HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Another horse who burned up the Gulfstream work tab Sunday is Imprimis, an undefeated turf-sprint specialist who zipped four furlongs on the grass in 45.80 seconds. Imprimis is perfect in three starts, most recently cruising to a 4 1/4-length optional-claiming victory in his first appearance since being purchased privately by Breeze Easy LLC and turned over to trainer Joe Orseno earlier this winter.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jason Servis joined the 1,000 win club here Sunday by sending out the odds-on Meant Tobe Mine to a one-sided victory in the featured ninth race. Servis, 61, who saddled his first winner (Hattab Be You) at Aqueduct in 2002, had an outstanding Championship meeting, winning with 18 of 53 starters including stakes winners Blue Bahia (Captiva Island), Vision Perfect (Silks Run), and Rainbow Heir (Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint).
Servis also trains potential Kentucky Derby starter Firenze Fire.
Baby racing begins
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 2017 turf champion, World Approval, is bypassing the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile here Friday after trainer Mark Casse decided he wasn’t satisfied with how the 6-year-old horse has trained lately.
“He hasn’t been showing the enthusiasm I’d prefer to see coming into a race this tough,” Casse said early Monday from Ocala, Fla. “He’s fine, and he’s gone through this kind of cycle on us before, so hopefully it’s no big deal. We’ve got a lot of options upcoming. My biggest concern is making it back to the Breeders’ Cup [Mile] and how we do that.”
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Offering further proof that the off-track wagering market drives business, even at a major fan destination such as Keeneland, all-sources betting was up 8.6 percent for the opening three-day weekend despite poor weather that led to weaker ontrack numbers.
Keeneland vice president Bob Elliston reported Monday that wagering totaled nearly $43.1 million for the three days. The comparable period last spring drew nearly $39.7 million. Field size averaged 9.6 horses a race.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Hoppertunity, the winner of Sunday’s Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup Stakes for his seventh career stakes win, may not be the most high-profile runner in trainer Bob Baffert’s stable.
After all, the barn includes the Kentucky Derby-bound Justify and the 2017 champion 3-year-old colt West Coast. Those runners are brilliant.
However, they cannot claim the longevity of Hoppertunity, who has been around so long that he was second to California Chrome in the 2014 Santa Anita Derby.
“He is a barn favorite,” Baffert said. “It’s pretty cool to have him around.”
ARCADIA, Calif. - Beau Recall, the winner of Saturday’s Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, will be pointed to the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita on May 26.
She certainly comes from a barn known for success in the $300,000 race at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Trainer Simon Callaghan won consecutive runnings of the Gamely in 2011 and 2012 with Dubawi Heights and Belle Royale when the race was run at Hollywood Park.
“It’s my race,” Callaghan joked Sunday morning.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The two-time stakes winner Greyvitos will have his 2018 debut in Saturday’s Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, trainer Adam Kitchingman said Sunday.
Last week, Kitchingman considered starting Greyvitos in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, but has opted for the $200,000 Lexington Stakes, which is run at 1 1/16 miles.
“I’ll go in the softer spot and the shorter distance,” he said. “It’s been weighing on my mind pretty heavy in the last few days.”
California horses will have a strong presence in two of the three handicaps at Oaklawn Park this week during the Racing Festival of the South.
The festival, which begins Thursday and concludes Saturday - closing day of the Oaklawn season - is topped by the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on Saturday and consists of seven stakes worth a combined $3.5 million.
The Grade 1, $700,000 Apple Blossom, Grade 1, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap, and the Grade 3, $400,000 Count Fleet will be run under handicap weights, which were released over the weekend.
