A quartet of Oaklawn Park-based 3-year-olds targeting Monday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest have temporarily moved to the Evangeline Downs Training Center near Lafayette, La., to outrun the winter weather that forced the cancellation of last week’s live racing and stripped horsemen of four days of training.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said that Tamarando will fill in for Exit Stage Left in the El Camino Real Derby, a 1 1/8-mile Tapeta race on Saturday. Russell Baze, the regular rider for Exit Stage Left, will be aboard Tamarando.
Trainer Leah Gyarmati said Monday that it is unlikely that Jerome Stakes winner Noble Moon will make the Grade 3, $500,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 1. It is more likely that Noble Moon will train up to the $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5, Gyarmati said.
This was an important mid-winter test for highly regarded, lightly raced prospects for the Santa Anita Derby on April 5 and possibly the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs May 3.
Shared Belief, the champion 2-year-old male of 2013, resumed light exercise over the weekend after missing almost a month of training because of a quarter crack.
Candy Boy emerged from his victory in the Grade 2, $200,500 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Saturday in good condition and likely will await the Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 5 for his next start, trainer John Sadler said Sunday.
Candy Boy continued his progress as one of the nation’s top 3-year-olds by capturing the Grade 2, $200,500 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.
The mutuel field closed as a big favorite Saturday, the third and final day of wagering into Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. The field – the 24th or “all others” option – is the 3-2 favorite, followed by Honor Code (12-1), Cairo Prince (13-1), Top Billing (13-1), Shared Belief (14-1), Strong Mandate (17-1), and Midnight Hawk (19-1).
Undefeated Exit Stage Left, winner of the Golden Nugget, Gold Rush, and California Derby, was injured during training Saturday at Golden Gate Fields and will miss the Feb. 15 El Camino Real Derby.
California Chrome, with Victor Espinoza aboard, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds at Los Alamitos on Saturday, preparing for the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 8.
