Road to the Derby analysis: Holy Bull Stakes
Upstart was one of the elite 2-year-olds of 2014, and he served notice in his 2015 debut that he belongs among the very best of contenders for this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Jay PrivmanJan 25, 2015
Upstart was one of the elite 2-year-olds of 2014, and he served notice in his 2015 debut that he belongs among the very best of contenders for this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Up And Quick captured the 2015 Prix d’Amerique in come-from-behind fashion, taking home the winner’s share of the one million Euro prize money with him in front of an enthusiastic French crowd on a partly sunny Sunday afternoon.
Coalport, the 4-5 favorite, toyed with his eight rivals in the Grade 3, $200,000 John Connally Turf Cup Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park, leading all the way in a 3 1/4-length win over Trace Creek.
Fox Hill Farms, trainer Larry Jones, and the stallion Tapit collected their second win in the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic in three years Saturday night, when Cassatt led throughout for a neck win in the richest Thoroughbred race in Texas.
Driver Tim Tetrick picked up a pair of winter late closer victories on Saturday night at the Meadowlands by giving both Company Man and Witch Dali perfect trips in the Escort and Worldly Beauty finals, respectively. JL Cruze also won for driver John Campbell in the Super Bowl final.
Three former champions – Brian Troop, Michael Beychok, and John Conte - have made their way into the final 50 at the DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship, the world's richest handicapping contest with more than $2.3 million in purses, held at the Treasure Island in Las Vegas.
A sequence of longshots on Saturday has led to a pick six carryover of $116,493 for Sunday’s nine-race program at Santa Anita.
Alert Bay extended his winning streak to five races over a span of four months in Saturday’s $250,500 California Cup Turf Classic at Santa Anita.
Cinco Charlie proved much the best in his two-turn debut on Saturday, when he rolled to an 8 1/2-length win in the $100,000 Riley Allison Derby at Sunland Park in New Mexico. Made Me Talk finished second, 1 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Dirt Monster.
Spirit Rules gave jockey Iggy Puglisi his first stakes win in 10 years in Saturday’s $150,000 California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. It is not as if the veterans have not been trying.