Sahara Sky is now 7, and when he starts in Saturday’s $200,000 Kona Gold Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita, he will be racing for the first time since a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes in June.
American Pharoah swept into Oaklawn Park last month and seized the Rebel Stakes on the front end despite stumbling at the start. This time around, there could be an uprising.
When the Jenny Wiley was run over the Keeneland turf last spring, the proverbial blanket could have covered the first five finishers. Less than a length separated them as they lined up across the wire. No one would be surprised if something similar occurred Saturday, when a well-matched field of older fillies and mares will clash in the 27th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Jenny Wiley.
With five wins and one second-place finish from six starts, Lasting Bubbles has been just about unbeatable on the main track at Lone Star Park. The 7-year-old homebred mare by Pulling Punches figures to embellish her record Saturday evening when she runs in the $50,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial at Lone Star.
Tamarkuz, nose winner of the Grade 2 Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup Night at Meydan, will soon ship to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s New York barn and be pointed to the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day.
Against the Win, who left the maiden ranks in scintillating fashion going five furlongs on the turf locally, will return to the Tampa Bay Downs infield course in search of two wins in a row when he heads an overflow field of 13 sprinters slated to contest Saturday’s allowance headliner at five furlongs on the turf.
Now is the time to take Tapiture in Saturday’s Oaklawn Handicap. He is second start off the layoff, which historically was always a big move for his trainer, Steve Asmussen.
Trainer Todd Pletcher holds a strong hand in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap on Saturday as he will send out the two likely favorites in the 10-horse field, Race Day and Golden Lad.
After all the preps, we are down to one race and one horse. After the Arkansas Derby, even if American Pharoah wins by daylight, we are still going to have to ask ourselves if this brilliant colt can really win the Derby despite missing two months of critical training time. Perhaps, he will be the exception to most of the rules.
Attendees of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby cards at Churchill Downs in Louisville this year will no longer be able to get back into the track if they leave, a measure Churchill is putting in place to prevent counterfeit sales of tickets and wrist bracelets, the company said on Thursday.
