HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A pair of fleet and promising juvenile fillies who ran off the screen in their debuts, La Gioconda and Bella Cleopatra, will step right into stakes company when squaring off against four more experienced rivals in the $65,000 Juvenile Fillies Sprint for Florida-breds Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Danny Gargan’s goal with his 2-year-old gelding Man in Finance is next month’s $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct. Not wanting three months between starts for the impressive debut winner, Gargan has opted to run Man in Finance in Saturday’s $100,000 Notebook Stakes for New York-breds going six furlongs.
Bob Baffert is likely to secure a seventh victory in the Desi Arnaz Stakes for 2-year-old fillies Saturday at Del Mar as he trains four of the five entered including a probable favorite expected to set the pace.
“Silent Law is the quickest of all of them; she’s fast,” Baffert said.
A 2-for-2 stakes winner, Silent Law is the speed of the seven-furlong, $100,000 Desi Arnaz. And if Silent Law does not get it done, a stablemate probably will.
The Kentucky Derby is, of course, contested annually at Churchill Downs, and the Kentucky Oaks writes its way into history each year beneath the twin spires as well. The Louisville track has played host to the Breeders’ Cup nine times, and contests several other Grade 1 races during its annual meets.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It will be take two on Saturday for the Grade 2, $175,000 Autumn, which was canceled last Saturday at Woodbine over concerns with the safety of the track. During the betting leading up to last weekend’s race, it looked like Paramount Prince and Dresden Row would vie for favoritism by post time in the 1 1/8-mile route.
A memorial service for Mike Gass, a longtime trainer who died in June at the age of 79, will be held Sunday at Remington Park, according to a family member. The service will start at 2 p.m. Central in the chapel located in the backside kitchen building.
Apprentice jockey Tyler Bacon will be wintering at Oaklawn Park, according to his agent, Brian Assmann. Bacon ranked among the top 10 riders during the recent meet at Prairie Meadows.
“He had a great Prairie Meadows,” Assmann said. “From the start of the meet to the end of the meet, people were just raving about him. The kid’s got an unbelievable work ethic. People just love him.”
Assmann said Bacon is a 17-year-old native of Montana. He’s won 51 races since notching his first career win on March 1 at Fonner Park.
“I think he’s the real deal,” Assmann said.
Zia Park is gearing up for its three most important race dates of the meet, which continues through Dec. 18.
The Zia Park Derby card of seven stakes worth $1.1 million is set for a Tuesday program on Nov. 26. The build-up to the Land of Enchantment card will include the $1.1 million New Mexico Classic Cup Quarter Horse Showcase of seven stakes Nov. 24 and the $1.3 million New Mexico Classic Cup card of eight Thoroughbred stakes Nov. 25.
Holly Dolly, who is tied for winningest horse of the current meet at Remington Park, is being pointed to an upcoming stakes at Zia and later this year will winter at Oaklawn Park, according to her trainer, Ray Ashford Jr.
Ashford will have a division of about 10 horses at Oaklawn for the first time and said he is setting up shop at the Arkansas meet at the request of prominent owner Tom Durant.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though he’s won more than 4,700 races in his career, trainer Chris Englehart doesn’t fancy himself as one who does well with first-time starters.
However, on Nov. 8 he sent out the 2-year-old filly Lucille Ball to a 5 1/4-length debut victory going 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct. She covered the distance in 1:17.23 and earned a solid 82 Beyer Speed Figure.
