Arkansas native Greg Compton was born in North Little Rock, Ark., and makes no bones about his roots.
“Hard workin, meat eatin, beer/bourbon drinkin horse trainer,” reads his bio on the social media site, X. “Die hard AR Razorback fan, WPS! Praying to hit the lottery, delete everything, and disappear.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bank Frenzy, coming off what his connections believe was a career-best performance in the Stymie Stakes last month, seeks his fourth consecutive victory when he returns to New York-bred competition in Sunday’s $125,000 Haynesfield Stakes at Aqueduct.
The Haynesfield, at a mile, shares billing with the $125,000 Biogio’s Rose, for fillies and mares at a mile, on a 10-race card that begins at 1:10 p.m.
Tuesday, the day minor racetracks run cards that would attract no attention on a busy weekend.
“I won the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie on a Tuesday!” trainer Brian Lynch exclaimed.
He did. Golden Moka captured the 2010 renewal of the second leg in Canada’s Triple Crown. Who knows the last time an American racetrack ran a Tuesday Grade 1. It happens this week at Keeneland, where the $1.25 million Blue Grass, a major prep for the first leg of the American Triple Crown, got pushed back three days because of unusually heavy rain.
A discreet set of events can produce divergent interpretations. Take the Inside Information Stakes on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.
In that Grade 2 contest over seven furlongs, Mystic Lake showed speed and led narrowly during the early stages over Olivia Darling. After putting away her pace rival, Mystic Lake fought back gamely after losing the lead to a midstretch surge from Jody’s Pride, and having seen off that rival, she barely held clear a final outside move from the filly Emery.
The $100,000 John Shear Stakes for 3-year-old turf sprinters Sunday at Santa Anita marks a change from recent starts for race favorite Artislas, who has thrived in one-mile races.
Artislas won his career debut in a maiden race at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar last August, showing an off-the-pace rally that has become commonplace in his brief career.
Veteran trainer Gerald Bennett will have the horse to beat in the eighth race Sunday at Gulfstream Park, a $56,000 allowance going a mile on dirt. U Lite Up My Life, a 4-year-old filly, has won two races in commanding fashion at Tampa Bay Downs since returning from a long layoff in February.
“She’s what I thought she would be when I got her and she’s growing up a lot now,” Bennett said. “Hopefully, she’ll keep going forward.”
Mark Casse’s excellent winter training sophomore turf horses in Florida looks like it will extend to spring in Kentucky.
Over the last three months at Tampa Bay Downs and Gulfstream Park, Casse won five grass-route stakes with 3-year-olds, four courtesy of the fillies Nitrogen and Vixen. Casse kept that pair separated in Florida, but both start Tuesday at Keeneland in the Grade 2, $500,000 Appalachian Stakes.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – It’s been a long road for Nutella Fella since winning his first two starts, including the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, in 2023. The colt’s career has been interrupted by two long layoffs, limiting him to one start in 2024.
Now sound, Nutella Fella is steadily climbing the ladder in 2025. The Grade 3, $350,000 Commonwealth Stakes on Tuesday at Keeneland marks his return to graded stakes company and could serve as a bridge to bigger things.
“We’ve let him get there in increments,” said Gary Contessa, who trains Nutella Fella for Bella Gable Stable.
