Mastery, one of the top 3-year-olds in the country, will make his first start of the year in the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 11, trainer Bob Baffert said Tuesday after Mastery worked six furlongs in 1:12 at Santa Anita.
The time equaled the fastest of 10 works at the distance on Tuesday.
Mastery worked in company, with Martin Garcia aboard. Mike Smith has the mount in the San Felipe.
"He worked great," Baffert said.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- Gun Runner was bright and alert on Tuesday, the morning after he put up a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 110 for winning the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park. The start was his first at 4, and he covered the mile and a sixteenth on a fast track in 1:40.97.
On Saturday, locally based runners finished first, second, and third in the Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields, but you are unlikely to see any of them being pointed to the Kentucky Derby.
Zakaroff won the El Camino Real Derby in a $99.60 upset, with More Power to Him running third and Tribal Storm fourth. Favored Ann Arbor Eddie finished second, but was disqualified to fourth for interference, resulting in More Power to Him and Tribal Storm being placed second and third.
ARCADIA, Calif. - There was one winning ticket in Monday’s pick six at Santa Anita, which paid $109,742 including the single-ticket jackpot.
Going into the final race on the 11-race card, four horses were covered in the pick six, all to one ticket. The Monday program began without carryovers in the pick six.
NEW ORLEANS – I’m a Chatterbox came out of her second-place finish in the Houston Ladies Classic last month in good condition, but beyond a repeat bid in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap this summer, there are no set plans for the 5-year-old mare.
“We’re just twiddling our thumbs,” trainer Larry Jones said. “We’re going to keep her going. We’ll spot around, look and see. We’re still going to get her on grass at some point.”
NEW ORLEANS – Two 3-year-old fillies showed off their talent in dirt-route races at Fair Grounds over the weekend.
On Sunday, Jenda’s Agenda won her second race from as many starts and aced her transition from a sprint to a route in a first-level allowance. Jenda’s Agenda beat the talented filly Stonetacular by one length but was eased up in the final furlong and basically galloped across the finish. She ran one mile and 70 yards in 1:43.51 and got an 85 Beyer, three points higher than the figure for her blowout debut win last month in a sprint.
NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Mark Casse hopes one established 3-year-old he trains, Valadorna, can live up to her promise when she makes the second start of her season Saturday at Fair Grounds. And the way another Casse-trained 3-year-old, Souper Tapit, ran in his career debut here last Saturday gives Casse plenty of hope for races later this winter and spring.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Yockey’s Warrior, who was a powerful allowance winner Feb. 17 at Oaklawn in his first start since winning the Thanksgiving Handicap at Fair Grounds, could be back for a major sprint stakes. Trainer Al Stall Jr. said Monday that Yockey’s Warrior is possible for the Grade 3, $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap on April 15.
“We shipped him back to New Orleans,” Stall said. “We’ll consider the Count Fleet.”
Yockey’s Warrior covered six furlongs in 1:09.20 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 94. He’s now 2 for 3 at Oaklawn.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Danny Caldwell took quick command of the owner standings at Oaklawn Park by winning two races on the first card of the meet Jan. 13, and little has changed approaching the second half of the season. Caldwell had 15 wins through Sunday, eight more than second-leading owner Muddy Waters Stables.
Caldwell, a 51-year-old native of Oklahoma, was tied for fourth among owners in wins in North America through Sunday. He has won the last three titles at Oaklawn and wrapped up his record eighth Remington Park title for Thoroughbreds in December.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Gormley, a winner of two graded stakes in his last three starts, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds on Monday for a scheduled start in a major stakes for 3-year-olds in March.
Gormley is a candidate for the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 11 or the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 18. Both races are run at 1 1/16 miles.
Monday’s exercise was Gormley’s first workout in 10 days. Gormley has had three workouts this month, a schedule altered by wet conditions at Santa Anita.
