HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jockey Juan C. Diaz suffered three fractured ribs while Albin Jimenez escaped serious injury in a main-track spill in the ninth race at Gulfstream on Sunday, according to agent Roger Velez, who is close friends with Diaz.
It was the fourth spill here over a span of just six racing days.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Preceding the Pegasus, seven supporting stakes are slated for a very busy Saturday undercard.
Four of the supporting stakes are Grade 3 events. Here is a quick look at those races (entries taken on Wednesday):
$200,000 W.L. McKnight: Bullards Alley was on a van Monday en route from New Orleans as one of two Grade 1 winners likely for this 1 1/2-mile turf race, joining locally based Bigger Picture. Other probables include Money Multiplier, Oscar Nominated, Infinite Wisdom, and at least a few more.
Catholic Boy had a second breeze since his 4 3/4-length victory in the Dec. 2 Remsen when going a half-mile in 48.20 seconds Saturday at the Bridlewood training center in Ocala.
Trainer Jonathan Thomas intends to ship Catholic Boy to Tampa this weekend for another workout, along with schooling sessions in the paddock and starting gate.
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World of Trouble likely will run back in at least one of the two upcoming Kentucky Derby preps at Tampa Bay Downs after the Florida-bred colt earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in winning the Pasco Stakes in near-record time Saturday at the Oldsmar, Fla., track.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Due to the quarantine on her Belmont Park barn, trainer Linda Rice has had to scratch several horses in the last two weeks.
On Friday, she will have to scratch Just Got Out from the second-level allowance feature at Aqueduct, but for a good reason. Just Got Out is no longer eligible for that condition after recording a neck victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s first three wins of 2018 came within a two-hour span at Aqueduct on Saturday when Benevolence broke a 14-race losing streak in a New York-bred allowance race, followed later on the card by impressive first-level allowance wins by Spieth and Westwood.
Westwood, a 4-year-old gelding by Bernardini out of the two-time champion mare Ashado, won a first-level allowance race by 2 3/4 lengths, running 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.83 and earning a 104 Beyer Speed Figure.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Following last Saturday’s three-win afternoon at Aqueduct, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is looking ahead to the next two Saturdays, when he will have the likely favorite for New York’s first two graded stakes of the year.
This Saturday, McLaughlin plans to run Takaful in the Grade 3, $100,000 Toboggan Stakes at seven furlongs. McLaughlin is hoping to use the race as a springboard to the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 31 at Meydan.
ARCADIA, Calif. – City of Light, the winner of his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, is likely to have his first start outside of California in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 19, trainer Michael McCarthy said.
City of Light led throughout to win the $300,000 Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs by two lengths. The $500,000 Razorback Handicap is run at 1 1/16 miles and will be City of Light’s first start around two turns.
The Razorback purse and distance were two appealing factors, McCarthy said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The California Cup program for statebreds here on Saturday has added a $100,000 race for 3-year-old turf sprinters, but two races for 3-year-olds held last year on this day will be run in February instead.
The $100,000 California Cup Turf Sprint for 3-year-olds at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course is a new race and one of four stakes at Santa Anita Saturday.
Two $200,000 stakes previously run on the California Cup program will be run Feb. 19 – the California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles and the California Cup Oaks at a mile on turf.
