HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – At this time last year, Dale Romans was trying to sort out a half-dozen of his 3-year-olds as he looked down the Kentucky Derby trail. He would wind up with a couple of distant also-rans in the rain-soaked race that catapulted Justify to Triple Crown glory, and now Romans is back, hoping for better results.
There will be a carryover of $19,376 in the pick six and a carryover of $38,520 in the NYRA Bets pick five for Thursday at Aqueduct. However, that card is in jeopardy of cancellation if the midrange weather forecast is correct.
The weather folks are calling for a high temperature of 15 degrees Thursday, with wind chills below zero. If that forecast is accurate, it is unlikely that racing will be conducted.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Rye may have a familiar campaign in the coming months following his win in the $200,702 Unusual Heat Turf Classic at Santa Anita on Saturday for the second consecutive year.
Last spring, Rye was fifth in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles in March and third in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano at about 1 3/4 miles on turf in April in his first two starts after the Turf Classic. On Sunday, trainer William Morey said the $200,000 San Luis Rey Stakes on March 23 is a likely destination for Rye.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux joined an elite group of riders on Sunday, winning his 6,000th race in North America aboard X S Gold in the first race at Santa Anita.
Desormeaux, 48, reached the milestone win in dramatic fashion. Sent off favored, X S Gold ($7.20) closed from eighth in a field of 10 to win by a head over Madaket Sunset.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Victor Espinoza is targeting a return to riding in early February after recently receiving clearance from doctors to resume working horses.
Espinoza, who has not ridden since July because of a spinal injury, worked horses at Santa Anita on Saturday and Sunday. Espinoza sought additional opinions from doctors regarding his recovery in recent weeks.
“I’m good,” Espinoza said between workouts Sunday. “They all decided I’m good and ready to go back to work.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Chad Brown reported Sunday that Bricks and Mortar came out of his impressive victory in Saturday’s inaugural Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf in good order and could have the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs as his next major goal.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – World of Trouble was assigned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure for his 2 3/4-length victory in Saturday's off-the-turf Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint and continues to broaden his options for Jason Servis, who trains the speedy 4-year-old colt for the partnership of Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables.
“He did come out of the race a little tired,” Servis said Sunday morning. “I don’t know where we’ll run next, since we’ve got plenty of spots.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – City of Light and Accelerate are off to stud at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky now, their racing careers having come to a close in the Pegasus World Cup on Saturday here at Gulfstream Park. Both emerged from the race well their trainers said on a breezy, chilly Sunday morning when they looked back at the Pegasus and all that came before for their star horses.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Divine Miss Grey, a five-time stakes winner in 2018, is nearing her first workout of the year as she prepares for her 5-year-old season, which is likely to start in the $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational at Aqueduct on March 10. Divine Miss Grey won last year’s Heavenly Prize by 6 3/4 lengths.
“That’s probably the most likely spot for her to run,” trainer Danny Gargan said.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The complexion of the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 2 changed significantly this week when the connections of the multiple stakes-winning Mind Control said they would skip the race to await the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes on March 9.
