Trainer Cliff Sise stands a very good chance of winning the Santa Anita Derby, and having a prominent starter in the Kentucky Derby. His hopes ride on Prospect Park, who finished second to the unbeaten Dortmund in last month’s San Felipe Stakes and is set for a rematch on Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby
C J’s Awesome could set himself up for a start in next month’s Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs if he fires a strong race Friday in the featured eighth at Oaklawn Park. He will vie for favoritism in the optional $40,000 claiming route that carries second-level allowance conditions. The race is at 1 1/16 miles, the same distance of the Grade 2, $400,000 Alysheba that will be run on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 1.
Of all the people who knew, revered, and loved the late Allen Jerkens, nobody spent more time with the Chief on a daily basis over the past 18 1/2 years than longtime assistant Fernando Abreu.
Horse racing does not need new fans as much as it needs to take perfect care of the fans it has, which means horse racing must stop trying to be hip, or liked, or trending, and spend more time and resources on getting the little things right.
Bayern, unraced since winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic here in November, worked a sharp six furlongs in 1:12 under jockey Martin Garcia on Wednesday.
Jockey Tiago Pereira was hospitalized briefly on Sunday after being involved in a spill earlier that day.
With two turf stakes wins this year, Singing Kitty will try a new challenge in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday.
A couple of horses coming off the claim and another haltered earlier in the meet will be among the leading contenders in Friday’s wide-open, second-level allowance feature at Gulfstream Park that carries a $62,500 optional-claiming option. The race is carded at a mile on the turf.
There has always been a hint of excellence surrounding Famous Alice, the 4-year-old filly who starts in an optional claimer on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Friday.
The warmer weather is finally here. For a harness handicapper, the change of seasons requires an adjustment. The profile of harness races has changed over the years. The races favor horses close to the pace much more than they did years ago. And from now until late fall, early speed will do even better than it does during the winter.
