Trainer Allen Milligan, who has established himself as one of the leading trainers in this region, will be branching out when the Oaklawn Park meet closes next month. Milligan said he will have a division of horses at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., for the first time in his career, with the group to include the Arkansas Derby-bound Jake Mo.
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Saturday, trainer Larry Jones saddled 2011 Horse of the Year to an easy victory in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes, her 2012 debut. Monday, Jones drove from New Orleans to Hot Springs, Ark., to pick up Joyful Victory after her third-place finish on Saturday in the Azeri Stakes. And on Tuesday at Fair Grounds, Jones sent out Mr. Bowling, Mark Valeski, and Believe You Can for workouts.
With more than 400 wins at Woodbine since 2007, trainer Makr Casse clearly knows how to prepare a horse to win over a synthetic track, and that’s just what he has been busy doing lately with a colt named Stealcase for Saturday’s Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park.
Churchill Downs and its broadcasting partners have announced the renewal of the popular Kentucky Derby DreamBet, which wound up being worth $900,000 to its first contestant two years ago.
An optimistic Ramon Dominguez said Monday he is hoping to miss only a couple of weeks of riding, despite suffering a separation of his collarbone in a spill at Aqueduct on Sunday.
Bob Baffert is heading south by Southwest. Fresh off a victory by Secret Circle in the Rebel Stakes on Saturday at Oaklawn Park, Baffert will send Castaway to Sunland Park on Sunday for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby.
A field of at least seven 3-year-olds now seems definite for the $1 million Florida Derby on March 31, led by division leader Union Rags and El Padrino. Other confirmed starters include Take Charge Indy, Neck ’n Neck, News Pending, Reveron, and Fort Loudon.
Lucky Chappy will add to his gaudy number of frequent-flier miles when he starts in the Group 2, $2 million UAE Derby at 1 3/16 miles over the Tapeta surface at Meydan on March 31. An Irish-bred colt raced by the Animal Kingdom connections of Team Valor International and trainer Graham Motion, Lucky Chappy began his career in Italy, competed on both coasts in his four-race North American campaign, and, if all goes right in Dubai, will return to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May for a run in the Kentucky Derby.
Secret Circle will attempt to complete a sweep of Oaklawn Park’s series for 3-year-olds next month, when he runs in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby. He is being pointed to the April 14 race, trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday, one day after the horse took the Grade 2, $500,000 Rebel at Oaklawn. Earlier in the meet, Secret Circle captured the second and faster division of the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest Stakes.
Juvenile champion Hansen breezed an easy half-mile in 50.40 seconds at Churchill Downs Trackside on Sunday in preparation for the Grade 1 Wood Memorial on April 7 at Aqueduct. The work marked his first breeze since taking the March. 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.
