HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Bill Mott sent out the single most impressive winner here last weekend, the lightly raced but extremely talented 4-year-old Arthur’s Ride who captured a second-level allowance race by 7 1 /2 lengths while registering a 99 Beyer Speed Figure when returning from a one-year layoff on Saturday.
NEW ORLEANS – Wednesday was shipping day for the Todd Pletcher-trained 3-year-olds based in Florida and entered in stakes races Saturday at Fair Grounds and Turfway Park, and thus it was time to make a final call on who was running where.
Agate Road is headed to New Orleans for the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby, Pletcher confirmed in a text message, while Triple Espresso is bound for Turfway Park and the Grade 3, $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks. The two colts were cross-entered last weekend in both races.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Rafael Bejarano and Ron Moquett are one of the winningest trainer-jockey combinations at the Oaklawn Park meet, and they will attempt to add to their stats in Friday’s ninth race with One Ten Stadium.
The feature is a $50,000 starter allowance for 4-year-olds and up bred in Arkansas. The field of 10 for the 1 1/16-mile race is led by Willow Creek Road, the winner of last year’s $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Macallan and Mr. Ripple were both beaten as odds-on favorites in their last starts, but will likely again take a bulk of the money and test the loyalty of their backers in Friday’s fifth race, a first-level allowance scheduled for 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct.
Trainer Chad Brown is reconsidering his plan to get one more race into Domestic Product before the Kentucky Derby.
Following his narrow victory in the Tampa Bay Derby on March 9, Brown felt that Domestic Product would benefit from having one more race before the May 4 Kentucky Derby. Upon further review, Brown said Wednesday that may not be the case. Brown said he wants to see how the horse works before making a final decision.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The most expensive yearling purchased at a North American auction in 2022 launches his career Friday at Santa Anita, and though a turf sprint for maidens is not the ultimate objective, it is a good place to start.
Metro, a Quality Road colt whose $2.5 million price tag topped the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, will be well-backed in the first race Friday at six furlongs on turf. John Sadler trains Metro for owners Talla Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Woodford Racing.
Stronghold, the winner of the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby in New Mexico in his lone start this year, is scheduled to have his Grade 1 debut in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 6.
Trainer Phil D’Amato said on Wednesday that the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby is preferred over the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland at the same distance on the same day.
The Santa Anita Derby and Blue Grass Stakes are key preps to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4.
WHO’S HOT
Although there were no major dirt races for 3-year-olds last week, the 2023 champion juvenile male Fierceness was in the news. An odds-on third in his only start this year, he is working like he will rebound in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 30 at Gulfstream Park. Fierceness looked strong March 15 in a team work; he was best over 2-for-2 Tuscan Sky. Derby Watch linemaker David Aragona subsequently lowered Fierceness to 10-1, co-second choice with Timberlake.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – One Way Or Another will have some key variables in her favor Thursday when she starts as a leading contender in Oaklawn’s eighth race, a competitive six-furlong first-level allowance for fillies and mares bred in Arkansas with an optional claiming price of $30,000.
A field of 11 has signed on, and One Way Or Another could start as the second or third choice behind probable favorite Music Mistress, who owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure of 76.
