Mon, 05/29/2017 - 14:46

Faithfully eyes payday in Beholder Mile due to short field

Shigeki Kikkawa
The presence of Finest City, Stellar Wind, and Vale Dori is keeping the field down for the Beholder Mile. But Faithfully (above) might be entered to pick up a check and, perhaps, a Grade 1 placing.

ARCADIA, Calif. – With the chance for a placing in a Grade 1 race and at least $24,000 in prize money, Faithfully might start in a short field in Saturday’s $400,000 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita.

As of Monday, the Beholder Mile for fillies and mares had three probable starters – the champions Finest City and Stellar Wind, and Vale Dori, who has won six consecutive starts since October.

Bob Baffert trains Vale Dori, who worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Monday. Baffert timed her through a half-mile in 47 seconds.

Mon, 05/29/2017 - 14:36

Irap will skip Belmont, opts for Ohio Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Irap trains at Keeneland during April.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Irap, the longshot winner of the Blue Grass Stakes but 18th in the Kentucky Derby last out, will start in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 24 and skip the Belmont Stakes on June 10, trainer Doug O’Neill said in a text message.

The $500,000 Ohio Derby is run at 1 1/8 miles.

Irap was a maiden when he won the Blue Grass, becoming the first winless horse to take the famous Keeneland race. Owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Irap has one win in nine starts and earnings of $772,600.

Mon, 05/29/2017 - 14:30

Ashleyluvssugar eyes repeat win in Del Mar Handicap

Benoit & Associates
Ashleyluvssugar wins the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham on Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ashleyluvssugar will have a familiar race schedule this year after winning the sixth stakes of his career in Sunday’s Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita. Trainer Peter Eurton hopes to run Ashleyluvssugar in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf Aug. 19, a race the gelding won in 2016.

Mon, 05/29/2017 - 12:56

Gun Runner gearing up for Stephen Foster

Barbara D. Livingston
Gun Runner is pointing toward the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gun Runner continues to sharpen for his role as the expected heavy favorite in the June 17 Stephen Foster Handicap. With Steve Asmussen in from Texas, where he saddled Neck ‘n Neck for the Lone Star Park Handicap the previous evening, Gun Runner was out for a five-furlong team work early Monday, going in 59.80 seconds over a fast track, according to Churchill clocker John Nichols.

Mon, 05/29/2017 - 12:56

Trainer Walsh putting together another career-best year

Churchill Downs/Coady Photography
Trainer Brendan Walsh won with six straight starters at Churchill from May 21 to 26.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Brendan Walsh ran two losers Saturday at Churchill Downs, then two more Sunday. That’s not exactly man-bites-dog news, but before that, Walsh had run six straight winners in a rather outlandish exhibition of how his training career is thriving.

Mon, 05/29/2017 - 12:36

Fear the Cowboy to start from rail in Evangeline Mile

Barbara D. Livingston
Fear The Cowboy paid $9.20 in winning the Skip Away Stakes on Saturday.

Fear the Cowboy drew the rail in a field of eight for the $100,000 Evangeline Mile on Saturday night. The race for 3-year-olds and up is the centerpiece of the meet at Evangeline Downs.

Fear the Cowboy won the race a year ago and in March captured the Grade 3 Skip Away at Gulfstream.

Jesus Rios has the mount for trainer Efren Loza Jr.

Mon, 05/29/2017 - 12:36

Taco targets Prelude, then Super Derby

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Taco is slated to return from a freshening in the Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs in August.

Taco, who won the first four races of his career before finishing second in the Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita in his most recent start March 19, has a long-range goal of the Super Derby, trainer Efren Loza Jr. said Saturday.

Taco recently resumed training following a freshening and could make his first start back in the $60,000 Prelude on Aug. 5 at Louisiana Downs. The Prelude is the local prep for the $200,000 Super Derby on Sept. 9. Both are on turf this year after previously being run on dirt.

Mon, 05/29/2017 - 12:30

Between Louisiana Downs and Lone Star Park, Eramia working overtime

Jockey Richard Eramia is fitter than he’s ever been, and it’s not because the 37-year-old has started a new workout routine or changed his diet. Eramia is riding races six days a week during the concurrent meets at Louisiana Downs and Lone Star Park.

He was in a three-way tie atop the Louisiana Downs standings heading into Monday’s card with 12 wins from 52 starts and had mount earnings of $124,990. Eramia ranked second in the Lone Star standings through Sunday with 20 wins from 118 starts and had mount earnings of $262,038.

Mon, 05/29/2017 - 10:46

Simon off to strong start with Yorkton, Dragon Bay

Michael Burns
Yorkton wins the Queenston in May for his first stakes win.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Stu Simon has had a strong start to the Woodbine season with wins from Yorkton in the Queenston Stakes on May 13 and Dragon Bay in the Grade 2 Eclipse Stakes on May 20.

“Both horses ran really good races,” Simon said. “It’s always nice when they run to your expectations.”

Yorkton was originally nominated to the Queen’s Plate in February but did not remain eligible after the second payment deadline of May 3.

“We made the decision that he really hadn’t showed us that he wanted to go a mile and a quarter and two turns,” Simon said.

Mon, 05/29/2017 - 10:36

Grizzel looking for a turf race out of town

Michael Burns
Grizzel wins the Grade 3 Selene Stakes at Woodbine on May 21.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Grizzel recorded her second straight victory on Tapeta in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes here on May 21. However, with few options for 3-year-old fillies bred outside of Canada at Woodbine over the next few weeks, Grizzel likely will make her next start at another track.

Trainer Mike Doyle said he was looking to get Grizzel back on turf for her next start.

“She seems to love the Tapeta, but she likes the turf, too,” he said. “We’re looking at some long turf options out of town.”