OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Coming off victories in the Gravesend and Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct in his last two starts, the Parx-based Maximus Meridius seemed a natural fit for next Saturday’s Grade 3 $175,000 Tom Fool Stakes.
But with an eye toward the Grade 2 Carter here on April 5, trainer Butch Reid wanted to give Maximus Meridius an easier race and found one in a Pennsylvania-bred allowance race Tuesday at Parx where he is the 1-5 morning-line favorite in a field of nine.
OZONE PARK, N.Y.– The prospective runners for next Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct will all be getting a class test as they make their graded stakes debut in the one-mile race.
The field is expected to be led by unbeaten New York-breds Sand Devil (3 for 3) and Sacrosanct (4 for 4), who have yet to win outside of restricted company. Several horses will be shipping here, including Normandy Coast, who is expected in from New Orleans for trainer Eddie Kenneally.
Ruidoso Downs received approval from the New Mexico State Racing Commission on Thursday to operate a meeting entirely for Quarter Horses for the first time this spring and summer, ending a tradition of a mixed meeting that included Thoroughbreds.
The track made the announcement on Wednesday. The decision comes seven months after Ruidoso Downs was forced to relocate the final weeks of its season to Albuquerque because of widespread flooding caused by runoff from local wildfires.
Santa Anita is conducting a donation drive for area fire relief on Sunday, offering a free day at the races for people who offer donations.
The track is requesting donations of non-perishable food, water, paper towels and toilet paper, diapers, pet food, and toiletries. Donations will be accepted from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the track’s parking lots. Participants will receive free admission and a program and will not be charged for parking, the track said in a recent statement.
The 10-race program begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific.
Flavien Prat, the leading rider at the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, will ride Hit Show in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 1, while Jose Ortiz, the top jockey at Fair Grounds, will ride Locked in the same race.
The bookings were confirmed on Thursday by Brad Cox, who trains Hit Show, and Aron Wellman, the managing director of the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which co-owns Locked.
Frankie Dettori will be on the move next week.
Beginning Feb. 28, Dettori will begin riding on a daily basis at Gulfstream Park for several weeks. Dettori is currently based at Santa Anita and said between races on Sunday that he will be based at Gulfstream Park before a scheduled trip to Dubai in early April.
Sandman has had just one work leading up to the Rebel on Sunday at Oaklawn, and that’s by design, according to his Hall of Fame trainer, Mark Casse.
The horse, who finished a troubled second in the Southwest in his last start Jan. 25, worked back on Feb. 9, drilling five-eighths in 1:01.40.
“That was a significant work,” Casse said. “He breezed five-eighths of a mile and galloped out three-quarters. He’s ready.
Trainer Brad Cox is hopeful Admiral Dennis will get the right kind of setup in the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes on Sunday at Oaklawn Park. The son of Constitution won an allowance last out at Fair Grounds and will be returning to stakes competition after finishing fourth in the Gun Runner in December.
