Ever So Clever will be considered for the Kentucky Oaks after her sweeping win in the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy Stakes on Friday at Oaklawn. She is scheduled to ship Monday to Churchill Downs, and plans for her will be discussed with the ownership of Clearview Stable, trainer Steve Asmussen said Saturday.
“We’ll see what’s best for her,” said Asmussen.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Next Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Elkorn Stakes at Keeneland will be absent last year’s winner, Da Big Hoss, who came out of a work earlier this month with an ankle injury that will keep him out of action until at least this fall.
“He is going to need two months of rest,” trainer Mike Maker said Saturday from his base at the Churchill Downs Trackside facility.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Girvin, the winner of the Louisiana Derby, and Fast and Accurate, the Spiral Stakes winner, breezed Saturday at the Churchill Downs Trackside facility in preparation for the May 6 Kentucky Derby.
Fast and Accurate was the first of the two Derby prospects to breeze after the track-renovation break, going five furlongs in 59.60 seconds in company with On John, a maiden. Trackside clocker Richard McCreery caught him in splits of 12 seconds, 24, 35.80, and 47.60 and timed him galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.80.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association has launched a new podcast, “Across the Board With Andy Serling.”
The podcast will appear in regular installments throughout the year, featuring interesting personalities in racing. The debut episode features Harvey Pack, who for more than three decades hosted “Thoroughbred Action” and “Inside Racing.”
Fans can access the podcast at NYRA.com/acrosstheboard.
◗ The Saratoga backstretch was to open over the weekend, with the first day of training scheduled for Monday.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Classy Class returned to the winner’s circle on Thursday for the first time in nearly two years with a two-length victory in a third-level allowance race at Aqueduct.
Classy Class, who sparred on the lead with Big Guy Ian for the first half-mile, edged clear under Rajiv Maragh. He ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.74 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 101.
“He’s had the 1 hole the last two times – I don’t like the one hole – but Rajiv had a lot of confidence,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “He ran very well, ran very fast.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Linda Rice was considering several options for Matt King Coal’s next start, but the allure of a $1.25 million purse makes the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on April 22 the most attractive one.
With that race in mind, Rice had Matt King Coal breeze a sharp five furlongs in 1:00.20 on Friday over the Belmont Park training track. It was the fastest of 22 moves at the distance.
“He worked very well,” Rice said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Finest City, the champion female sprinter of 2016, is training better than trainer Ian Kruljac expected as he considers where to run her next.
On Friday, Finest City worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds at Santa Anita, the fastest of 56 works at the distance.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Peter Miller may send four recent Santa Anita winners to Churchill Downs for major stakes May 5-6. Miller said on Friday that Conquest Farenheit, Richard’s Boy, Solid Wager, and Storm the Hill may travel there.
Conquest Farenheit, the winner of the Baffle and Pasadena stakes in consecutive starts at Santa Anita this year, is a candidate for the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on May 6.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Pacific Heat will have been away from the races for 53 weeks when she starts in an optional claimer for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Trainer Peter Eurton considers the optional claimer the perfect comeback for Pacific Heat, who could start in the $100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at a mile on turf May 21.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Always Dreaming, the potential favorite for the Kentucky Derby, turned in the first of his three scheduled breezes leading up to the big event, going an easy half-mile in 49.90 seconds with jockey John Velazquez aboard shortly after dawn Friday at Palm Beach Downs.
