The Jockey Club of Canada’s Graded Stakes Committee recently held its annual review of graded and listed stakes races in Canada without making many changes. The number of graded stakes in Canada will remain at 41. One graded stakes was downgraded and one listed race was upgraded.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Banishing, who is at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai preparing for a start in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile on March 28, has been able to train without incident since the recent start of the war in Iran, according to his Oaklawn-based trainer, David Jacobson.
Banishing, a Grade 2 winner of more than $2.4 million, traveled to Saudi Arabia last month and ran eighth in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 14. Jacobson said the horse then took a short flight of “less than two hours” to Meydan Racecourse and has since been there preparing for the Godolphin Mile.
Friday’s program at Santa Anita will start with a carryover of $45,602 in the $2 pick six.
Wins by Violences Ohr ($54) in Sunday’s sixth race and Clarina ($56.80) in the eighth race clinched the carryover. The carryover was announced after Clarina’s win, with one remaining on the program.
Friday’s pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific.
The pick six races on Friday have fields of 6, 9, 7, 6, 9 and 9 before scratches, which will be announced on Friday morning.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Westwood’s speed has defined his career, and could lead to his first Grade 1 win in coming days.
Last April, Westwood finished third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby as a maiden after disputing the pace. He won a maiden race from the front at Del Mar last August in his sixth start, and his first stakes in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on Jan. 31 by leading throughout.
INDIANTOWN, Fla. - Watching from afar while growing up, before becoming a trainer, Brad Cox said he used to follow races like the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby with great interest.
“I looked forward to that stuff as a kid growing up, reading the newspaper and (checking to see) who may run,” Cox said. “Watching Nick Zito and D. Wayne Lukas and now to be a part of that is kind of like a dream true. To be successful in those races means a lot.”
INDIANTOWN, Fla. - It must be nice to run arguably the fastest horse in training on a Saturday afternoon and come back Sunday morning and work the reigning Horse of the Year.
“Yeah, we’re pretty fortunate,” trainer Bill Mott said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Grade 1 winner Brant is in, and Grade 1 winner Intrepido is out of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes next weekend at Santa Anita.
Brant worked a solo five furlongs in :59.80 Sunday morning, after which trainer Bob Baffert said he planned to enter the colt in the San Felipe on March 7. It will be Brant’s first start since he finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Oct. 31.
Literate tallied her second consecutive stakes victory at Turfway Park in dominant fashion on Saturday night, rolling to a 10 3/4-length score in the $125,000 Wintergreen Stakes and earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 95.
The late-running Literate ($2.94), sent away favored, got a solid setup in the Wintergreen, a one-mile race for fillies and mares. Wrigleyville wasn’t posting scorching fractions, but got pressure throughout with Stylish Sue on her hip through the opening stages, posting the half-mile in 46.87 seconds on the Tapeta.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Horses are creatures of habit and the millionaire Quietside and her trainer, John Ortiz, have developed a “harmonious” training routine as she prepares for the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri on March 7 at Oaklawn.
Ortiz, a former exercise rider, has started regularly galloping Quietside.
“We stand at the quarter pole every morning and we put on a few tunes on my I-phone,” Ortiz said.
