Thu, 03/16/2017 - 14:00

Enola Gray vs. Smoove It again in Irish O'Brien Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Enola Gray has won four of her five starts at Santa Anita.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Enola Gray and Smoove It, one-two last month in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint on the hillside turf course, renew their rivalry Saturday at Santa Anita in the $100,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes, a race Smoove It won last year.

Enola Gray will be strongly favored. She scored by 3 1/4 lengths last time at 3-5 odds and is unbeaten at these exact conditions – sprinting on the hillside course against California-bred females, both times under jockey Tyler Baze, who is back aboard Saturday.

Thu, 03/16/2017 - 13:40

Indulgent shifts sights to Distaff Handicap

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Takrees, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., take the Interborough by a neck.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin was initially planning to run Indulgent in Saturday’s $125,000 Correction Stakes at Aqueduct but called an audible and entered defending Correction winner Clothes Fall Off in the six-furlong stakes race instead.

Indulgent, a winner of three straight races, will be pointed to the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap on April 9 over Aqueduct’s main track.

Thu, 03/16/2017 - 13:40

Juddmonte buys Paulassilverlining as future mate for Arrogate

Barbara D. Livingston
Paulassilverlining will race this year, then be bred to Arrogate next year.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The emergence of Arrogate as a top-tier dirt horse has prompted his owners, the Juddmonte Farms of Prince Khalid Abdullah, to seek suitable mares for future breeding purposes.

Paulassilverlining apparently fits that bill.

This week, Juddmonte finalized a deal to purchase the graded-stakes-winning mare Paulassilverlining from Vincent Scuderi. The 5-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper will race this year and be bred to Arrogate in 2018, according to Garrett O’Rourke, the U.S. racing and farm manager for Juddmonte.

Thu, 03/16/2017 - 13:36

Mohaymen cranking up for Westchester

Barbara D. Livingston
Mohaymen put in a strong workout Friday for the Travers Stakes, going four furlongs in 47.03 seconds.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mohaymen, a four-time Grade 2 stakes winner who has not raced since last summer, was expected to breeze Friday at the Palm Meadows training center in Florida, his first timed workout since returning to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin last week.

McLaughlin said Mohaymen breezed three times on the farm at Camden, S.C., before shipping to him.

Thu, 03/16/2017 - 12:16

Mo Town works with eye on Florida Derby or Wood Memorial

Ronnie Bettor
Remsen winner Mo Town will make his next start in either the Florida Derby or Wood Memorial, according to trainer Tony Dutrow.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It’s a 90-minute drive – on a good day – from Payson Park to Gulfstream Park. That’s a long road to travel for less than 74 seconds of work, but well worth the trip for trainer Tony Dutrow and his Kentucky Derby prospect Mo Town, who came down the turnpike to breeze here Thursday in preparation for a possible start here April 1 in the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby.

Wed, 03/15/2017 - 15:10

Talented maiden Sonneteer takes shot in Rebel

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Preakness-winning trainer Keith Desormeaux has taken down a few stakes with maidens, among them the Summer Juvenile Championship at Los Alamitos with Swipe and the Landaluce at Santa Anita with Right There. He would love to pull off the feat again Saturday with Sonneteer in the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel at Oaklawn.

Sonneteer will enter off a runner-up finish in a Santa Anita maiden special weight race won by Kimbear, who could be headed to the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby.

Wed, 03/15/2017 - 15:06

Catalano says Uncontested ready to fire best shot in Rebel

Coady Photography
Uncontested, winner of the Smarty Jones, is under consideration for the March 18 Rebel at Oaklawn.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Wayne Catalano is sitting in the catbird seat with his 3-year-olds. Not only does the 60-year-old trainer have one of the top Kentucky Oaks prospects in Farrell, but he also has Uncontested training lights-out for the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

The Rebel offers 85 eligibility points for the Kentucky Derby, to be divided among its first four finishers 50-20-10-5. Uncontested was part of an 11-horse field when entries for the 1 1/16-mile race were taken Wednesday. He will break from post 2 under Channing Hill.

Wed, 03/15/2017 - 15:00

Seven dare face Curlin's Approval in Inside Information

Kenny Martin/Coglianese Photos
Despite her impressive win in the Royal Delta, Curlin's Approval didn't scare many away for the Inside Information on Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Even with the imposing presence of the red-hot Curlin’s Approval in the lineup, a field of eight fillies and mares was drawn for Saturday’s Grade 2 Inside Information.

The field includes the supplemental nominee Wheatfield, a multiple stakes winner who will ship here from Fair Grounds for the seven-furlong dash.

Wed, 03/15/2017 - 15:00

For Weekend Hideaway, age 7 is the new 4

Barbara D. Livingston
Although he is a New York-bred, Weekend Hideaway might race against open company at Gulfstream before heading north.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Weekend Hideaway, who had his best year yet in 2016 at the age of 6, is getting close to embarking on his 7-year-old campaign after working five furlongs in 1:00.53 here Wednesday under regular exercise rider Lisa Bartkowski.

Wed, 03/15/2017 - 14:30

Joseph, Drawing Away lighting it up

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – He’s not even in the top 10 in the standings for the Gulfstream championship meeting, but ask local horseplayers who the hottest trainer on the grounds has been of late, and most will likely answer Saffie Joseph Jr.