HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Saturday’s $75,000 Roar Stakes should be a good one. The field of eight 3-year-olds includes Gladiator King, upset winner of the Grade 3 Hutcheson on March 23, and Garter and Tie, who turns back in distance after finishing 10th in the Florida Derby. Other key contenders include Jackson, winner of Tampa Bay Downs Sophomore Stakes in his most recent start; the speedy and much-improved Bronzed, exiting a pair of wire-to-wire victories at the same seven-furlong distance of the Roar; and Promo Code, a winner of his only start and trained by Todd Pletcher.
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DRF Past Performances
The decision by Mike Smith and his agent, Brad Pegram, to ride Omaha Beach in the Kentucky Derby instead of their other enticing choice Roadster was reached on Tuesday, three days after Omaha Beach won the Arkansas Derby.
Smith’s decision unleashed a domino effect, including Florent Geroux picking up the mount on Roadster. But to even get to that point, a series of events took place, some of Smith’s choosing, many not, that would be a case study for chaos theory, how random events can yield unpredictable, unforeseen results.
Amy’s Challenge, who established herself as one of the top sprinters this winter at Oaklawn, is now based in Kentucky and is pointing for the Grade 1, $500,000 Humana Distaff on May 4 at Churchill Downs, trainer Mac Robertson said Wednesday.
Amy’s Challenge won back-to-back sprint stakes for fillies and mares at Oaklawn by a combined 14 lengths before shipping to Keeneland and finishing second by a neck in the Grade 1 Madison on April 6. She had her first work back Wednesday, going a half-mile in 48 seconds.
Quip returned to the track Wednesday following his Saturday win in the Grade 2, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap.
“He looked bright,” said trainer Rodolphe Brisset. “I was real happy with him. It was a good day.”
Brisset said Quip was flown to Keeneland, where he will now be based, following his Saturday win. He said the horse may be nominated to the Grade 3, $300,000 Pimlico Special on May 17, while another possibility is the Grade 2, $600,000 Stephen Foster on June 15 at Churchill Downs.
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.