ARCADIA, Calif. – Omaha Beach, who won one of the two divisions of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 16, will return to that track for the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 13, while stablemate Extra Hope will be pointed for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6.
Trainer Richard Mandella confirmed those plans on Saturday. Omaha Beach and Extra Hope represent Mandella’s chances for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 4.
Runaway Ghost gave former jockey Todd Fincher the biggest win of his Thoroughbred training career when he won last year’s Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby.
Hustle Up will attempt to give Fincher his biggest win as a breeder when he runs in the same race Sunday.
Hustle Up earned a shot at the Sunland Derby after he defeated open company in the local prep, the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby.
Southern California-based trainer Peter Miller has leading contenders in two high-end sprint features on Sunday’s card at Oaklawn Park.
Captain Scotty looks like the controlling speed in the fifth race, an optional $40,000 claiming sprint at six furlongs that carries second-level allowance options. The horse was second at a similar condition in his last start Jan. 31 at Santa Anita. Captain Scotty dueled through a half-mile in 43.60 seconds in the slop and was beaten just three-quarters of a length in the six-furlong race, which went in a blazing 1:07.41.
Springtime is showtime for Eduardo “Lalo” Luna.
The groom behind two Triple Crown winners – American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 – Luna could again leave his mark on the upcoming classics.
Luna, who is employed by trainer Bob Baffert, has one of his top prospects in action Sunday. Chasing Yesterday, a Grade 1-winning half-sister to American Pharoah, will start in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks. The race is a stepping-stone to the Kentucky Oaks.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Owner Mick Ruis, who has campaigned Grade 1 winners Bolt d’Oro and Union Strike, said Friday that he has moved the majority of his stable to Keeneland for that track’s April meeting and plans to resume racing in California later in the spring.
ARCADIA, Calif. – In the next 10 days jockey Tyler Baze will be on the go, riding at tracks in Arkansas, New Mexico, and California. Baze has yet to form a plan for the remainder of April.
This week, Baze was booked on mounts at Oaklawn Park on Friday and Saturday, and at Sunland Park on Sunday. Next week, Baze will be at his California base to ride at Santa Anita. The track is scheduled to reopen on Friday following an investigation into a series of equine fatalities earlier this year. Santa Anita has not raced since March 3.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Synthesis, a well-beaten fourth in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 10, was sold privately earlier this week and will start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6, new trainer George Papaprodromou said Friday.
Synthesis, who has one win in nine starts, was bought by Rustin Kretz, John Decker, and Jay Selby from Big Chief Racing, Madaket Stables, Rocker O Ranch, and trainer Keith Desormeaux. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, Papaprodromou said.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After briefly considering training Espresso Shot up to the Kentucky Oaks, her connections have decided to run the New York-bred 3-year-old filly in the Grade, 2, $300,000 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct on April 6.
The Gazelle, like the Kentucky Oaks, is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns. Espresso Shot has won two straight one-turn mile stakes, including the Busher Stakes on March 9.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mind Control is under consideration for both the Wood Memorial and the Bay Shore Stakes on the April 6 card, trainer Gregg Sacco said Friday.
The Bay Shore is run at seven furlongs.
Mind Control won the Grade 1 Hopeful at seven furlongs last summer and the Jerome Stakes going a one-turn mile here on New Year’s Day. Most recently, Mind Control finished second, beaten one length, in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, also at a one-turn mile, on March 9.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After trainer Jason Servis runs Maximum Security in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, he will test the Triple Crown trail waters with two other 3-year-olds in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 6.
Servis is pointing recent Gulfstream allowance winner Final Jeopardy and recent Aqueduct maiden winner Grumps Little Tots to the Wood, Aqueduct’s fourth and final stakes for 3-year-olds that offers qualifying points to the May 4 Kentucky Derby.
