OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Hennig was in New York on Wednesday, getting a little taste of winter as snow fell gently outside of his Belmont Park office.
Like most trainers with a talented 3-year-old, Hennig has spring in his thoughts as he plots next steps for Strike Power, impressive winner of last Saturday’s Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – California Night was scratched from last Saturday’s Grade 3 Withers Stakes where he would have been a longshot and was re-routed to this Saturday’s $150,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes where he would appear to be a better fit in a field of seven entered Wednesday for the seven-furlong feature for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Friday’s co-featured fourth race, a $52,000, second-level optional claimer at a mile, drew a field of six fillies and mares led by My Country, She Takes Heart, and the enigmatic Florida Fabulous.
My Country and She Takes Heart are coming off second-place finishes under similar conditions earlier in the meet. My Country fell a neck shy of running down Miss Kentucky while going six furlongs Jan. 19, while She Takes Heart was second to runaway winner Shar Ran at seven-eighths in her 2017 finale.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Charles “Scooter” Dickey said One Go All Go first caught his eye when finishing third, beaten just a length, behind his graded stakes winner Flatlined in an overnight stakes last summer at Ellis Park. So, when One Go All Go showed up in the Keeneland November mixed sale, Dickey was on hand to put in the final bid of $62,000 for owner Rodney Paden.
Lone Star Park’s stakes schedule for the 2018 meet, which opens April 19, is again topped by a pair of Grade 3, $200,000 races – the Steve Sexton Mile on May 6 and the Lone Star Park Handicap on May 27.
Lone Star has scheduled 11 stakes worth a total of $1 million.
Both the Steve Sexton Mile (formerly the Texas Mile) and the Lone Star Park Handicap are for 3-year-olds and up. The Lone Star Park Handicap will be run over 1 1/16 miles. Both races are being run on a Sunday.
Mobile Bay has drawn post 7 in the eight-horse Louisiana Premier Night Championship, the main event on Saturday night’s program of seven divisional statebred stakes at Delta Downs. The purse has been boosted by $20,000 to $170,000.
Mobile Bay is a millionaire coming off a win in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds. He won last year’s Premier Night Championship at Delta.
There also are several starter races on the 12-race program, which starts at 5:20 p.m. Central.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Derby Watch member Combatant worked Wednesday at Oaklawn Park as he continues preparations for the track’s Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 19.
Combatant will start as a top contender in the 1 1/16-mile race following runner-up finishes in the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn and the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Dona Bruja will have a new rider in Eclipse champion Jose Ortiz when she faces La Coronel and Ultra Brat in a terrific lineup of eight older fillies and mares in the Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Endeavour Stakes on Saturday.
“I don’t know if Jose can ride her all year, but we’re glad to have him for this,” said trainer Ignacio Correas.
Dona Bruja emerged as a major player in the filly-mare turf division last year in winning the Mint Julep and Modesty before having difficult trips to end her season in back-to-back Grade 1 races, the Beverly D. and First Lady.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Trainer Mark Casse said all systems are go with World Approval, the reigning Eclipse turf champion who will be using the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Stakes on Saturday as a prep for the $6 million Dubai Turf on March 31. John Velazquez has the return mount.
“We’re ready to get him started again,” said Casse.
