WHO’S HOT
There were no Kentucky Derby prep races last week, and fortunately, no one had a hiccup that forced him to the sidelines, so there are no changes to the Derby Watch top 20 this week in terms of the lineup and the future line of Daily Racing Form national handicapper Mike Watchmaker, who has Good Magic as the favorite at 6-1. Good Magic is scheduled to make his first start of the year Saturday in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Petrov might be heading to New York for the Grade 1, $400,000 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct on April 7.
Trainer Ron Moquett said Tuesday the race is one of two graded stakes being considered for the horse, along with the Grade 3, $250,000 Commonwealth on the same afternoon at Keeneland. Both are at seven furlongs, a distance not available at Petrov’s home base of Oaklawn. Petrov won an optional $50,000 claiming sprint at six furlongs here Feb. 18 in his first start since November.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Arkansas businessman Steve Landers and Oaklawn leading trainer Brad Cox have some decisions to make with a couple of older horses who ran big races on the same card here Feb. 19.
Leofric was second in the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap, won by Hawaakom. Leofric was making his graded stakes debut one start after a neck win in a third-level allowance Jan. 14 at Oaklawn. He earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96 in the Razorback.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn leading trainer Brad Cox plans to have starters in both stakes Saturday at Oaklawn.
He said that Golden Mischief is targeting the $125,000 Spring Fever. The 5 1/2-furlong race is for fillies and mares. Golden Mischief last raced in September and won the Flashy Lady over older rivals at Remington Park.
Golden Mischief was purchased at auction and sent to Cox by Juddmonte Farms, he said.
“We picked her up in December,” Cox said. “She’s been training really well getting ready for her 4-year-old debut.”
Rick Rogers and trainer Tim Dixon won a 21-way shake for Liam’s World, who finished second as the favorite in the first race Sunday at Oaklawn. The race winner, Queen’s Kate, also was claimed – by the former connections of Liam’s World, M & M Racing and trainer Robertino Diodoro. The claiming price for both horses was $10,000.
There have been 215 claims for $3.3 million this meet at Oaklawn.
Sprinters featured Thursday
Girvin, who won the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes last summer and the $1 million Louisiana Derby last spring, is progressing toward his 4-year-old debut, trainer Joe Sharp said.
Girvin, who peaked in the Haskell and most recently finished fifth last fall in the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park, has worked twice at owner Brad Grady’s Grand Oaks Farm in Florida. He was scheduled to breeze again early this week, Sharp said, and soon will be shipped into Sharp’s barn at Fair Grounds.
Arklow won his first start following a layoff of nearly seven months when he captured a second-level turf allowance race Saturday. Arklow got up by just a neck, but rallied from far behind a relatively slow pace while racing a distance, about 1 1/16 miles, that’s short of his best.
“I thought he ran really well,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He was ridden the way he has to be ridden, which is get him out in the middle of the track and let him do his thing. He’s a big horse with a big stride. He beat a solid group of horses, and he’s only going to get better with more distance.”
Trainer Mark Casse has another talented Fair Grounds-based 3-year-old who has come a little late to the party along the Triple Crown trail.
The Casse-trained Curlin’s Honor ran his career record to two wins from two starts, overcoming trouble and a layoff of more than four months to win a first-level allowance race Sunday. He joins the barn’s debut winner Telekinesis as clearly talented young horses under the care of assistant trainer David Carroll this winter in New Orleans.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Justify, who earned a brilliant Beyer Speed Figure of 104 with his runaway debut win Feb. 18, came back to work Monday, two days earlier than originally planned, owing to a forecast for rain in upcoming days. He went an effortless five furlongs in 1:01.40 under jockey Drayden Van Dyke, who rode him to his win.
Many options are open for Justify for his next race, including the Sunland Derby on March 25, trainer Bob Baffert said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Bolt d’Oro’s workout Monday morning at Santa Anita, his main piece of work prior to his 3-year-old debut 12 days hence in the San Felipe Stakes, was a microcosm of his preparation this winter. He started off behind and finished well.
Bolt d’Oro missed some training time earlier this meet, which caused him to skip an intended comeback race in the San Vicente. His work Monday was a demanding six-furlong move from the gate, with a gallop-out to a mile. He just needed an extra moment to get started.
