HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Florida-breds will be in the spotlight Friday at Gulfstream Park with a trio of restricted races for statebreds. The races are a prelude of even bigger and better things to come for the owners and breeders of Florida-breds, with purse incentives totaling $4.6 million set to kick in with the beginning of the new condition book on Jan. 1.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trevor McCarthy hopes the success he enjoyed in the middle of December is a harbinger for the upcoming winter.
Between Aqueduct and Parx, McCarthy won six races from Dec. 11-15 as he continues to work his way back from the injuries that seemed to derail his trajectory on the New York Racing Association circuit in 2023.
World War will be looking for her fourth consecutive win when she takes on significant shipper Basalt Street in Friday night’s $70,000 Rosewater at Delta Downs.
The race is one of two stakes on the card. Both are restricted to Louisiana-breds who have never won a sweepstakes. The races are for 3-year-olds and up and will be run at 7 1/2 furlongs, which is a two-turn configuration on the six-furlong track at Delta.
Creative Minister leads a charge of three leading contenders trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Julien Leparoux have in separate allowance races Friday at Oaklawn Park.
Creative Minister goes in the ninth race, while Ten Days Later is in the sixth and Let’s Duet starts in the 10th.
McPeek and Leparoux have gotten off to fast starts at the meet. McPeek is 3 for 10 and Leparoux is 5 for 21. They have teamed together on a regular basis, among their winners Butterbean in the recent Mistletoe Stakes.
ARCADIA, Calif. – While the significance of the season’s final turf stakes for California 2-year-olds is uncertain, there is little doubt both $100,000 turf miles Friday at Santa Anita offer attractive wagering opportunities – a longshot filly and a standout colt.
In the race-5 Blue Norther for fillies, unlucky Mo Fox Givin may upset debut winner Medoro and graded dirt winner Chatalas. In the race-7 Eddie Logan, well-bred colt American Hope meets stablemate Miracle Mark and stakes winner Lord Bullingdon. The status of Grade 3 winner Stay Hot is pending.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Chad Brown appears to hold a lethal hand in Friday’s $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes for New York-breds at Aqueduct. Bettors must decide whether it’ll be Aggregation on the front end or Dr Ardito from off the pace who gets the job done in this five-horse field.
While the two-time statebred stakes winner Dr Ardito is the more accomplished of the pair, Aggregation enters the Robb in the best form, with a pair of allowance wins, both since Brown added blinkers to the 4-year-old gelding’s equipment.
Trainer and principal owner Hugh Robertson means it when he says Two Emmys, on the cusp of turning 8, still is outrunning Father Time.
Two Emmys returned from a 10-month layoff at Fair Grounds on Saturday, set a strong pace, and won the $100,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial by one length. His 93 Beyer belies a strong raw time of 1:42.03 for 1 1/16 miles on turf.
One wouldn’t want to force the point, but similarities exist between a retired 4-year-old named Epicenter and the 2-year-old colt Track Phantom.
Epicenter made two starts around one turn before stepping forward in his third outing to sharply win a route race. Steve Asmussen trained Epicenter, and Asmussen also trains Track Phantom.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After a terrific 3-year-old campaign, Fingal’s Cave has been missing in action at 4. Thursday, the talented filly returns from a 432-day layoff in the $100,000 Bay Ridge Stakes for New York-bred females at Aqueduct.
Fingal’s Cave, a daughter of Carpe Diem trained by David Donk, won her first four career starts – including the $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes – by a combined 21 3/4 lengths. In October 2022, she stepped up into graded company for the first time and finished second, beaten four lengths, by Wicked Halo in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland.
