Girvin came out of the Risen Star Stakes as well as he went into it, according to trainer Joe Sharp. Making just his third start and racing around two turns on dirt for the first time, Girvin won the Risen Star on Saturday at Fair Grounds by two lengths over Untrapped. If all goes well with the colt, Girvin will make his next start April 1 in the $1 million Louisiana Derby.
The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed Sunday as a lukewarm choice in Pool 3 of the 2017 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, while Unique Bella was a heavy favorite in the lone futures pool for the 2017 Kentucky Oaks.
Made You Look, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf, will make his dirt debut in this Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday.
Practical Joke turned in his final prep for this Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sunday morning at the Palm Meadows Training Center, where he breezed an easy half-mile in 48.19 seconds in company with stablemate Shagaf.
More than his trip and the final time, you have to question the field Girvin defeated in Saturday's Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds.
As the Fair Grounds assistant to trainer Mike Maker, Joe Sharp went down the Kentucky Derby trail in 2014 with Louisiana Derby winner Vicar’s In Trouble. Later that year, Sharp went out on his own, and now, as a head trainer, Sharp has a Triple Crown prospect in his own stable, Girvin, who was a two-length winner of the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
Trainer Graham Motion said he "couldn't be happier" with Irish War Cry’s final work for next Saturday's Fountain of Youth Stakes after his undefeated 3-year-old breezed five furlongs in 1:01.80 and galloped out six panels in 1:13.40 on Saturday morning at Palm Meadows.
Saint’s Fan could make his next start in the $1 million Louisiana Derby here on April 1. Or he could make his next start at Keeneland in April. Or be pointed for the $75,000 Crescent City Derby for Louisiana-breds, another April 1 race at Fair Grounds. The point is that Dallas Stewart, who bred, owns, and trains Saint’s Fan, isn’t in a rush to decide exactly where to run his horse, who worked a half-mile in 50.20 seconds here Friday.
True Timber set the pace after stumbling badly at the break in the Grade 3 Withers, a race in which he ultimately finished second to El Areeb.Judging by the way he breezed Friday at Belmont Park, True Timber will not be part of the pace when he meets El Areeb again in next Saturday's Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.
Plans for the three horses who as of Friday afternoon were going to scratch from Saturday’s Risen Star Stakes are in various states of certainty. So Conflated, who didn’t ship to Fair Grounds from Santa Anita for trainer Doug O’Neill, is being rerouted to next Saturday’s Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, O’Neill confirmed via text message.
