HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Good Magic is the reigning juvenile champion and likely odds-on favorite in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. He Takes Charge has won just once in five career starts and will go postward among the longest-priced members of the field.
But the two horses will have one thing in common when they square off in the important Kentucky Derby prep and final major local tune-up for the $1 million Florida Derby on March 31: both are coming off a maiden win.
Forest Mouse appeared poised to go over $1 million in earnings in the Curribot Handicap on Sunday at Sunland Park, but instead was scratched from the race. He needed to finish fourth or higher to hit the milestone in the Curribot.
Henry Dominguez, who trains Forest Mouse, said a foot abscess forced the scratch Sunday.
“He popped an abscess the day before the race,” Dominguez said Monday. “He’s fine. We’ll find another race for him.”
Reride improved his record to 4 for 5 with his win in the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park last Sunday, and the success he is having on the track is no surprise given his family tree.
Trainer Steve Asmussen said the horse has ties to several notable runners for Reride’s breeder and owner, Winchell Thoroughbreds.
“I’m a huge fan of the whole family,” Asmussen said. “His mother, Remit, is a full sister to Tapiture. I’ve been fortunate to have so many from that family that have been so good.”
California agriculture officials are expected to lift a 14-day quarantine on Monday on a stable at Los Alamitos that had a horse test positive for non-neurogenic “wild-type” strain of equine herpesvirus type 1, according to a statement released Tuesday by the California Horse Racing Board.
A barn with 11 horses has been quarantined and is under observation. The quarantine will be lifted provided there are no additional cases of illness, the statement said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Giant Expectations is a probable starter for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 10, while Hayabusa One is doubtful, and Dalmore is bound for Oaklawn Park, their trainers said on Wednesday.
Giant Expectations won the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles here on Dec. 26, and was ninth as a longshot in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Minutes before Spring Lily had her Santa Anita debut in a maiden race on Feb. 4, trainer John Shirreffs turned to jockey Evin Roman and offered simple advice.
“We need an Eclipse Award-winning ride,” Shirreffs said.
The timing was ideal. Just 10 days earlier, Roman was honored with the Eclipse Award as the outstanding apprentice jockey of 2017. In the maiden race, Roman delivered Shirreffs’s wishes, guiding the filly to a five-length win going 6 1/2 furlongs.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Javier Castellano has regained the mount on Sharp Azteca for the $1 million Godolphin Mile on March 31 in Dubai. Castellano already had planned on giving up the mount on Audible in the Florida Derby the same day after committing to West Coast in the $10 million Dubai World Cup.
The Todd Pletcher-trained Audible, winner of the Feb. 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream in his most recent start, now will be ridden by John Velazquez.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Fountain of Youth won’t be the only race of consequence Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Not even close.
Eight other stakes are on a blockbuster 14-race card that starts at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, with all but one of them graded. The Davona Dale, with 50 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks to the winner, is perhaps the most important supporting event.
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.
