RACE 6: After romping in her debut on the dirt, VENGANZA went to the sidelines following a troubled fifth in last year’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks. The daughter of 12 percent turf sire Curlin is out of a Grade 1-winning grass expert and is sent out by hot trainer Richard Mandella, who has solid numbers with long-term comebackers. RUGELACH won three of her last four, prevailing most recently when turning back from a mile to six furlongs. She should be the dominant speed.
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RACE 8: MILLIAT just missed to future Ginger Brew Stakes winner Ozara in her debut on this side of the pond when making just her second career start in the Wait a While Stakes. The Irish-bred has worked four times since then, and accomplished European rider Oisin Murphy takes over. LIFE’S AN AUDIBLE was a wide second in the Ginger Brew in her first start since a five-length loss in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
GP RACE 10: R HARPER ROSE won her first three starts with ease before a front-running second on the stretch-out to 1 1/16 miles in the final leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series for fillies. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has favorable numbers with turnbacks, and this one has been working right along. SCALABLE dusted maidens here a month ago in her first outing since ending up fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Saturday marks the first big coast-to-coast day of early-season 3-year-old racing, and two of the division’s fastest, Fierceness and Nysos, make their first start of 2023.
They can’t be played at the expected miniscule odds, but neither can Fierceness in the Holy Bull nor Nysos in the Robert Lewis be easily opposed. One might imagine Nysos as the more vulnerable favorite since he tries two turns for the first time, but if you watched him dispose of the solid older horse Reincarnate in a recent team workout, you’d be hard-pressed to bet against Nysos.
Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed. Click here for a complete archive.
Speak Easy
Jan. 27, 2nd race Gulfstream, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 100
7 furlongs 1:21.96 – 1st by 1 3/4 lengths
b.c.3, Constitution – Fun, by Harlan’s Holiday
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: None
Owner: Siena Farm and WinStar Farm
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: WinStar Farm
PRINCIP
Trainer: Mark Glatt
Last race: Jan. 26, 5th
Finish: 1st by 3 1/4
Beyer: 81
Hammered to even money in $20k claiming N3L sprint, front-runner smoked his rivals gate to wire. Effort was better than the figure. He can repeat in unrestricted claiming sprint.
By Declan Schuster
Zac Purton has won every big race available in Hong Kong – nearly.
The HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) is the only major Hong Kong contest to elude Purton and this Sunday (4 February) at Sha Tin he rides Helene Feeling in a bid to complete the set.
“I’ve always focused on trying to win the Derby and put more importance on a horse that has a little bit more stamina who would be able to peak on the big day and overlooked the Classic Mile,” Purton said.