Far Right is making his presence known on the road to the Arkansas Derby. He won his second straight stakes in Oaklawn’s series for 3-year-olds on Sunday, when he closed up the rail in the slop for a three-quarter-length win over The Truth Or Else in the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest.
There is one stakes at Santa Anita during the upcoming four-day racing week from Thursday through Sunday. Saturday’s program is highlighted by the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes, a Grade 3 race at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies.
Lord Nelson, winner of the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 1, worked six furlongs in 1:13.40 on Sunday for an expected appearance in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 7.
Firing Line, second to Dortmund in the Los Alamitos Futurity in December and the Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 7, is being pointed for the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico on March 22, trainer Simon Callaghan said.
Bettys Bambino will stay in turf sprints at Santa Anita after winning his fourth consecutive race in Saturday’s $100,750 Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds. The gelding’s next race is likely to be the $100,000 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on April 19.
After a disappointing Saturday with a pair of his Kentucky Derby hopefuls, McLaughlin gained some consolation Sunday when North Slope glided over the Aqueduct mud to win the $100,000 Evening Attire Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths over the pacesetting Village Warrior.
He has yet to run in a stakes race or earn any qualifying points but Khozan continues to give every impression he’s a legitimate Kentucky Derby candidate after drawing off to a convincing 12 3/4-length victory over five totally overmatched allowance rivals in Sunday’s fifth race at Gulfstream Park.
A second increase to overnight purses at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., will go into effect on Thursday, the track announced Sunday morning.
This was one of the strangest Kentucky Derby preps in years, with Frosted looking like he couldn’t lose at the quarter pole only to finish fourth, Upstart crossing the wire first, and then the stewards making a much-debated decision to disqualify Upstart in favor of runner-up Iitaknockout.
All hail International Star, who with this win became the first horse to win three Kentucky Derby scoring races.
