Mon, 02/20/2017 - 13:56

Cuddle Alert gives trainer Melissa Saldana her first stakes win

Shigeki Kikkawa
Cuddle Alert, a $10,000 claim in August, stands in the winner's circle with trainer Melissa Saldana (right) after winning the Spring Fever Handicap on Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Melissa Saldana’s routine did not change after her first stakes win, which came with Cuddle Alert in Sunday’s $100,000 Spring Fever Handicap at Santa Anita.

She had too much to do on Monday.

Aside from looking after Cuddle Alert, Saldana is an assistant to trainer Mark Glatt, overseeing his division a Los Alamitos. On Monday, approximately 10 2-year-olds were scheduled to arrive there. With them in the barn, Saldana would have 25 horses for Glatt.

Getting a stakes win is not changing her job.

“I’m staying with Mark,” she said.

Mon, 02/20/2017 - 13:10

Parlor back from layoff for allowance turf mile

SV Photography
Hot and Heavy made himself a strong contender for the Sophomore Turf Stakes with his allowance victory on Saturday.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Parlor raced only twice as a juvenile last year, but he made a big impression, winning his career debut and then coming within a neck of winning a rich stakes race at Kentucky Downs. On Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs, the son of Lonhro will try to pick up right where he left off when he makes his 3-year-old debut in a first-level allowance.

Mon, 02/20/2017 - 11:46

Saez extends lead in jockey standings

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Luis Saez won two stakes on Saturday, including guiding Moment of Delight to victory in the White Pearl Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Moment of Delight posted her third stakes victory in her last five starts, outlasting Distinta by a neck in Saturday’s White Pearl Stakes. Moment of Delight, a 5-year-old daughter of A.P. Warrior trained by David Fawkes, gave leading rider Luis Saez a sweep of the afternoon’s two stakes. He also won the Grade 2 Royal Delta aboard Curlin’s Approval.

Mon, 02/20/2017 - 11:06

Mind Your Biscuits set for return in Gulfstream Park Sprint

Benoit & Associates
Mind Your Biscuits should be the favorite when he makes his 4-year-old debut in the Gulfstream Park Sprint.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mind Your Biscuits figures as a solid favorite when the 4-year-old colt makes his first start since winning the Grade 1 Malibu on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. An earner of nearly $800,000, Mind Your Biscuits will return in the Grade 3, $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs.

The Gulfstream Sprint is one of three stakes to be run here Saturday, along with twin turf sprints, the $75,000 Texas Glitter and $75,000 Melody of Colors.

Royal Delta’s brother on rise

Mon, 02/20/2017 - 11:00

Lady Eli back on work tab, eyes Jenny Wiley

Barbara D. Livingston
Lady Eli completed her first timed work Saturday since finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The turf star Lady Eli was on the work tab for the first time since her nose defeat in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf; the 5-year-old mare breezed three furlongs in an easy 37.90 seconds Saturday over the Palm Meadows turf.

“It looked like she was just galloping down the lane,” said Chad Brown, who trains Lady Eli for the Sheep Pond Partners. “She was moving very smoothly, which was the most important thing I was looking for. Hopefully, this gets her started on a regular work schedule” of every seven days or so.

Mon, 02/20/2017 - 11:00

Irish War Cry to have one breeze for Fountain of Youth Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Irish War Cry came out of the Holy Bull unbeaten in three lifetime starts.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Irish War Cry is scheduled to breeze Saturday at the Palm Meadows training center in preparation for his next stop along the Kentucky Derby trail, the March 4 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The work will be the only one between races for Irish War Cry, who extended his unbeaten record to three when leading all the way to win the Feb. 4 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream. Trainer Graham Motion confirmed Monday that he intends to enter the chestnut Curlin colt in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth at 1 1/16 miles.

Mon, 02/20/2017 - 07:43

Classic Empire will skip Fountain of Youth

Barbara D. Livingston
Classic Empire opens as the 5-1 favorite on Derby Watch despite his third-place finish in the Holy Bull.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Mark Casse said Sunday that Classic Empire will not make the March 4 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, as had been tentatively planned, but that any subsequent prep race for the May 6 Kentucky Derby remains possible for him.

The reigning divisional champion, Classic Empire was scheduled to breeze Monday morning toward the Fountain of Youth, but that plan has been scrapped because of a nagging hoof abscess.

Sun, 02/19/2017 - 15:40

Baffert's Bronze Age joins Triple Crown trail

Shigeki Kikkawa
Bronze Age won his one-mile debut by 1 1/2 lengths on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Bronze Age is the latest 3-year-old to join the list of Triple Crown prospects for trainer Bob Baffert.

Bronze Age won his debut at a mile, and third career start, with a convincing 1 1/2-length victory in 1:35.29 Saturday at Santa Anita. He beat two well-regarded Baffert-trained prospects in West Coast, who had his career debut Saturday and finished with interest, and Glacier, who was a well-beaten third.

Sun, 02/19/2017 - 15:30

Wild At Heart's Grade 1 debut likely in Santa Margarita

Shigeki Kikkawa
Flavien Prat rode Wild At Heart to victory in the Buena Vista Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Wild At Heart, the winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Buena Vista Stakes, is likely to have her Grade 1 career debut in the $400,000 Santa Margarita Stakes at Santa Anita on March 18.

Wild At Heart won the first stakes of her career in the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares, which was switched from a mile on turf to dirt because of rain Friday and early Saturday.

Sat, 02/18/2017 - 15:41

Three Rules among workers for Fountain of Youth Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Three Rules will stretch out from seven furlongs to 1 1/16 miles for the Fountain of Youth.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth only two weeks away, prospective contenders were active at training venues throughout south Florida on Saturday, most notably at Gulfstream Park, where Three Rules and the Peruvian hopeful Huracan Americo both turned in their penultimate works for the important Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby prep.