Overnight purses will increase at the forthcoming Santa Anita spring and Los Alamitos summer meetings.
Santa Anita’s spring meeting runs from April 18 to June 15. The Los Alamitos summer meeting begins a three-week season on June 20. Both tracks will have higher prize money than the corresponding meetings in 2024.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The sun will not be shining bright on the old Kentucky home as Keeneland opens its spring meet Friday. The early focus will still be on the sophomores looking to run through April showers to May flowers.
The Maryland Jockey Club announced changes to its condition book that will take effect in May. Among the changes, a new state-restricted maiden special weight condition will be added to Laurel cards, while prices for various claiming conditions will be adjusted.
“We’re of the position that we’re going to try things,” Bill Knauf, president and general manager of TMJC, said Tuesday. “If they don’t work, then they don’t work, but we’d rather try it than not try it and see how it progresses.”
The eighth race on Monday at Parx Racing was declared a no contest when a loose horse running in the wrong direction had to be caught in the stretch. Thanks to the heroics of outriders Filemon Gonzalez and Facundo Vaio, as well as jockey Frankie Pennington, no one was seriously harmed in the incident.
Turning for home with a short lead, Pennington’s first thought was that his horse, Showtime Matinee, had plenty left for the stretch run. That thought was immediately interrupted by blaring sirens, flashing lights, and the sight of three horses barreling toward him.
Post Time recorded his first timed workout of the 2025 season on Saturday, running three furlongs in 37 seconds flat at Fair Hill Training Center. The graded stakes winner is nominated for several races in April, but trainer Brittany Russell said that he’s still working his way back.
“He’s not quite ready, and we’re at the stage where we’re going to nominate everywhere,” Russell said. “When I find myself ready to nail down a start, we will.”
Seven 3-year-olds, including Grade 1 winners Chancer McPatrick and East Avenue, were entered Tuesday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
The entire field for the 1 1/8-mile contest, from the rail out and with riders, is River Thames (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Render Judgment (Sheldon Russell), Burnham Square (Brian Hernandez Jr.), Owen Almighty (Jose Ortiz), East Avenue (Luan Machado), Chancer McPatrick (Flavien Prat), and Admiral Dennis (Luis Saez).
ELMONT, N.Y. - Captain Cook, among the favorites for Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, worked a half-mile in 48.22 seconds Tuesday morning over the Belmont Park training track.
Under jockey Manny Franco, Captain Cook went in splits of 12.15 seconds, 23.90, and came home his final quarter in 24.32 over a track rated good. With the Wood four days away, Captain Cook was not asked to gallop out.
“Looked like he was just galloping along,” trainer Rick Dutrow said. ”[Franco] said he’s ready.”
Woodbine’s 2025 stakes schedule, released on Monday, revealed that the Grade 1 Canadian International will return from a hiatus and will be switched to the inner turf along with three Grade 1 stakes while the main course undergoes extensive renovations beginning in late summer.
A field of eight fillies was entered Monday for the Grade 1, $750,000 Ashland Stakes, the opening-day feature on Friday at Keeneland and one of the final major Kentucky Oaks prep races.
From the rail out, the field for the Ashland is Look Forward, La Cara, Supa Speed, Muhimma, Running Away, Take Charge Milady, Amarth, and Admit. They are chasing points toward a spot in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday has an expected field of five, led by the division champion of 2024, plus the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
The small field will affect the number of qualifying points available for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3.
