OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In addition to bringing Tax to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, trainer Danny Gargan will bring along Divine Miss Grey for the Grade 1, $500,000 La Troienne on the May 3 Kentucky Oaks card.
On Wednesday, Divine Miss Grey worked a half-mile in 48.01 seconds over the Belmont Park training track, galloping out five furlongs in 1:01 57 and six furlongs in 1:15.49.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Come Dancing, the dominant winner of the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct on April 5, will make her next start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park on May 5, her connections confirmed Wednesday.
Come Dancing was also being considered for the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 4.
The Ruffian, a one-turn-mile race, could be a stepping-stone to the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, a one-turn 1 1/16-mile race at Belmont on Belmont Stakes Day, June 8.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It was always the plan for World of Trouble to return to turf for his next start. It’s just going to happen earlier than anticipated.
World of Trouble, who won the Grade 1 Carter on dirt at Aqueduct on April 6, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs on the undercard of the Kentucky Oaks program May 3, trainer Jason Servis said Wednesday.
Servis said owner Mike Dubb thought waiting nine weeks for the Grade 1 Jaipur at Belmont on June 8 might be more time than necessary for World of Trouble.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Campaign won his first stakes in Sunday’s Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at 1 1/2 miles, and will remain in distance stakes into summer.
Trainer John Sadler said Wednesday that Campaign will be pointed for the Grade 2 Brooklyn Invitational at 1 1/2 miles on dirt at Belmont Park on June 8.
Owned by Woodford Racing, Campaign started on consecutive weekends earlier this month, finishing fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap on April 6 before winning the Tokyo City Cup eight days later.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The Grade 1 stakes winners Marley’s Freedom and McKinzie, both finalists for Eclipse Awards in 2018, will be part of trainer Bob Baffert’s team of stakes runners at Churchill Downs on the first weekend of May.
McKinzie, second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on April 6, will start in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes on May 3, a $400,000 race run at 1 1/16 miles. Baffert said on Wednesday that the Alysheba Stakes is designed as a prep for the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 8.
“That’s our main goal,” he said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Mike Maker has three of the 10 older horses – Soglio, Bigger Picture, and Zulu Alpha – in the Saturday feature, the Grade 2, $250,000 Elkhorn. Maker has two wins in the Elkhorn, with Dark Cove (2013) and Da Big Hoss (2016).
From the hedge, this is the field for the 1 1/2-mile turf race: Vettori Kin, Hunter O’Riley, Leitone, Soglio, Canessar, Tiz a Slam, Bigger Picture, Red Knight, Final Copy, Zulu Alpha.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Ignacio Correas said the decision to scratch Blue Prize as the likely favorite from the Grade 3, $100,000 Doubledogdare on Friday at Keeneland in favor of the Grade 1, $500,000 La Troienne on May 3 at Churchill was made for several reasons.
“First of all, we’d like to get another Grade 1 for her,” said Correas, referring to her victory here last fall in the Spinster. “And she loves Churchill. Also, Monomoy Girl isn’t running in the La Troienne, and the Doubledogdare looks tougher than a normal Grade 3.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – The California Horse Racing Board has filed a complaint against trainer William Morey, alleging that a member of his staff administered a substance containing an alkalizing agent to two horses in the hours before they were scheduled to start on March 29 at Santa Anita.
The stewards at Santa Anita have scheduled a hearing in the case for May 2. The hearing could lead to a fine and/or suspension against Morey, pending testimony and a decision by stewards.
