Sat, 03/17/2018 - 12:37

Audible among four Florida Derby contenders putting in works

Barbara D. Livingston
Audible earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure in winning the Holy Bull on Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Saturday was a busy morning throughout the state of Florida for 3-year-olds pointing for the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 31. Four potential starters were on the work tabs at three different venues, including Holy Bull winner Audible, Fountain of Youth winner Promises Fulfilled, and Catholic Boy, the runner-up in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs this winter.

Sat, 03/17/2018 - 11:36

Diamond King scratched from Private Terms with fever

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Diamond King won the seven-furlong Heft Stakes at Laurel on Dec. 30.

Diamond King was scratched from the $100,000 Private Terms at Laurel Park on Saturday after spiking a fever, according to trainer John Servis.

A promising 3-year-old son of Quality Road, Diamond King was purchased for $235,000 as a 2-year-old last May by the Cash Is King Stable of Chuck Zacney. His ownership group now also includes the DJ Stable of Leonard Green and the LC Racing of Glenn Bennett.

"It's not bad," Servis said of the fever, "but I told Chuck that if we send him to Laurel, he probably isn't going to run good, and the race will take a lot out of him."

Fri, 03/16/2018 - 15:26

Givemeaminit joins cast for Louisiana Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Givemeaminit (#7) finished third in the Grade 1 Hopeful on closing day at Saratoga.

Add Givemeaminit’s name to the list of horses who were likely to be entered Saturday for the March 24 Louisiana Derby, trainer Dallas Stewart said Friday.

Givemeaminit was third, beaten a neck, in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes last summer and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall. Stewart added blinkers for a romping Louisiana-bred maiden win in which Givemeaminit kept up with a solid sprint pace, but the Star Guitar colt had no speed in the Feb. 17 Risen Star Stakes and finished eighth in a race where almost no passing took place.

Fri, 03/16/2018 - 15:20

Jockeys Mena, Clark injured in spill

Coady Photography
Miguel Mena will be sidelined at least four weeks with a collarbone fracture sustained on Sunday at Ellis Park.

Miguel Mena, the leading rider with 55 wins at the Fair Grounds meet entering Friday’s races, could be out of action for as long as six months after breaking his right ankle and heel in a three-horse accident in Thursday’s eighth race.

Fri, 03/16/2018 - 15:20

Forever Unbridled superb in work for Dubai World Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Forever Unbridled wins the Breeders' Cup Distaff on Nov. 3 to secure an Eclipse Award.

Forever Unbridled had her final Fair Grounds workout for the March 31 Dubai World Cup on Thursday, and trainer Dallas Stewart couldn’t be more pleased about it.

Forever Unbridled’s five-furlong time of 59.60 seconds sparkles on the surface, but it was how the mare went about her business that so encouraged Stewart. Forever Unbridled ran her final quarter-mile in a fast 23 seconds and galloped out with good energy, Stewart said.

Fri, 03/16/2018 - 15:16

Honeybee's top three bound for Fantasy

Coady Photography
Cosmic Burst earned 50 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks for her win in the Honeybee.

Cosmic Burst, Amy’s Challenge, and Sassy Sienna – the first three finishers in the Grade 3, $200,000 Honeybee on March 10 at Oaklawn – are all bound for the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy on April 13 at Oaklawn.

Cosmic Burst picked up 50 points for the Kentucky Oaks with her win in the Honeybee. She won by 1 3/4 lengths over Amy’s Challenge, a multiple stakes winner who was making her two-turn debut. Cosmic Burst earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 84.

Fri, 03/16/2018 - 15:16

Stakes likely next for Exclamation Point

Coady Photography
Exclamation Point, who is unbeaten in two starts, could make his stakes debut in his next start.

Exclamation Point, the undefeated half-brother to champion Classic Empire, has a couple of stakes options for his next start, trainer Brad Cox said Wednesday.

Cox said Exclamation Point could run next in either the Grade 3, $200,000 Lexington on April 14 at Keeneland or the $150,000 Northern Spur the same day at Oaklawn.

“We won’t have any decisions until April,” Cox said.

Exclamation Point won his debut Feb. 3 at Oaklawn, winning a maiden special weight sprint. He made the move to two turns March 3 and won a first-level allowance at a mile at Oaklawn.

Fri, 03/16/2018 - 15:08

Dream Tree off Oaks trail with injury

Barbara D. Livingston
Dream Tree exited a March 7 workout with an unspecified injury that will keep her out of the Kentucky Oaks.

The unbeaten Dream Tree, one of the top 3-year-old fillies in the country, will miss the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs after emerging from her most-recent work at Santa Anita with a minor injury, trainer Bob Baffert said Friday morning.

Dream Tree “came out of her last work with a little issue,” said Baffert, who declined to be specific about the setback, but said it was “just a little thing, not that big a deal.”

Dream Tree last worked on March 7 at Santa Anita, when she went a half-mile in 48.80 seconds.

Fri, 03/16/2018 - 15:06

Asmussen, Lukas, Pletcher have Sunland Derby hopefuls

Trainers Steve Asmussen, D. Wayne Lukas, and Todd Pletcher are all pointing horses to the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 25. The race is the richest of the Sunland Park meet and will anchor a program of seven stakes, including the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks.

The card will be drawn Wednesday.

The Sunland Derby, at 1 1/8 miles, is a Kentucky Derby qualifier, with the first four finishers earning points on a scale of 50-20-10-5.

Fri, 03/16/2018 - 15:00

McKinzie, Justify to go separate ways

Barbara D. Livingston
McKinzie (inside) is expected to stay home for the Santa Anita Derby, setting up a rematch with Bolt d'Oro.

McKinzie will remain at Santa Anita for the Santa Anita Derby on April 7, while Justify will go to Oaklawn for the Arkansas Derby on April 14, trainer Bob Baffert said Friday.

Baffert is known to call audibles, but on Friday he said “as of today” that was the plan with his two highly regarded Kentucky Derby prospects.

McKinzie was disqualified from victory in the San Felipe Stakes on March 10 in favor of Bolt d’Oro. The Santa Anita Derby thus sets up as a rematch between those two, since Bolt d’Oro is also intended for the Santa Anita Derby.