Known for developing top young horses and helping them reach top speed, trainer Joe Holloway recently saw two high-profile pacing mares leave his stable. However, Holloway has a pair of outstanding three-year-old pacing fillies--Bettor Be Steppin and Divine Caroline--that primed for their first starts as sophomores at the Meadowlands this past Friday.
After an opening-day deluge at Keeneland forced cancellation of the Grade 3, $100,000 Transylvania Stakes, the race favorites will be back Wednesday to compete amid more pleasant conditions.
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Tapit, who led North America’s general sire list in 2014, is again off to a solid start in 2015. The Gainesway stallion extended his lead atop the sire list over the weekend, as, according to DRF’s SirePowered Results, he recorded eight winners, with three graded stakes winners, on April 10-11 alone. The run helped pushed his earnings for this year to $5,755,277, more than $1.7 million ahead of his closest pursuer.
Services for trainer William J. Morey Jr. will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. Pacific in the Pacific Chapel at Skyline Memorial Park in San Mateo, Calif. (Hwy. 92 at Skyline Blvd.).
Trip Notes for April 11-12: Lexington, Oaklawn Handicap, Arkansas Derby, and more by Michael Hammersly.
Yiannis won his stakes debut, and remained unbeaten after two starts, in Sunday’s $81,100 San Pedro Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters at Santa Anita. To keep the win, Yiannis had to survive a stewards’ inquiry.
Jockey Mike Luzzi was a gracious recipient of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award at Santa Anita on Sunday, taking the opportunity to state he is anxious to return from a lengthy absence caused by injury.
Highly regarded New Mexico-bred Proceed remained perfect in five starts racing at Sunland Park when he drew clear in deep stretch to win Sunday’s $75,000 Sunland Park Handicap.
Let’s Go Donki led throughout Sunday’s $1,533,842 Japanese 1000 Guineas for 3-year-old fillies at Hanshin Racecourse, the first leg of the year-long Japanese Triple Crown.
Finnegans Wake, who won three consecutive turf stakes from late November to early February but was second in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes on March 21, is bound for Kentucky.
