Caracortado ready for San Felipe

ARCADIA, Calif. - Mike Machowsky has seen enough.

After Caracortado worked five furlongs in 58.60 seconds, or six furlongs in 1:12 by Machowsky's watch, on Friday the trainer pronounced the undefeated 3-year-old ready for the $150,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita this Saturday.

"I'll just gallop him the rest of the week," Machowsky said. "Everything is good."

What is unclear is the competition that Caracortado will face. As of Saturday, the list of probable starters ranged from Lookin At Lucky, the champion 2-year-old male of 2009, who is more likely to start in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on the same day, to Dave in Dixie and American Lion, who were second and third behind Caracortado in the Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 13.

Other candidates include Sidney's Candy, the winner of the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 15; Tiz Chrome, who was fourth in the Lewis; and Stephen's Got Hope, who was scratched from a maiden race at Santa Anita on Friday.

Dave in Dixie, who returned from a four-month layoff in the Lewis, has Machowsky's respect. "He probably needed the [last race]," Machowsky said.

The Grade 2 San Felipe is the last major prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Trainer Bob Baffert said Tiz Chrome is not a certain runner in the San Felipe, pending a battery of tests this weekend. Baffert said on Saturday that he was concerned that Tiz Chrome had injured a rib in a recent workout, but downplayed the situation. "He's sound," Baffert said.

Regarding Lookin At Lucky, Baffert said on Saturday that the champion was a candidate for the San Felipe, "if he doesn't go to the Rebel."

Trainer Doug O'Neill said he has no hesitation in starting Stephen's Got Hope. The gelding was beaten two lengths when seventh in a one-mile maiden race on Feb. 19, but had trouble under jockey Tyler Baze in the stretch.

"He's a super talented colt," O'Neill said. "He should have been, with any luck, unsaddled as the winner the other day. In our mind, he should have won."

Rosario unhurt in Friday fall

Jockey Joel Rosario escaped serious injury when he was unseated from leader Belongs to Gotham in deep stretch of a starter allowance on the hillside turf course on Friday.

Rosario appeared to lose his balance and slip from the left side of the horse. He fell heavily but was not struck by a trailing horse. Several of the other six runners in the race were racing to the outside of Belongs to Gotham when the incident occurred.

The jockey did not ride the remainder of Friday's program, but was at Hollywood Park on Saturday morning to ride Dave in Dixie in a workout, according to his agent, Vic Stauffer.

Rosario was expected to ride Saturday's 11-race program, which included five stakes. "He's ready to roll," Stauffer said. "He worked Dave in Dixie and felt great. He seems fine."

Through Friday, Rosario was second in the standings with 38 wins, 21 fewer than leader Rafael Bejarano. Rosario was tied for the lead in one important category - he and Garrett Gomez have each won seven stakes at the meeting.

Tanda ready to stretch out

Tanda won for the second time in her four-race career in Friday's seventh race, leaving trainer Dan Hendricks anxious to try the 3-year-old filly in a two-turn race. But the $150,000 Providencia Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf on April 3 may be too far, he said.

"I'll try to find a mile," Hendricks said. "I don't think she's turf only."

Tanda rallied from third in a field of nine to win an optional claimer on the hillside turf course by 1 1/4 lengths over the English import Vanishing Grey.