When the Meadowlands hosts a trio of Winter Series finals on Saturday night, owner Mark Weaver will have plenty of rooting action. His Donttellruss is the 6-5 favorite in the $47,600 Worldly Beauty and What I Believe goes for the sweep in the $56,000 Escort.
Nearly 50 years ago in his “Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing,” the groundbreaking granddaddy of modern handicapping books, Tom Ainslie instructed readers to view with extreme skepticism any horse who had not raced in the last 14 days. Sharp and in-form horses should be racing at least that often, he said, and a quick runback was a sign of a thriving horse. Today in New York, Ainslie would never make a bet.
The unbeaten 3-year-old Acceptance will try to stay perfect Saturday at Santa Anita, where his chance to win the $250,000 California Cup Derby hinges partly on the status of a key rival.
The Holy Bull is the richest and most important event on Saturday’s outstanding 11-race program at Gulfstream Park. But for sheer quality from top to bottom, the field for the $200,000 Forward Gal could be just as good.
Multiple Grade 2 stakes winner Bluesthestandard was found to have died last year at age 17.
He trains them. He owns them. And, sometimes, he even breeds them. Jerry Hollendorfer is a triple threat, best exemplified by Heat the Rocks, one of two fillies he will send out Saturday in the $200,000 California Cup Oaks at Santa Anita.
Assuming outside posts are preferred for one-turn races such as the seven-furlong Hutcheson Stakes, the set-up couldn’t be much better Saturday at Gulfstream Park for Bluegrass Singer, who was assigned the far outside in a field of eight 3-year-olds.
I would be surprised if Upstart doesn’t run another solid race and get another solid Beyer in the Holy Bull. On the Beyer Speed Figures, Barbados is definitely the horse to beat in the Hutcheson.
Castletown attempts to take control of the Turf Paradise sprint division on Saturday as he leads a competitive field in the $35,000 Swift Stakes.
A series of sharp workouts from the gate indicated the 6-year-old mare City Trip was sitting on a big race and she delivered just that in Wednesday night’s $30,000 Shenandoah Stakes for fillies and mares at Charles Town.
