King Leatherbury won with an 11-year-old last Saturday at Laurel Park. He hopes to win with another one in the not-too-distant future.
Leatherbury’s victory last weekend came in a $7,500 claiming race with Classic Wildcat, a horse he claimed for $5,000 in May 2013 and has since won with 11 times. Leatherbury’s other 11-year-old is Ben’s Cat, a 32-time winner and an earner of $2.6 million.
A field of seven 3-year-olds has been entered for the Grade 2, $1 million Blue Grass Stakes, a critical Kentucky Derby prep race to be run Saturday as the annual spring showcase at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
McCraken, who closed as a lukewarm favorite in Pool 4 of the Derby Future Wager conducted last weekend by Churchill Downs, was assigned post 2 as the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass. Among the other top contenders are Tapwrit (post 4, 5-2), Practical Joke (post 7, 7-2), and J Boys Echo (post 3, 4-1).
OLDSMAR, Fla. – It was mission accomplished for World Approval on Sunday, when the Grade 1 winner made a successful 2017 debut, tracking the pace of Go Around and powering home 2 1/4 lengths ahead of that rival in the Turf Classic. The race was one of six $100,000 stakes for Florida-breds on Florida Cup Day, one of the highlights of the Tampa Bay Downs meet.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Even without division leader Unique Bella, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s deep team of 3-year-old fillies will be on display in two stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Unique Bella has won three graded stakes this year, all at Santa Anita, but will miss Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 5 because of sore shins, Hollendorfer said last week.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Ron Moquett said Monday he is dropping the appeal he filed concerning the results of the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes, run March 25 at Oaklawn.
Our Majesty, trained by Moquett, finished first but was disqualified and placed fourth by the stewards for an incident on the backstretch. Moquett appealed to the Arkansas Racing Commission but said Monday he was sending in a letter asking to drop the appeal, as requested by owner It’s All About The Girls Stable.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Friend of Liberty will be seeking to win her third straight race Thursday when she starts from the rail in an optional $62,500 claiming sprint for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn. The race has first-level allowance conditions and is to be run over six furlongs. It drew 10.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Untrapped and Lookin At Lee worked in company Sunday at Oaklawn in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on the closing-day card, April 15. They are trained by Steve Asmussen.
Untrapped and Lookin At Lee breezed five furlongs on a fast track in 1:00.40. Asmussen said Untrapped was on the rail, worked in blinkers, and most likely will add the equipment for the Arkansas Derby.
“We moved up the works up a day because of the forecast,” Asmussen said Sunday. “It worked out well. I thought Untrapped and Lookin At Lee worked super.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita Derby week begins Thursday with a challenging pick-six sequence that includes a $133,546 traditional carryover, a single-ticket jackpot carryover of $561,826, and a challenging turf allowance for 3-year-olds.
A field of nine 3-year-olds entered Thursday’s featured seventh race. With the rails at the maximum 30-foot setting, eight will be allowed to start in the 1 1/8-mile race. All are racing beyond one mile for the first time.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Saturday’s handle of $30.6 million on the 14-race Florida Derby card was the second-highest in the history of the prestigious Kentucky Derby prep, behind only last year’s record $32.1 million.
It was the third-largest handle at Gulfstream Park on a non-Breeders’ Cup day.
Reigning juvenile male champion Classic Empire worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds Monday at Winding Oaks Farm in Ocala, Fla., as he continues to prepare for his final Kentucky Derby prep in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 15.
According to trainer Mark Casse, Classic Empire’s regular rider, Julien Leparoux, was aboard for the work, which came out of the starting gate and in company for the second week in a row with older stablemate Airoforce, the Grade 2 winner and 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up who is preparing for his 2017 debut.
