OZONE PARK, N.Y. – There is a void of older male stakes horses on the grounds, evidenced by the fact only six horses were entered Monday for Saturday’s $100,000 Jazil Stakes and the Alex M. Robb, a race for New York-breds, has not been able to fill for two straight days.
The 9-year-old Turco Bravo, a horse who has won stakes at Belmont, Saratoga, and over Aqueduct’s now defunct inner track, is making a third attempt at the Jazil.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Sporting Chance, the most accomplished young horse at Oaklawn, on Monday had his second work since winning the Grade 1 Hopeful in September at Saratoga.
Jockey Gary Stevens, who was up for the horse’s three-eighths work Jan. 9, was again in the saddle for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
Sporting Chance went a half-mile in 47.60 seconds Monday. The track was fast on a sunny morning, with temperatures in the 30s. Oaklawn clockers caught Sporting Chance’s final quarter in 23 seconds and carried him galloping out five-eighths in 1:00.40.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – It was a bittersweet opening weekend for trainer Wayne Catalano at Oaklawn. He sent out stable star Farrell to win her 4-year-old debut in the $125,000 Pippin Stakes on Saturday, but later learned of the passing of champion Dreaming of Anna, whom he trained for breeder-owner Frank Calabrese.
Catalano said Dreaming of Anna, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2006, died in Kentucky. She was 14.
“We’re very sad,” Catalano said. “Mr. Calabrese and I had a lot of fun with her.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Sonneteer, upset winner of the Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas last Friday, was scheduled to return to trainer Keith Desormeaux’s base at Santa Anita on Monday, but only for a limited time.
Desormeaux said Sonneteer is likely to return to Oaklawn Park for the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on Feb. 19. The $500,000 Razorback Handicap is a prep for the track’s leading race for older horses – the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, a $750,000 race at 1 1/8 miles on April 14.
“He seems like he really likes it there,” Desormeaux said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – There is no urgency to planning a late winter campaign for Itsinthepost, winner of the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf Jan. 6 at Santa Anita.
A closer who is best in turf races at 1 1/8 miles to 1 1/2 miles, Itsinthepost has won four Grade 2 stakes in the last year. He was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.
Itsinthepost worked a half-mile in 49.40 seconds on the infield training track Monday.
Trainer Jeff Mullins said Itsinthepost’s weight remains fairly steady after his races.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Collected, the 5-year-old multiple stakes-winning millionaire, worked seven furlongs in 1:24.20 on Monday at Santa Anita under jockey Mike Smith, an exercise that helped soften the disappointment of a third-place finish as a heavy favorite in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Dec. 26.
Smith, trainer Bob Baffert, and owner Peter Fluor were left hoping the workout will propel Collected to an upset win in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup at 1 1/8 miles Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Unique Bella, a finalist for Eclipse Awards for outstanding 3-year-old filly and female sprinter of 2017, worked five furlongs in 59 seconds Monday at Santa Anita, the fastest of 39 recorded works at the distance.
The winner of the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs Dec. 26, Unique Bella is being prepared for the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 10 where she figures to be a heavy favorite.
“She seems very happy,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Probably the most surprising result from last weekend’s racing here was the seventh-place finish by Heart to Heart as the 7-10 favorite in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale.
Although trainer Brian Lynch was generous Monday in offering “no excuse” for the subpar performance, the race spoke for itself. The usually speedy Heart to Heart was compromised when getting away a bit tardily, putting himself in tight quarters under the wire the first time and forcing jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to adjust tactics from midpack.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Two stakes-quality colts making their 4-year-old debuts following lengthy layoffs will face each other Thursday in an intriguing feature at Gulfstream.
Malagacy, whose 2017 campaign ended after he finished fifth as the 2-1 second choice in the Arkansas Derby last April, will be opposed by multiple stakes-winning sprinter Recruiting Ready in the fourth race, the lone allowance on a 10-race card. Hybrid conditions for the $53,000, six-furlong race include a $75,000 claiming option for which three of the six scheduled starters are entered.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A rematch among Florida-breds exiting a graded stakes will be a main storyline Saturday at Gulfstream Park when Mr. Jordan and Richard the Great run in the richest of four races comprising the 16th Sunshine Millions.
Mr. Jordan and Richard the Great were second and third, respectively, behind Fear the Cowboy here last month in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday, and both should appreciate the Florida-bred restriction for the Sunshine Millions Classic and the other three supporting events in the $600,000 series.
