CYPRESS, Calif. – Resilient Humor, a well-bred filly who won her debut in a maiden race at Los Alamitos on Thursday at 32-1, is a candidate for the $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes on Jan. 8 at Santa Anita.
Trainer Jesse Mendoza said the Grade 2 Santa Ynez at seven furlongs for 3-year-old fillies is a goal for Resilient Humor, who closed from fifth to win a race at 5 1/2 furlongs Thursday.
CYPRESS, Calif. – California Chrome may have a half-dozen rivals when he makes his final start in California in the $100,000-estimated Winter Challenge on Dec. 17 at Los Alamitos.
As of Friday, six horses were under consideration for the newly created race at 1 1/16 miles – Air Pocket, Dream Team, Howdy, Mishegas, Papacoolpapacool and Ultimate Luck. Trainer Vladimir Cerin said Thursday that Ain’t Misbehavin and Conquest Cobra are possible.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Jockey Fernando Perez faces an indefinite period of rest after he was diagnosed with a concussion and bleeding in the brain last week, he said Thursday.
Perez was hospitalized for four days last weekend to undergo tests after an incident during a morning workout Dec. 2 at Del Mar in which he said his mount lunged forward with such ferocity that he suffered a concussion.
Perez is resting at his home near Santa Anita. He said he will have consultations with doctors in coming weeks to determine treatment, but that he does not expect an immediate return.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Among the young, up-and-coming stars training at Gulfstream Park this winter is Three Rules, who suffered his lone defeat in six starts when finishing a tiring sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Three Rules dominated the local division earlier in the season, sweeping all three legs of the Florida Sire Series while barely breaking a sweat in any of those races.
“We gave him a little rest after he returned from California and started him back in training a few days ago,” trainer Jose Pinchin said. “He won’t breeze for at least a couple of weeks.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Watching Divisidero train at Gulfstream Park on a regular basis over the past two winters has been a treat, and it was good to see the Grade 1 winner back to prepare for another campaign under the watchful eye of trainer Buff Bradley.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Joey Martinez will always remember his first win as a jockey, and may have created a life-changing opportunity for bettors chasing the pick six at Aqueduct.
Martinez, 23, guided Playthatfunnymusic ($40) to an upset victory in Thursday’s eighth race and in the process triggered an $837,570 carryover into Friday’s card. The pick six at Aqueduct has not been hit since Dec. 2; Thursday was the fourth consecutive program which the bet was not hit.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Free Rose, a winner of two graded stakes for 3-year-olds on turf at Del Mar last summer, will be turned out for the winter after finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar last Saturday, trainer Richard Baltas said.
“I think I’ll give him a little break, a couple of months off,” Baltas said on Thursday. “He’s had a long year, and we can focus on next year.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Uncle Lino, the winner of the California Chrome Stakes at Los Alamitos in April who was vanned off after finishing seventh in the Preakness Stakes in May, is nearing a return to training.
Trainer Gary Sherlock said on Thursday that Uncle Lino is expected to arrive at his stable at Santa Anita this weekend. The gelding was turned out in May after returning to California from his loss in the Preakness.
“They’ve given him plenty of time,” Sherlock said. “We’ll get him ready to run. It will probably be March.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Arrogate worked a half-mile in 48 seconds at Santa Anita on Thursday, an exercise that trainer Bob Baffert described as the colt’s first serious workout since a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5.
Arrogate breezed a half-mile in 49 seconds at Santa Anita on Dec. 1 but was given a more strenuous workout Thursday. Ridden by jockey Martin Garcia, Arrogate began his workout well before the half-mile pole. He worked the opening furlong in 11.90 seconds, the first quarter-mile in 23.60, and three furlongs in 36 seconds.
When Brian Michael was exercising horses on the Kentucky circuit, there was also an active jockey named Michael Bryan.
“People would get pretty confused about it,” recalled Michael, now a trainer with a 12-horse stable at the Thoroughbred Center training facility in Lexington, Ky. “I’d have to tell them, ‘No, I’m too tall to ride races.’ ”
Michael, 47, is the son of the late Russ Michael, a prominent Lexington-area equine insurance agent and owner-breeder who died suddenly in 1988 at age 54 at his Landmark Farm. His son began working with horses at an early age.
