San Felipe next for Caracortado

With Caracortado having won last Saturday's Robert Lewis Stakes, and Nextdoorneighbor heading to the Grade 3, $150,000 Sham Stakes on Feb. 27, trainer Mike Machowsky is right in the thick of the Derby action this year. Considering his barn numbers just 15 horses, that's quite a percentage.

"I don't get much sleep right now, but it's for a good reason," Machowsky said.

Caracortado, who ran his record to 5 for 5 in the Lewis, will make his next start March 13 in the Grade 2, $150,000 San Felipe Stakes, which is the scheduled 3-year-old debut for 2-year-old champ Lookin At Lucky.

"We'll leave him here for his next race and see if Lookin At Lucky comes at us," Machowsky said.

Tiz Chrome, who finished fourth in the Lewis when suffering his first loss in three starts, will leave town for the Gotham Stakes in New York, according to his trainer, Bob Baffert.

"He needed it. He just got tired," Baffert said. "He looked a little soft in the paddock. Now he'll be ready to go two turns."

Nextdoorneighbor worked six furlongs in 1:10.60 on Monday morning at Santa Anita. The time was the best of 31 at the distance. Mike Smith was aboard. Smith will replace Rafael Bejarano in the Sham. Bejarano rode Nextdoorneighbor to a maiden win last time out but has opted to ride Richard Mandella-trained Setsuko in the Sham. Others expected for the Sham include the Baffert duo of Indian Firewater and The Program.

Blind Luck on Oaks, not Derby, trail

Even though Blind Luck was one of a handful of fillies nominated to the Triple Crown, Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains and co-owns Blind Luck, said the Kentucky Oaks, not the Kentucky Derby, is her main goal this spring.

"My partners asked me to nominate her to the Triple Crown, so we did, but we're not thinking that way," Hollendorfer said. "But at least we have that option in case some opportunity presents itself."

Blind Luck, after winning the Las Virgenes Stakes last Saturday, will now be pointed to the Grade 1, $250,000 Santa Anita Oaks on March 6.