Trainer Shug McGaughey has made the most of his trips to Tampa Bay Downs the last three winters, posting a healthy 37.5 percent winning percentage including a 7-for-14 record so far at the current meet.
McGaughey hopes the good times continue this week as he’ll start likely favorite Change of Command in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis and Whocouldaskformo in the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes for 3-year-old fillies the same day.
Not only did five-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief get on the board with his first graded stakes winner of 2024 on Saturday, he continued to advertise his growing legacy, as three of his sons sired stakes winners on the same day.
He’s 7 and finally getting the hang of racing.
In two starts this year, Goliad has won consecutive races for the first time in his limited career, including Saturday’s Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in a dramatic style.
The win has led to plans for his first career Grade 1 start in the $300,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 2, a goal that would have seemed improbable as recently as a few months ago when Goliad was mired in a five-race losing streak.
Trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Correas IV hopes a return to New York and a reunion with jockey Jose Lezcano can get Leeloo back to the winner’s circle in Sunday’s second-level allowance/optional-claiming feature at Aqueduct.
Leeloo is one of two New York-breds in this competitive field of 10 fillies and mares entered to run six furlongs at Aqueduct. Leeloo has recorded 3 of 4 career victories at Aqueduct and was beaten just a neck when second in the Iroquois Stakes at the Belmont at the Big A meet in October.
The Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile will again anchor the Lone Star Million Day program May 27, Lone Star Park announced. The track released its 21-race, $2.8 million stakes schedule on Thursday.
The meet opens April 18 and runs through July 14.
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – They’ve saved the best for last Sunday at Gulfstream Park – a $92,000 allowance race that drew an extremely wide-open, stakes-caliber lineup that is scheduled to duke it out at five furlongs on the turf, weather permitting.
With a long-range forecast calling for a better than 50 percent chance of rain over the local area on Sunday, there is the prospect the main event could wind up being decided at the same distance over the Tapeta course.
Northern Flame and Woodcourt are both under consideration for the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes after winning divisions of a split 3-year-old allowance last week at Oaklawn Park.
Northern Flame was a neck winner of the second division, after setting a pressured pace over a good track that was sealed. For his effort in the one-mile race he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 79.
Instant Coffee, a graded stakes winner at 2 and 3, is nearing his return from an 11-month layoff, owner Al Gold said Friday. The horse is now with trainer Brittany Russell after having previously raced for Brad Cox.
On Thursday, Instant Coffee worked a half-mile in 48.45 seconds out of the gate at Palm Meadows. It was the fastest of 22 works at the distance and it was Instant Coffee’s seventh work since early December.
Tumbarumba, the narrow winner of the Grade 3 Fred Hooper on Jan. 27, came out of the race in good order and will point to the Grade 2, $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile on March 2, trainer Brian Lynch said Friday.
The Fred Hooper, which Tumbarumba won by a nose over Castle Chaos, came seven weeks after he had finished second to Touchuponastar in a Louisiana-bred stakes at Fair Grounds. Touchuponastar has won 10 of 13 starts.
