Maycocks Bay improving but could be off Derby trail

Maycocks Bay, who had to be scratched sick from the Feb. 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, after taking ill following a ship from Fair Grounds, is now at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.

Michael Stidham, who trains Maycocks Bay for Godolphin, said the colt had a high fever at Oaklawn and was shipped to the veterinary clinic for observation, but recently has been improving. The illness, however, compromises his chances of making a Kentucky Derby prep race anytime soon. The 3-1 morning-line favorite in the Southwest, Maycocks Bay had a breakthrough performance Jan. 7 at Fair Grounds, winning a first-level allowance by nearly 11 lengths while earning a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

Central Avenue, the Godolphin 3-year-old filly trained by Stidham, is also out of action, having been turned out in January after suffering a setback. Central Avenue finished second to 2-year-old filly champion Just F Y I in the Grade 1 Frizette and was third in the Grade 2 Golden God.

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Meanwhile, Catnip, the 5-year-old grass horse, breezed Feb. 9 in his first workout since he finished third by one length in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf on Jan. 27. Second last summer in the Grade 1 United Nations, Catnip could go to Dubai for the $6 million Dubai Turf on March 30 or race the week before at his Fair Grounds base in the $300,000 Muniz Memorial, with an eye toward the $1 million Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard, Stidham said.

Margolis doing more with less

For trainer Steve Margolis, it is a case of doing more with less this winter at Fair Grounds.

With a record of 4-3-1 from just 13 runners this meet, Margolis has started far fewer horses than in previous Fair Grounds seasons. Yet Margolis is on the verge of matching his win total the last two meets and can get there Thursday if Paint Me Perfect runs to form in the featured eighth race.

Paint Me Perfect is part of an overflow field of older fillies and mares entered in a first-level allowance carded for one mile on grass. She missed by a mere nose in a race at this level Dec. 21, after finishing second by three-quarters of a length Nov. 23. Thursday could be her day.

Parker suffers broken hip

Veteran jockey DeShawn Parker broke his hip in a training accident Feb. 11, but had successful surgery later in the day, his agent Liz Morris said. Morris also said Parker might be out of action less than two months. Among the most successful African American jockeys of the modern racing era, Parker, 53, missed several months of riding after he was hurt in a starting gate accident this summer at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Parker has eight winners from 136 mounts this season at Fair Grounds.

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