Turf stars getting set for 3-year-old debuts

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Oscar Performance and New Money Honey, the winners of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall, are both headed to Keeneland to kick off their 3-year-old campaigns.

Oscar Performance, trained by Brian Lynch, will make his seasonal debut in the Grade 3, $150,000 Transylvania on next Friday’s opening-day card. Oscar Performance completed preparations for the race with a half-mile workout in 48.28 seconds Friday over the turf course at Palm Meadows. With jockey Jose Ortiz aboard, Oscar Performance got his final quarter in 23.97.

“He did his last bit of serious work last week,” said Lynch, referring to a five-furlong move timed in 59 seconds. “Jose was happy with him. I definitely feel like we got him fit enough to kick off his 3-year-old campaign.”

New Money Honey, trained by Chad Brown, will make her seasonal debut in the Grade 3, $125,000 Appalachian at Keeneland on April 13. She was scheduled to work at Palm Meadows on Saturday.

◗ Heart to Heart was second in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile last year, and he will try to do one better when he returns to Keeneland for this year’s renewal of that race on April 14.

On Friday, Heart to Heart breezed an easy half-mile in 50.63 seconds over the Palm Meadows turf course.

“He’s going to have a big shot of knocking out his first Grade 1,” Lynch said.

◗ Unified and Shaman Ghost arrived at Belmont Park on Friday following a van ride from south Florida. Unified, who beat Mind Your Biscuits in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint on Feb. 25, is running in the Grade 1 Carter next Saturday.

Jimmy Jerkens, who trains both horses, said he has no set plan for Shaman Ghost, the winner of the Santa Anita Handicap. He breezed three furlongs in 37 seconds on Wednesday. Shaman Ghost was not nominated to the Oaklawn Handicap, Jerkens said.