Sat, 04/14/2018 - 11:03

No immediate plans for Apple Blossom winner Unbridled Mo

Jim Dunleavy
Unique Bella in her stall Saturday after finishing second in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap on Friday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Unbridled Mo came out of her victory in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park in top shape and was walking the shed row Saturday morning at the D. Wayne Lukas barn, where Todd Pletcher’s horses have been housed for the Racing Festival of the South.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 15:26

Fire Away takes aim at Dixie Stakes

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
Fire Away was running on Aqueduct's outer turf course for the first time on Sunday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Fire Away, winner of last Sunday’s $100,000 Danger’s Hour, is likely to make his next start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Dixie Stakes on May 19 at Pimlico, trainer Shug McGaughey said.

Fire Away won the Danger’s Hour by 1 1/4 lengths over Projected. The victory was the fourth in as many starts over Aqueduct’s turf course for Fire Away, a 6-year-old son of War Front.

McGaughey said he would look to keep Fire Away in races at a mile to 1 1/16 miles. The Dixie is run at 1 1/16 miles.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 15:26

Brown barn heating up on Aqueduct turf

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer Chad Brown won six races from 10 starts opening weekend at Keeneland, including the Grade 2 Blue Grass.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After a relatively quiet winter, trainer Chad Brown’s stable has heated up with the beginning of the spring meet and the opening of the turf at Aqueduct.

In three successive days, Brown sent out horses off extended layoffs to win over the Aqueduct turf.

On Wednesday, Ticonderoga, away since last October’s Hill Prince, won a first-level allowance race by a length. He ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.95, which is the fastest race at the distance run over the outer turf course, which only opened for business last fall. Ticonderoga earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 15:20

Mizdirection Stakes draws turf sprinters from near and far

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Raucous wins the 2017 Chelsey Flower Stakes at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – They have come from all across the country to chase the $100,000 purse of the inaugural Mizdirection Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct on Sunday.

Horses based in Southern California, South Florida, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky are here for the six-furlong turf sprint named for the Southern California-based mare who twice won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and earned $1.7 million. Mizdirection finished fifth of six in the Grade 1 Just a Game, her lone start in New York.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 14:36

Dream of Summer Stakes canceled due to lack of entries

ARCADIA, Calif. – California is in need of (older) California-bred stakes runners.

For the second time this year, Santa Anita has canceled a $100,000 stakes for statebreds because of insufficient entries. The Dream of Summer Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile was scheduled for Sunday, but did not draw an adequate field when entries were taken Thursday.

In 2017, the Dream of Summer Stakes drew a field of eight. Racing secretary Rick Hammerle said the Dream of Summer will not be rescheduled.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 14:26

Abel Tasman to make 2018 debut in La Troienne

Barbara D. Livingston
Abel Tasman has not raced since the Breeders' Cup Distaff in November.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Abel Tasman, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2017, will have her 2018 debut in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 4, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Friday.

As far back as February, Baffert mentioned the $350,000 La Troienne Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares as a springtime goal for Abel Tasman, who has not raced since a second to Forever Unbridled in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar last November.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 14:26

Osare, half-sister to Arrogate, debuts Sunday

Trainer Jonathan Thomas, who sent out the highly regarded Catholic Boy to finish fourth behind Audible in the Florida Derby, will be in the spotlight at Tampa Bay Downs on Sunday when he saddles Arrogate’s younger half-sister, Osare, in the third race, a maiden special weight event carded at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 14:20

Audible impresses in first work since Florida Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Florida Derby winner Audible breezed a half-mile in 48.74 seconds Friday morning at Palm Beach Downs.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Audible, working for the first time since his impressive victory in the Grade 1 Florida Derby 13 days earlier, breezed an easy half-mile in 48.74 seconds Friday morning at Palm Beach Downs. Audible was one of two of trainer Todd Pletcher’s four potential Kentucky Derby starters to work at the training center Friday along with Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 13:26

Four Ellis Park turf stakes to lead into Kentucky Downs meet

Officials at Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs announced Friday that four turf stakes worth as much as $100,000 apiece will be run on a new Kentucky Downs Preview Day, Aug. 5, at Ellis in western Kentucky.

The purse for each race will be $75,000, with another $25,000 in bonuses available to registered Kentucky-breds. Funded by Kentucky Downs through its lucrative historical-racing machine business, the Preview races are designed as preps for the rich Kentucky Downs meet, which runs Sept. 1-13.

Fri, 04/13/2018 - 13:20

Sunday card features three allowance races

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Eight Town earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for this victory Thursday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – With only three stakes left at the 16-day Keeneland spring meet following the big Jenny Wiley card here Saturday, allowance races will serve as the features on most remaining cards. That’s the case Sunday, when three allowances will anchor a nine-race program that starts at 1:05 p.m. Eastern.