Sunbean and Heitai, who rank among the top Louisiana-breds in training, both drew rail posts for their respective stakes engagements on Saturday night’s $1 million Louisiana Premier Night program at Delta Downs.
War Story, the runner-up in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes, will likely make his next start in the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, co-owner Ron Paolucci said on Wednesday.
The New York-bred West Hills Giant has been nominated to several stakes on this circuit but is likely to make his next start Feb. 16 in the Grade 3, $250,000 General George Handicap at Laurel Park.
Trying to return him to the form that made him a Grade 1 winner last April, trainer Rudy Rodriguez will equip Dads Caps with blinkers when the 5-year-old takes on Salutos Amigos and four others in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct.
There is a school of thought – or at least a correspondence course – that holds the reigning Horse of the Year should have no easy afternoons. That he or she should be tested to the max in each and every race, and that the title bestowed for the previous season should be validated at every possible turn.
Six maiden winners will take on the multiple graded stakes winner El Kabeir in Saturday’ Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.
Most horses with consecutive stakes wins would be held in high regard for a race such as Saturday’s $500,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita.
Trainers Kiaran McLaughlin and Todd Pletcher landed the most runners on the inaugural Derby Watch top 20, with four each. The only other trainer with multiple runners on the list is Bob Baffert, who has American Pharoah and Dortmund.
Even horses need a change of pace. It’s the reason Pioneerof the West has traveled east, from Santa Anita to Oaklawn Park, for Friday’s eighth race.
Both Kiaran McLaughlin and Todd Pletcher came up under D. Wayne Lukas, the trainer who has the most starters in the history of the Kentucky Derby. But the approaches McLaughlin and Pletcher have taken toward the Derby have differed sharply.
