A portion of the $10 million winner’s share of the Saudi Cup purse earned by Senor Buscador last weekend went to a Saudi Arabian businessman under a two-race “lease” of the horse that also includes any earnings from the upcoming $12 million Dubai World Cup, according to the owner and breeder of the horse, Joe Peacock Jr.
Justify, the 2018 Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year, Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year, and jockeys Joel Rosario and Jorge Chavez join 13 previously nominated horses and horsemen as finalists eligible for induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, it was announced on Tuesday.
A desperate head separated victorious Senor Buscador and tough-luck runner-up Ushba Tesoro in the $20 million Saudi Cup last Saturday, and the two horses are headed for a rematch March 30 at Meydan Racecourse in the $12 million Dubai World Cup.
A report examining a cluster of fatal musculoskeletal injuries at Saratoga Race Course last year did not find any overt connections between the deaths but noted that an unusual number of the deaths were due to fetlock injuries and that many of the horses had higher rates of exercise than small numbers of control horses.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Richard Mandella's stable has been the hottest in California stakes races this winter, with chances to add to the success in coming weeks.
In Saturday’s Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita, the Mandella-trained Linda’s Gift had an ideal trip as a stalker to win the $101,500 race for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf.
Mandella has won seven stakes since the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting began on Dec. 26, one more than Phil D’Amato.
“It’s been good so far," Mandella said of the season.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Early last fall, Easter was an allowance-class runner with more losses than wins since his arrival from France in winter 2021-2022.
The equation has changed dramatically in the last four months.
Easter is unbeaten in three consecutive turf stakes since late October, a winning streak that leaves the 6-year-old gelding as the favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in his 2024 debut.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Whittington Park and Anejo, separated by a half-length in Saturday’s $100,000 Haynesfield Stakes for New York-breds, could meet again in the Grade 2, $250,000 Carter Handicap here on April 6. The Carter was downgraded from a Grade 1 beginning with this year’s running.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With a berth in the Kentucky Derby virtually assured for the winner and with no clear standout, the field for Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct could border on the maximum 14 when entries are taken Wednesday.
As of Sunday, there were 15 3-year-olds being mentioned as possible for the Gotham, a one-turn-mile race that offers 50 Derby qualifying points to the winner, typically enough to crack the 20-horse Derby field.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas apparently has an outstanding recipe for lemon muffins.
It calls for a handful of runner-up finishes in maiden special weight sprint races, then a move to two turns for a major prep for the Kentucky Oaks. After about a minute and 45 seconds on the track, the batter will produce one standout Lemon Muffin.
That was the case Saturday, when Lemon Muffin won her maiden in the Grade 3, $400,000 Honeybee at Oaklawn Park. In the process she picked up 50 points for the Kentucky Oaks.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Timberlake is on schedule to advance to another Kentucky Derby prep after initially emerging from his winning 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel at Oaklawn Park in excellent condition, trainer Brad Cox said on Sunday.
