Gray Magician, the runner-up in the Group 2 United Arab Emirates Derby in Dubai on March 30, worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in California on Saturday in preparation for the Kentucky Derby on May 4.
Gray Magician worked “nice and easy” and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01, trainer Peter Miller said. This was Gray Magician’s first workout since he returned to California from the trip to the Middle East.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Shortly after Game Winner finished off a sharp drill on Saturday morning here at Santa Anita, his work coming a little more than an hour after Roadster also worked impressively, their trainer, Bob Baffert, turned to his wife, Jill, and said, "I'm having a good day, honey."
Then he did a jig. He's dancing his way to the Kentucky Derby.
Arizona Downs, which begins its inaugural season May 24 in Prescott Valley at the old Yavapai Downs, announced that veteran announcer Michael Wrona will be behind the microphone.
The 53-year-old Australian has announced at Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Fields, Arlington Park, Retama, Lone Star Park, Fair Grounds, Los Alamitos, Turf Paradise, the Sonoma and Fresno fair meets in Northern California, Hollywood Park, and Santa Anita.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita announced on Friday that purses will increase $10,000 for all non-stakes races for a six-week period beginning April 26, a hike funded through existing excess funds in the purse account and monies from the track’s parent company, The Stronach Group.
The announcement came hours after track executives said that racing on five Thursdays would be eliminated because of a horse shortage – April 25 and the first four Thursdays next month – May 2, 9, 16, and 23. There was no racing scheduled for Thursday, May 30, on the original racing calendar.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Law Abidin Citizen, the winner of the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on March 31, is switching surfaces and traveling for his next start.
Trainer Mark Glatt said on Friday that Law Abidin Citizen is being pointed for the $500,000 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 4, the same day as the Kentucky Derby.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Bellafina, who will be favored in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 3, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds at Santa Anita on Friday, her first major exercise since she won the Santa Anita Oaks on April 6.
Ridden by jockey Flavien Prat, Bellafina worked alone and galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.80, according to trainer Simon Callaghan. Bellafina completed the last furlong in 11.43 seconds, according to Callaghan. Bellafina was well within herself through the stretch.
“She’s fit and ready,” Callaghan said. “You want everything to go smoothly.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita has eliminated the next five Thursdays from the racing schedule in light of a reduction in race-ready horses in Southern California.
Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, the track’s parent company, said on Friday that Santa Anita will race Fridays through Sundays for the next four weeks. The track is scheduled to race Friday, May 24, through Monday, May 27 on the week of Memorial Day. Racing was not scheduled for Thursday, May 30, when the original calendar was published.
HALLANDALE BEACH, FLA. – Gulfstream Park general manager Bill Badgett said track stewards have suspended jockey Paco Lopez for 60 racing days for his ride aboard Itsmyluckycharm, who was disqualified from first for interfering with several other horses entering the stretch in last Sunday’s finale. Lopez had been handed a 30-day suspension for his ride earlier in the meet that resulted in serious injury to apprentice Romero Maragh.
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – On May 4, trainer Todd Pletcher will have to beat 18 other 3-year-olds with Cutting Humor and Spinoff to win the Kentucky Derby. On Friday morning, he only needed them to beat Mother Nature, a feat the two Derby contenders narrowly pulled off when getting in important five-furlong works just as moderate to heavy rain began to fall over the Palm Beach Downs training center shortly before dawn.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With the countdown toward Kentucky Derby day relentlessly ticking on, and poor weather looming on the radar, War of Will was one of the first horses on the track Friday morning at Keeneland to work a sharp five furlongs in company in 1:00.20.
