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.
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DRF Past Performances
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.
NEW ORLEANS – Guest Suite did not appear to maximally extend himself winning the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds, and his trainer, Neil Howard, saw nothing to contradict that impression Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Guest Suite had cleaned his feed tub and was acting like his typically energetic self on Sunday. Nearly all horses that race don’t train the following day, and Guest Suite was no exception Sunday, but Howard doesn’t plan to give Guest Suite many more days off.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Eragon, the Argentinian-bred multiple Group 1 winner who will represent James McIngvale in the Pegasus World Cup next Saturday, turned in his final major prep for the race by going five furlongs in 1:02.34 with Edgar Prado aboard Sunday at Gulfstream Park.
Trainer Chad Brown has circled the first Saturday in March as the likely time to get Practical Joke under way for his pre-Derby campaign.
Brown Sunday morning said the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, or the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct -- both on March 4, both at 1 1/16 miles -- are the races under consideration for Practical Joke’s first start since he finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
“Those are the two we’ve zeroed in on,” Brown said.
The undefeated McCraken, who along with Classic Empire is one of the top Kentucky Derby prospects based in South Florida this winter, is scheduled to make his first start at age 3 in the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 11, trainer Ian Wilkes said Sunday morning.
Wilkes said he wants to start off at Tampa because he doesn’t want to “take him out of his game” by running McCraken at Gulfstream over a surface that might not be as conducive to his style.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Classic Empire, named the champion 2-year-old male Saturday night at the Eclipse Awards dinner, is set to make his first start as a 3-year-old in the Grade 2, $350,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream on Feb. 4 according to his trainer, Mark Casse.
Classic Empire worked five furlongs from the gate in 1:00.75 Saturday morning, his third work at Palm Meadows this month. He is scheduled to work again next weekend.
“As long as everything’s good he’s a go,” Casse said.
Shaman Ghost didn’t get a chance to run against Arrogate and California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic after running a slight temperature just before the race, but he’s set to meet them Saturday in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream after working a half-mile in 47.60 seconds at Palm Meadows on Sunday.
“He went nice, especially for going by himself,” said his trainer, Jimmy Jerkens. “Usually you have to ride him a lot.”
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Fresh off a second straight Eclipse Award as champion female turf horse Saturday night, Tepin on Sunday morning was preparing for her 2017 campaign with a half-mile grass workout at Palm Meadows in 47.80 seconds that left trainer Mark Casse believing the Grade 3, $150,000 Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 11 is within reach for her first start of the year.