War Story and Mr. Z were among a handful of Southwest Stakes workers Wednesday at Oaklawn, with Lecomte Stakes runner-up War Story going a half-mile in a bullet 47 seconds in his first drill at Oaklawn.
Heitai’s connections are determining their next move with the crack Louisiana-bred sprinter after he won his second straight stakes race last Saturday night at Delta Downs. Heitai was one of the main attractions on the Louisiana Premier Night program of divisional stakes, and he accounted for the $100,000 Sprint with a Beyer Speed Figure of 100. The horse since has returned to his base of Fair Grounds, trainer Tom Amoss said Wednesday.
There are eight fillies and mares expected to run in Saturday’s $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita and all are stakes winners – Awesome Baby, Legacy, Sweet Marini, Thegirlinthatsong, Tiz Midnight, Valiant Emilia, Warren’s Veneda, and Yahilwa.
J S Bach will make his stakes debut Monday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn following a flashy win at Gulfstream Park.
Lord Nelson, winner of the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes for sprinters on Feb. 1, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds at Santa Anita on Wednesday. Lord Nelson is being prepared for the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on March 7.
You might say that Dale Romans is going out of his way to try to get Indianaughty some Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
Protonico was eased in the stretch of the Grade 1 Donn Handicap last weekend, but trainer Todd Pletcher said the Giant’s Causeway colt came out of the race “super” and that he has been unable to find a reason for such a poor performance as the 5-1 third choice in a field of nine.
Far From Over, who overcame a disastrous start to win the Withers, and Prospect Park, the impressive winner of a recent allowance race at Santa Anita, are the two newcomers to this week’s Derby Watch top 20.
Lea, second as the 13-10 favorite in the Donn, probably will not be sent to Dubai next month for the $10 million Dubai World Cup, as had been speculated beforehand, according to Walker Hancock, president of Claiborne Farm, which co-owns the 6-year-old horse with Adele Dilschneider.
On Friday, trainer David Jacobson hopes Great Attack also will handle the move to the dirt from the turf when he runs in a $69,000 second-level optional-claiming race that highlights Aqueduct’s eight-race card.
