Shotgun Kowboy ran a bang-up race last Friday at Oaklawn in his first start since August and is now being pointed to the track’s Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap on Feb. 20, trainer C.R. Trout said. Shotgun Kowboy set the pace in his comeback, a 1 1/16-mile allowance, then battled for a neck win.
“That was a hard-fought stretch drive,” Trout said.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi has gotten off to a fast start at the Oaklawn meet and will attempt to keep the barn’s momentum rolling Thursday when she saddles Folded Wings in the featured eighth race. Pitts-Blasi has gone 3 for 5 with her local starters, including a victory last Saturday with Athena in the $125,000 American Beauty.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Classic Empire and Tepin were the biggest names nominated to the graded stakes races at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 11, but it’s possible that neither Eclipse Award winner will run here that day. Trainer Mark Casse reiterated Monday that Classic Empire is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut Saturday in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park and said that Tepin is only “50/50” to run here Feb. 11 after having a workout postponed due to wet weather in south Florida.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Overshadowed both by the brilliance of Arrogate and the disappointment of California Chrome, Shaman Ghost ran a huge race when finishing second Saturday in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park.
“We were very happy,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said Monday. “It was just like when Effinex ran second to American Pharoah” in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic. “I said to myself, ‘I’ve never been so glad to run second.’ ”
Trainer Todd Pletcher’s plans remain somewhat up in the air for this weekend’s two Grade 2 stakes races for 3-year-olds, the Holy Bull and Swale. On Monday, Pletcher said he was looking to run Sonic Mule, the winner of the one-mile Mucho Macho Man earlier this month, in the seven-furlong Swale, with Fact Finding or perhaps Tapwrit to go in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mike Maker has the kind of problem virtually every trainer would love to have.
The day after Maker won the Grade 3 W.L. McKnight at Gulfstream Park with Taghleeb, his horses ran 1-2-3 in the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston. Bigger Picture was followed in the order of finish by Oscar Nominated and Greengrassofyoming.
Those turf-marathon specialists are stablemates of Da Big Hoss, who has earned nearly $1.5 million while competing primarily in turf marathons since being claimed in June 2015.
A major factor in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup being so successful was the weather. Temperatures hovered right around 70 amid bright sunshine all day as ontrack fans reveled in perfect conditions.
It was a stark contrast to the following day. Rain and temperatures in the low 50s descended on south Florida on Sunday, when all six turf races on the 12-race Gulfstream card had to be transferred to a sloppy main track.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Texas Ryano did not race through a wet January in Southern California, but still made two afternoon appearances at Santa Anita.
Most of his daily activity was during morning training hours, but there were two occasions when Texas Ryano had workouts between races because of wet conditions those mornings.
The adjusted schedule allowed trainer Carla Gaines to keep Texas Ryano on course for his 2017 debut in Saturday’s $200,000 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita. Gaines said Texas Ryano retained fitness despite the alterations.
