ARCADIA, Calif. – Sassy Little Lila, second in the Grade 1 American Oaks here in December 2016, will have her first start for trainer Richard Mandella in what should be a competitive running of the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Sassy Little Lila was previously trained by Brad Cox and owned by Sheep Pond Partners and Michael Ryan. At the Fasig-Tipton November sale in 2017, Sassy Little Lila was listed as purchased for $600,000 by Ryan and Jeff Drown.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Ignacio Correas entered the Tampa winner’s circle Saturday with a glint in his eyes. The 58-year-old trainer hardly could have been happier with the way his stable star Dona Bruja dominated the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes. La Coronel, a Grade 1 winner, finished four lengths back in second.
“She’s an amazing mare,” Correas said of Dona Bruja.
The Grade 2 Hillsborough on March 10 is a next-out option for Dona Bruja, but Correas said he is inclined to bypass that race in favor of the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 14 at Keeneland.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Less than 48 hours after World Approval won his 6-year-old debut in what was supposed to be a prep for the $6 million Dubai Turf, trainer Mark Casse said Monday he will not be sending his 2017 turf champion overseas for the March 31 race after all.
Ridden by John Velazquez, World Approval won the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Stakes here Saturday by a half-length over Forge. He earned a 103 Beyer, marking his sixth straight race with a triple-digit figure, and went past the $3 million mark with his 12th win from 25 starts.
ARCADIA, Calif. – West Coast, the champion 3-year-old male of 2017, worked three furlongs in 36.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Sunday, the start of preparation for a spring campaign that could include the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 31.
Sunday’s workout was the first major exercise for West Coast since a second-place finish to 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27.
“It was a little maintenance drill,” trainer Bob Baffert said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Early Saturday afternoon, the champion Unique Bella won the sixth stakes of her career in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita.
For many stables, that would be the highlight of a day, a week, or even a month. For Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, it was the start of a brilliant afternoon.
A little more than an hour later, Kanthaka won his stakes debut in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs. In the next race, the maiden claimer Seau, co-owned by Hollendorfer, won a one-mile race.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Flameaway and Catholic Boy, the top two finishers Saturday in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, appear to be headed in separate directions as their connections start looking farther down the road to the 144th Kentucky Derby.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Thirty minutes after watching his Kurilov fall a neck short of winning the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf, trainer Chad Brown rebounded in a big way by sending out Elysea’s World and Dream Awhile to finish first and second, respectively, in Saturday’s $150,000 Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has been on an amazing roll this week, having won with seven of the first eight mounts he accepted during a three-day period that began when racing resumed on Wednesday. His lone loss during that span came aboard One Liner, who finished third behind Conquest Windycity and Mind Your Biscuits in Friday’s main event.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Noholdingback Bear, who defeated Mind Your Biscuits in the Gallant Bob at Parx Racing during the fall of their 3-year-old campaigns, continues to progress toward his 2018 debut after working an easy five furlongs in 59.94 seconds over a muddy track Friday. The move was the sixth, and second at five panels, for Noholdingback Bear since he returned to training earlier this winter.
