OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Stallwalkin’ Dude, second as the favorite in the Grade 3 General George last Saturday at Laurel Park, is still being pointed to the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 25, trainer David Jacobson said Thursday.
Jacobson said Stallwalkin’ Dude came out of the General George “excellent,” and Jacobson is doing all the preparatory paperwork and blood work to ship Stallwalkin’ Dude to Dubai on March 14.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Luis Contreras will leave Santa Anita after Saturday’s program.
Contreras is scheduled to begin riding at Oaklawn Park after Saturday and will remain there through the end of that track’s meeting in mid-April, according to his agent, Craig O’Bryan. Contreras will ride the rest of the year at Woodbine in Canada, where he has been among the leading riders in recent years.
Through Monday, Contreras was tied for 10th in the jockey standings at Santa Anita with nine wins.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Drefong, the champion sprinter of 2016, will not be sent to Dubai for the $2 million Golden Shaheen for sprinters on March 25, trainer Bob Baffert said on Thursday.
Drefong has not raced since winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint here last November and is only in light training, Baffert said.
“I’m not going to take him,” Baffert said. “I’m not breezing him, just training him.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Finest City, the champion female sprinter of 2016, is scheduled to start in the longest dirt race of her career in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on March 18.
On Thursday at Santa Anita, Finest City worked six furlongs in 1:13.40. Following the workout, trainer Ian Kruljac confirmed race plans for Finest City, who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint here in November and her only start this year in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs Jan. 21.
Southern California-based trainer Doug O’Neill has entered a pair of notable 3-year-olds for stakes at Sunland Park on Sunday. The $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby is the local stepping-stone to next month’s Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby, and O’Neill has entered Irap.
Irap is coming off a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita and last year was second to Mastery in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity. Mario Gutierrez has the mount for Reddam Racing.
Guest Suite, who won the Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 21 in his 3-year-old debut, had his final Risen Star workout on Tuesday, going a half-mile in 48 seconds. On a damp, drizzly morning, trainer Neil Howard did not hesitate to work Guest Suite over a wet, sealed Fair Grounds surface.
“On this racetrack, very rarely does anything get in your way of training,” Howard said.
NEW ORLEANS – The first multistakes card of any significance at the Fair Grounds meet on Dec. 17 sounded a steady drumbeat of Brad Cox-trained stakes winners. Green Mask won the Bonapaw, Cash Control won the Blushing K. D., and Western Reserve won the Buddy Diliberto.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Agapito Delgadillo was found to have a hairline fracture of his collarbone on Tuesday, two days after he was involved in a one-horse spill at Santa Anita and later won the $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes on Cuddle Alert.
Delgadillo was scheduled to undergo further medical tests late this week, according to his agent, Sue McBrayer. On Wednesday, it was unclear how long Delgadillo will be sidelined.
“He’s not riding this week, definitely,” McBrayer said.
Page McKenney emerged unscathed from his adventurous journey in the John B. Campbell Stakes at Laurel Park last Saturday, according to trainer Mary Eppler.
Page McKenney finished second in the 1 1/8-mile Campbell while making his second start following a nine-month layoff.
“He’s perfect,” Eppler said. “He came out of the race like his old self. His legs are ice cold and tight.”
Bodhisattva launched a wide bid from last to overpower Page McKenney from the outside in upper stretch. He won by 3 3/4 lengths after lagging far behind the field on the backstretch.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, out since December after undergoing hip-replacement surgery, is moving closer to a comeback.
On Wednesday at Santa Anita, Stevens rode his first workout since being cleared by doctors to resume exercise. Stevens rode Pioneerof the West for trainer Vladimir Cerin through a five-furlong workout in 1:03.80.
“I feel better than expected,” Stevens said. “I’m not blowing like I thought I would. I feel good.”
