HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens has won most of racing’s biggest prizes, including the Dubai World Cup, various Breeders’ Cup races, and multiple runnings of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes.
But on Saturday, he will look to conquer a new world when he teams with Giant Expectations in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.
“It’s the same kind of deal – just a lot more zeroes behind the 16,” Stevens said.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Picking out the right race for a horse can be as equally as important as how a trainer prepares his horse for the race. When it comes to race selection, Saffie Joseph Jr. has done a good job picking out Wednesday’s $51,000 optional-claiming race for J R’s Holiday’s 2018 debut.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Good Magic was back on the work tab for the first time since his 4 1/2-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4, going three furlongs in 36.80 at Palm Meadows on Sunday. The easy breeze was the fastest of 10 at the distance on the tab that morning.
Trainer Chad Brown said if all goes well, Good Magic could make his 3-year-old debut here on March 3 in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.
ARCADIA, Calif. – West Coast was scheduled to fly from California to Florida on Wednesday, and by the time he races in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Saturday he very well may have “Eclipse Award winner” as his appellation, as he is favored to be named champion 3-year-old male at Thursday night’s awards dinner.
In that regard, West Coast would mirror the champion 3-year-old male of 2016, Arrogate, and there are plenty more similarities. Both are trained by Bob Baffert, and, like Arrogate, West Coast did not race at 2 and won the Travers at age 3.
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.
