In the Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita Out of Bounds successfully stretched out in his stakes debut, while heavily favored Secret Circle failed to reproduce his best form in his first try around two turns.
Can a legitimate Kentucky Derby prospect bloom in New York during the winter? On a spring-like afternoon that rivaled any Wood Memorial Day seen around here in years, Alpha looked like a legitimate Derby contender with a solid 2 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Count Fleet Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track.
Trainer Todd Pletcher’s arsenal of 3-year-old talent includes Discreet Dancer, who won impressively for the second time in as many starts during the current Gulfstream Park meet when he dominated Saturday’s seventh race going a mile.
A trio of potential Kentucky Derby trail candidates breezed at Gulfstream on Saturday, led by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Hansen, who went five furlongs in 1:00.40 shortly after the track opened at 5:45 a.m.
Aside from all the good looking 3-year-old prospects trainer Todd Pletcher has already unleashed here during the opening month of the Gulfstream Park meet he also has two others waiting in the wings, Gemologist and Overdriven, who have combined to win all five of their starts.
Countdown to the Crown returns for a seventh season online as one of the most comprehensive handicapper’s scouting reports of the 3-year-old scene. Posted each Friday at DRF.com from Jan. 6 through the Belmont Stakes, Countdown keeps you apprised of the rising stars of the 3-year-old class from the maiden ranks through the Grade 1 stakes.
New York’s road to the Triple Crown has been the one least traveled in recent years, but with more lucrative purses and an additional graded stakes opportunity, perhaps that will change in 2012.
Ever So Lucky is one of the more exciting prospects in the class of 2012. But trainer Jonathan Sheppard is in no rush to put his star back into serious training just yet.
Trainer Augustin Bezara started 60 percent of his five-horse stable Sunday, all three of whom won including Reveron in the inaugural $100,000 Gulfstream Park Derby.
Since the Breeders' Cup, no 2-year-old has emerged to take the 2012 Kentucky Derby winter book favoritism away from Union Rags, trained by Michael Matz. Only Hansen has been able to beat Union Rags on the track. A few horses ran faster Beyer Speed Figures, but none really proved anything.
