After two scratches reduced the Sham Stakes to a four-horse field, the one-mile race developed into an entertaining match race between heavily favored Midnight Hawk and second choice Kristo. We learned a lot about both horses.
Ride On Curlin, one of the most accomplished 3-year-olds stabled at Oaklawn Park, won his 2014 debut in Sunday’s sixth race and is now being pointed for the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 17, according to trainer William Gowan. The race is Oaklawn’s first major prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.
Shared Belief, the unbeaten winner of the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity and a finalist for the Eclipse Award as champion male 2-year-old, had a scheduled workout for this weekend postponed after suffering a cut to his right hind hoof, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Sunday morning at Santa Anita.
Making only his second start, his first in a stakes race and his first around two turns, Midnight Hawk passed his test in the Grade 3, $98,000 Sham Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, establishing himself - and his celebrity connections - as one of the bright lights on the road to the May 3 Kentucky Derby.
Early Saturday morning at Santa Anita, trainer John Sadler was polishing two of his top 3-year-old prospects, Candy Boy and Kobe’s Back, who both worked in advance of scheduled stakes starts next month.
The field for the Grade 3 Holy Bull on Jan. 25, the first major test for Kentucky Derby hopefuls here this winter, continues to take shape, with one of the starters likely to be Conquest Titan.
Top Fortitude ran like an older horse when he won his 2-year-old debut in a maiden race for sprinters at Hollywood Park in November.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas came into the Oaklawn Park meet a year ago with a pair of promising 3-year-olds in Oxbow and Will Take Charge. When the new season opens on Friday, he’ll be coming off one of the most significant years of his career.
In icy cold weather on Aqueduct’s winterized main track, Noble Moon lived up to his 4-5 odds to score a gritty two-length victory in 1:45.08 over Classic Giacnroll in the one mile and 70-yard Jerome stakes, the first formally recognized Kentucky Derby prep race of 2014.
Ria Antonia, winner via disqualification of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November, took the first significant step toward her 3-year-old debut by breezing three furlongs Sunday morning in 36.62 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.
