Cedartown, Godolphin’s promising 4-year-old colt, was euthanized last week after developing laminitis as a result of an infection.
Cedartown impressively won the Jan. 13 Louisiana Stakes following a victory Nov. 22 in the $200,000 Zia Park Derby. Cedartown was entered Feb. 9 for the Feb. 17 Mineshaft Handicap and worked for the race on Feb. 10, but shortly thereafter, trainer Mike Stidham said, the colt contracted a serious infection in his leg.
When the calendar flipped to 2018, the 3-year-old filly Classy Act had a maiden win on turf from four career starts. Two months later and she’s among the early favorites for the Grade 2, $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks on March 24.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Javier Castellano has gone from New Orleans to Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, with a final destination of Louisville.
It looks like one of those wacky routes on Southwest Airlines. But it’s the many steps Castellano is going through this spring to try to land in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs after the Kentucky Derby, one of the few places he hasn’t been in his brilliant career.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Danny Caldwell, who has won the past four owner titles at Oaklawn, has a couple of notable sprinters back in training after layoffs. Eurobond, a winner of his last five starts, including a stakes at Remington Park, is nearing his first work back. Indexical, who was Grade 1-placed in Southern California, could see action at the end of the Oaklawn meet.
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.
