OZONE PARK, N.Y. – As a longtime exercise rider for trainer Todd Pletcher, Antonio Arriaga has gotten to work with some extremely talented horses. As a fledgling trainer, Arriaga can only hope to one day get those types of horses under his own shed row.
Arriaga, 39, has steadily wound down his career working for others and in 2016 ramped up the process of training on his own full time. Last year, he won five races from 33 starters, including going 3 for 3 at Saratoga.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The only reason California Chrome is running Saturday instead of already being at stud is that the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park will be the richest race in the world, with a $12 million purse. He could win a $7 million first prize.
The only reason California Chrome will head to Kentucky on Sunday morning is that the breeding season is about to commence, and mares have been booked, many of them owned by those involved in the current ownership group, California Chrome LLC, precluding any further starts.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Recent rain in Southern California has been a boost for Prize Exhibit, the winner of the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 16.
Prize Exhibit was fourth and fifth in stakes on firm turf in October and November. The course was rated “good” for the Megahertz Stakes. Prize Exhibit closed from sixth in a field of seven to win by 1 1/4 lengths, ending a 10-race losing streak.
“I think the turf softening has helped,” trainer Jim Cassidy said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Six Point Rack beat maidens in a one-mile race for California-breds at Santa Anita on Dec. 29 and will get an immediate test of ability and stamina in Saturday’s $250,000 California Cup Derby at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.
Six Point Rack, owned by breeders Larry and Marianne Williams and trained by Mike Puype, needed four races to beat maidens.
“He was getting better with each race,” Puype said. “It wasn’t a surprise he fired the other day. His lights just hadn’t turned on.
“The whole family starts to warm up as they start running.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The inclination is to scoff and ridicule. Go ahead, says Dale Romans. Racing fans have done it before.
“Wayne Lukas told me he’s made millions of dollars running horses where people said they didn’t belong,” said Romans, who will saddle the longshot Prayer for Relief for the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
No trainer should have to endure what Terri Pompay went through last Saturday at Gulfstream.
Lumumba, a promising 3-year-old making his career debut for Pompay, was defeated in a very tight photo in the fifth race, and then Nauset Beach was nipped in virtually identical fashion in the last race of the day, the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Classic.
No fewer than six undercard stakes are on tap for Saturday at Gulfstream Park in creating a suitable buildup to the inaugural Pegasus World Cup. The richest of those supporting events is the $400,000 Poseidon, which also is being run for the first time.
The Poseidon, like the Pegasus, is for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Entries were to be drawn Monday afternoon, with the confirmed starters being Imperative, Cherry Wine, and Todd Pletcher’s Stanford and Madefromlucky.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Trainer Rohan Crichton said he is leaning toward running The Money Monster in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 4 following the undefeated colt’s victory last Saturday in the $53,500 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
An important first-level allowance race for the Mark Casse barn comes Friday at Fair Grounds, where the 3-year-old filly Valadorna makes her first start of 2017. But Casse’s string also has a live runner in Thursday’s featured fourth race, another first-level allowance.
Farrell came out of her win Saturday in the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes in good order and is on course to make the second start of her 3-year-old campaign here Feb. 25 in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes.
“She looks good. She ate real well, doesn’t seem knocked out or anything,” trainer Wayne Catalano said Sunday morning.
Farrell won the Silverbulletday, her first start since a open-lengths win Nov. 26 in the Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs, by 2 3/4 lengths. She ran a mile and 70 yards in 1:44.01 and got a 74 Beyer Speed Figure, down from her 80 in the Golden Rod.
