Punctuate, unraced since beating maidens in September, earned a spot in the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 1 with a six-furlong workout from the gate in 1:14 on Sunday.
Big Macher, scratched from Saturday’s $150,000 California Cup Sprint, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Sunday for the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes at six furlongs next Saturday.
Mischief Clem won his first stakes in the California Cup Derby, a race won in 2014 by California Chrome. California Chrome won the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles in his next start, and the same $400,000 race on March 7 has been the subject of preliminary discussions between owner Craig Griffin and trainer Bob Hess Jr. for Mischief Clem.
A decision on Alert Bay’s next start may not be made for another week, trainer Blaine Wright said, but one option would be the $400,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf on March 7.
Dodging one storm that canceled training here Saturday and avoiding a second storm that will likely cancel training here on Tuesday, El Kabeir managed to get in an important five-furlong workout Sunday morning in preparation for the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 7.
The 16th annual DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship is down to 10 players, led by Ken Jordan of Farmingdale, N.J., and his $283.30 bankroll.
California Chrome worked a mile in 1:41.40 at Los Alamitos on Sunday. The work was designated by track clockers as breezing, which is a rarity in Southern California.
Bob Neumeier, the longtime NBC Sports handicapper and Boston sportscaster, won the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship Charity Challenge on Saturday.
The stewards were forced to scratch eight horses from Sunday’s card at Aqueduct after the racing office erroneously allowed them to be entered in violation of a rule the New York Racing Association put in place just nine days ago.
Chris Larmey knows how it feels to lose out on winning $1 million by a nose. But he exorcised a demon Saturday during the second day of the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.
