lily Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
The four undercard stakes to the Grade 3 Penn Mile have drawn runners from California, Kentucky, and Florida in addition to all the usual Northeast tracks.
Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner American Pharoah was back on the racetrack at Churchill Downs on Thursday for the first time since a Tuesday workout that produced considerable buzz.
Heitai’s strategy Saturday in the $300,000 Evangeline Downs Turf Sprint will be the same one that has carried the Louisiana-bred to the brink of $1 million in career earnings.
Stormy Canuck ran like a horse that may have needed a race when he finished third in an $8,000 claiming race May 16. Making his first start since Aug. 29, Stormy Canuck broke a step slow, and after making what looked like a winning move at the quarter pole, he came up empty. With a race behind him, he could be a handful making his second start back in an $8,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up that drew six horses and goes as the second of seven races carded on Saturday at Hastings.
Moreno and Catch a Flight won graded stakes on opposite sides of the country earlier this spring, building to their second meeting of the year in Saturday’s $200,000 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita.
n less than three months, Spanish Queen has gone from winning a maiden race for California-breds in her debut in early March to the role of favorite in Saturday’s $400,000 American Oaks at Santa Anita.
Divisidero will prep for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Belmont Derby Invitational at 1 1/4 miles on July 4 by running in Saturday’s listed $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Belmont.
