California Chrome headed to England
California Chrome will ship from Dubai to England this week in a bold bid to carry his Kentucky Derby-winning and Horse of the Year form to the European turf.
Marcus HershMar 29, 2015
California Chrome will ship from Dubai to England this week in a bold bid to carry his Kentucky Derby-winning and Horse of the Year form to the European turf.
Announcer Ken Warkentin said it best at the end of the mile by JL Cruze when he uttered, "Cruze is the king" as the 4-year-old trotter powered to another compelling victory. Saturday's victory in the $59,800 Shiaway St. Pat final complete a winter trotting series sweep at The Meadowlands for the son of Crazed. The victory was the eighth of the season for JL Cruze, bringing his 2015 earnings to $126,410.
Polak A stepped up in a big way in one of four $50,000 second round George Morton Levy series races on Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway. The recent import, handled for the first time by Brian Sears, shook off the pressure of Foiled Again in the homestretch to win for the second time in as many starts since arriving from 'Down Under'.
Materiality showed the courage and heart of a veteran in only his third career start, withstanding a thrilling stretch-long challenge from the more experienced even-money favorite, Upstart, to register a well-deserved and impressive 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
Saturday, when Imagining and Twilight Eclipse hooked up for the final three furlongs 1 1/2-mile Pan American, it was the 7-year-old Imagining who got the better of the two, winning the $150,000 Pan Am by three-quarters of a length.
Broadway Empire hadn’t started since last Oct. 31, but the son of Empire Maker tumbled in class, added blinkers off some strong works, returned to Turf Paradise where he was 2 for 2, and had little trouble capturing Saturday’s $35,000 Coyote Handicap despite the final margin.
Sky Kingdom won the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup for the second time in his career at Santa Anita.
If there is one thing Ken Ramsey lives for, one thing that drives him more than anything, it’s his desire to stand in the winner’s circle on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs following the day’s featured race. He’s had several shots at it, never has won, but his quest continues, and was at the forefront of his mind after International Star won the Grade 2, $750,000 Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
The 5-year-old gelding Chocolate Ride, the claim that just keeps giving for trainer Brad Cox and owner John Wentworth, paid off again Saturday with a course record-setting victory in the Mervin Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds.
Things couldn’t have gone any better for trainer Scott Becker in Saturday’s co-featured sprint stakes for Illinois-breds at Hawthorne on Saturday. Becker’s horses ran one-two in both the Third Chance Handicap for fillies and mares, and the Robert Molaro Handicap.