ARCADIA, Calif. – If he makes the Kentucky Derby, the even-tempered colt Journalism will not be intimidated by a crowd of more than 150,000. That is the opinion of jockey Umberto Rispoli, who worked Journalism an easy half-mile in 48.20 seconds last Sunday. The work was Journalism’s first since his highly rated win in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 1 at Santa Anita.
Who’s Hot
American Promise is hot, in theory. He crushed the Virginia Derby and has earned 55 qualifying points, which virtually guarantees a Kentucky Derby berth. But the reality is American Promise defeated a second-tier field in an ungraded stakes around one turn at Colonial Downs, which hardly makes him a bona fide Kentucky Derby contender. For now, the Virginia Derby merely puts American Promise on the Derby Watch Top 20 as a marginal candidate. American Promise opens at 30-1 by Daily Racing Form linemaker David Aragona.
NEW ORLEANS – It rarely fails. Have more than a cursory conversation with Kenny McPeek about good horses under his care and he’ll probably mention the outline of a plan literally no other American Thoroughbred trainer would consider. Take Maximum Promise. A standard-issue conversation about the colt’s development and chances Saturday in the Jeff Ruby Steaks suddenly took a turn.
“He is pre-nominated to the English Derby, too.”
Say what?
Owen Almighty, impressive winner of the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 8, will be pointed to the Kentucky Derby and will use the Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 5 to get there, trainer Brian Lynch said Tuesday.
Jose Ortiz will ride Owen Almighty in the Blue Grass, Lynch said. He replaces Irad Ortiz Jr., who is committed to ride Fountain of Youth runner-up River Thames in the Blue Grass, trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed.
Journalism, the 3-year-old colt who produced a 108 Beyer Speed Figure when winning the recent San Felipe Stakes, ended up as the 5-1 favorite in the fifth Kentucky Derby Future Wager when the pool closed on Sunday night.
Journalism, who has had one start this year and is targeting the Santa Anita Derby as his final prep, had been tabbed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the pool. Sovereignty, the recent winner of the Fountain of Youth, wound up as the second choice at 7-1, with Citizen Bull the third choice (9-1) and the entry of “all other 3-year-olds” at 10-1.
LAS VEGAS - Dan Piazza, a wealth management adviser from Chicago, led all three days en route to winning the 2025 National Horseplayers Championship at Horseshoe Las Vegas on Sunday.
Piazza won $825,000 in first-place money.
The NHC tournament format has players attempt to earn the highest possible bankroll based on mythical $2 win-place wagers. On Friday, each of the 623 players, totaling 800 entries, wagered on 16 races, including six mandatory races, from eight tracks around the country.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Richard Baltas may be the person most surprised by the three-race winning streak compiled by the turf mare Lady Claypoole in the last seven weeks.
Lady Claypoole, who races for the Abbondanza Racing partnership and Omar Aldabbagh, won her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Santa Ana Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita on Saturday. Earlier this year, she won consecutive allowance races at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Jan. 25 and Feb. 9.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Straight No Chaser, the champion sprinter of 2024 and the winner of the Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia last month, worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on Sunday in advance of the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint on April 5.
California-based trainer Dan Blacker flew to Dubai for the workout. Blacker said in a phone interview that Straight No Chaser galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.20.
“He was in hand,” Blacker said. “He’s doing good. He shipped from Saudi Arabia and is in good shape.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The connections of Bank Frenzy, who won his third consecutive race when he captured the Stymie Stakes on March 1, appear to have picked out two one-mile races for their 5-year-old New York-bred gelding’s next two starts.
Bank Frenzy will return to statebred competition in the $125,000 Haynesfield Stakes on April 6, followed by a planned start in the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester Stakes on May 4. After that, Bank Frenzy could stretch back out to 1 1/8 miles in the Commentator Stakes at Saratoga on June 4.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The 3-year-old T Kraft, who ran his winning streak to three with a neck victory in Saturday’s $125,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes, could make his next start in the $150,000 Bay Shore Stakes here on April 19, trainer Bill Mott said Sunday.
