Although Intrepid Daydream will be scratched, Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has still sent a strong contender to Laurel Park for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Barbara Fritchie, a seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares.
The Fritchie, along with the Grade 3, $200,000 General George, headline a four-stakes card.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Ron Spatz is pointing Loco Abarrio to the $125,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint a week from Saturday. The question is which Loco Abarrio will show up – the one who defeated multiple stakes winner Super Chow while earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure in his 2023 finale? Or the one who finished last, beaten nearly a dozen lengths as the 2-1 favorite when switching to the Tapeta track in his 2024 debut?
Fonner Park, a Nebraska tradition, opens Saturday in a meet that runs through May 4. Purses are up for the new season, and the meet’s signature race, the $75,000 Bosselman/Fonner will share a card with a new offering, the $30,000 Elite Sprint Cup.
Eric Jackson, the senior vice president of Oaklawn, is set to enter the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame on Friday in Little Rock. It’s the first of two inductions for statewide Halls of Fame for Jackson. Later this year, Jackson will enter the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Touchuponastar ran his Delta Downs record to 5 for 5 with his win in the $150,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship on Feb. 3 to cap an outstanding run at the meet that closes Feb. 24.
Touchuponastar earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 101, the highest number of the current stand in which he owns the top three Beyers. Touchuponastar earned a 97 Beyer for his win in the Oct. 6 Gold Cup and a 95 for his victory in the Nov. 3 Delta Downs Mile.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Stakes-placed runners Tejon Pass and Time for Truth are both potential new shooters for the 3-year-old series at Oaklawn Park, as the pair are under serious consideration for the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes on Feb. 24.
Tejon Pass worked six furlongs on Tuesday, going in 1:15 in company in the mud. The son of Justify and five-time graded winner Foxysox was a maiden special weight winner at Santa Anita and also ran third to Nysos in the Grade 3 Bob Hope back home at Del Mar. He’s now with trainer Peter Miller’s division at Oaklawn.
Ova Charged, moving from dirt to turf, turned in the best race of her career Tuesday at Fair Grounds, contesting a fast early pace before drawing clear for a 5 1/4-length win over the accomplished race favorite Oeuvre in the $100,000 Mardi Gras Stakes.
Ova Charged ran about 5 1/2 furlongs over a good course in 1:03.66 and earned a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure.
Given his depth in the division, Todd Pletcher does not have an easy time finding suitable spots for his phalanx of 3-year-olds. Thus, he was shipping five of them mid-week from his winter base at Palm Beach Downs to run in races Saturday at Fair Grounds.
When Nash came to Fair Grounds in early December following a sharp second at Keeneland sprinting in his career debut and a blowout two-turn Churchill Downs maiden win that earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure, his connections, Godolphin and trainer Brad Cox, must have figured the colt could be racing on the Risen Star Stakes card in February. He is, but not in the Risen Star.
