Linda Rice’s domination of Aqueduct’s winter meet hit a crescendo Thursday when she won five races on the eight-race card, with her trainees finishing first and second in two of those events.
Rice, who did not have runners in the other three races on the card, was owner or co-owner of four of those winners.
It was the second time Rice won five races on a single Aqueduct card. On April 4, 2024, Rice went 5 for 5 there.
Jockeys Umberto Rispoli, the current leader at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, and Mirco Demuro, tied for sixth in the standings through Monday, are riding out of state on Saturday.
Rispoli is booked on five mounts at Santa Anita on Friday and has three stakes mounts for trainer Phil D’Amato on the Pegasus World Cup program at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, including Unconquerable Keen in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint. Unconquerable Keen won the Stormy Liberal Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar in his last start on Nov. 30.
Splendora, who ended her 2025 season with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar in November, is on schedule to start in the Grade 2 D. Wayne Lukas Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 7, trainer Bob Baffert said recently.
The Feb. 7 card is the leading program of the month at Santa Anita, a day with five stakes.
Splendora worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds at Santa Anita last Saturday, her fourth workout since late December. Owned by Michael Talla, Splendora has won 5 of 10 starts and earned $860,800.
The Grade 1 winners Brant and Subsanador had workouts at Santa Anita in recent days, the beginning of comebacks for starts in coming months.
Brant, the winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs in September, worked three furlongs in 37.80 seconds on Thursday, his first major exercise since a third-place finish by 1 1/2 lengths as the 8-5 second choice in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Oct. 31.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office announced that he has “activated state emergency response resources” because of the threat of severe winter weather in some areas on Friday.
Sam Houston puts on its richest card of the meet, the Houston Racing Festival, on Saturday afternoon. Right now, the forecast in the area is not threatening the card, according to track executive Bryan Pettigrew.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One horse conspicuous by his absence when Saturday’s $175,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint was drawn on Sunday, although for good reason, was Grade 2 winner Reef Runner.
Trainer David Fawkes had originally planned on bringing Reef Runner back in the Turf Sprint following his one-length victory in the Janus Stakes on Dec. 20. The performance capped off a huge 2025 campaign during which Reef Runner also won the Grade 2 Eddie D at Santa Anita and finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Strategic Risk, the winner of both the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn and the In Reality division of the Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park, worked Wednesday at Oaklawn and remains on course for a start in the Southwest, trainer Mark Casse said.
The Grade 3, $1 million Southwest carries points for the Kentucky Derby. It will be run Jan. 31 and entries will be taken on Sunday.
Strategic Risk worked five furlongs on a track rated good in 1:02.40.
Trainer Brad Cox, who seems flush with 3-year-old prospects this year, is pointing impressive maiden winner Cannoneer to the Grade 3, $250,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 31, and Commandment, winner of the Mucho Macho Man Stakes, to the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28.
Cannoneer, a son of Into Mischief, won a seven-furlong maiden race by 7 1/4 lengths on Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs, earning a 90 Beyer. That was his second career start after he finished third going 5 1/2 furlongs in his debut at Churchill on June 1.
Nitrogen, an Eclipse Award finalist for champion 3-year-old filly of 2025, will start her 4-year-old season a month earlier than anticipated if she continues to work as sharply as she has of late, trainer Mark Casse said Wednesday.
Nitrogen, who was freshened after running second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November, was targeting a return in the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri on March 7 at Oaklawn. However, those plans changed after she breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 at the Hot Springs, Ark., track on Jan. 17.
