Free Like a Girl will be a winner before she even steps on the track to run during Saturday night’s Louisiana Legends card at Evangeline Downs.
Earlier in the afternoon, Free Like a Girl will be honored as the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s horse of the year for 2022.
She then will make her way to the starting gate for either the $100,000 Distaff Turf for which she is entered for the main track only or the $100,000 Mademoiselle over 5 1/2 furlongs.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Kentucky-based The Alys Look arrived at Santa Anita with less drama than California-based Anywho arriving at Churchill Downs.
The 3-year-old fillies meet for the first time in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on Saturday at Santa Anita, where stakes winner The Alys Look faces easier after her third in the Kentucky Oaks and 2-for-2 Anywho makes her stakes debut a month later than planned.
The four trainers who have accounted for 10 of the last 12 Epsom Derby winners have the four shortest prices for the 2023 renewal of the Derby on Saturday at Epsom Downs.
Aidan O’Brien, who has won six of the last dozen Derbies, starts favored Auguste Rodin, whose chief challengers look like Military Order, trained by Charlie Appleby, the Derby winner in 2021 (Adayar) and 2018 (Masar); Arrest, trained by John and Thady Gosden (Golden Horn, 2015); and Passenger, trained by Michael Stoute, whose 2022 win with Desert Crown marked his sixth Derby win.
Prime Example will attempt to rebound after a poor Emerald Downs debut while cutting back in class and distance in Saturday’s $15,000 claiming feature at 5 1/2 furlongs for nonwinners of two races.
Justin Evans trainee Prime Example won a maiden-claiming race on April 12 at Turf Paradise in romping fashion before moving to Emerald Downs and trying allowance foes on May 27. He and his chief pace rival in the allowance both faded in the stretch to finish eighth and seventh, respectively.
Rattle N Roll and Santin stand out in the field for Saturday’s Grade 3, $225,000 Blame Stakes as Grade 1-winning millionaires. But while they have that in common, they converge in this race from different paths this year. Rattle N Roll, off back-to-back wins, is looking just to keep rolling. Santin, off back-to-back unplaced efforts, is trying something new.
Presumptive Kentucky Derby favorite Forte wasn’t the only talented 3-year-old from a New York-based trainer scratched on Kentucky Derby Day. Talk of the Nation looked like a very live chance in the American Turf on the Derby undercard before a state regulatory veterinarian decided minutes before the race that Talk of the Nation was lame and unfit to start. Stewards scratched the colt, which has led Talk of the Nation to Monmouth Park for Saturday’s $100,000 Jersey Derby.
Solarity will attempt to successfully defend her crown in the $50,000 Emerald Downs, to be run over 6 1/2 furlongs on Saturday afternoon at Hastings.
As she did a year ago, Solarity will attempt to take full advantage of the absence of stablemate and division leader Infinite Patience. Trainer Barbara Heads said that Infinite Patience “got a viral infection that set her back more than a few weeks.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Moira will team up with red-hot leading rider Kazushi Kimura for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 3 Belle Mahone, one of two terrific stakes on the card for fillies and mares, along with the Grade 2 Royal North.
Victorious in the 2022 Woodbine Oaks and Queen’s Plate, in which she lowered the 1 1/4-mile synthetic-track record, Moira wintered at Margaux Farm in Kentucky after ending up fifth in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland. She has been working steadily over Woodbine’s Tapeta this spring.
Stablemates Crimson Advocate and No Nay Mets, who registered relatively easy victories in the first two Win and You’re In qualifying races for Royal Ascot ever run in the U.S. earlier this month at Gulfstream Park, will be off to merry old England in two weeks for the Queen Mary on June 21 and Norfolk Stakes the following afternoon, trainer George Weaver confirmed on Wednesday.
Belmont Park
Wednesday, May 31
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 55 degrees
Track: Fast
ELMONT, N.Y. – Only half the prospective 10 starters for this year’s Belmont Stakes are currently on the grounds, and all five of whom got in works over the local strip during the past five days. The last of that group is Peter Pan winner Arcangelo, who breezed shortly after the renovation break under regular rider Javier Castellano here Wednesday.
