Wed, 02/15/2017 - 15:40

Petrov the latest in a line for Moquett

Coady Photography
Petrov (right) worked five-eighths in 1:00.00 Monday at Oaklawn.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Ron Moquett has come up with a quality 3-year-old each of the last two meets at Oaklawn, and it appears he has another such runner in Petrov. Petrov goes Monday in the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes, a race Moquett won in 2015 with Far Right and finished second in last year with Whitmore.

Petrov is a son of Flatter who has made three starts, winning his debut at Churchill Downs, then running second in both the King’s Swan at Aqueduct and the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn in his most recent start Jan. 16.

Wed, 02/15/2017 - 15:16

Caledonian looks set for Jimmy Winkfield

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Lost in the Fog winner Caledonian (3) is set to make his first around two turns in the Gander Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – King Kranz won the Lost in the Fog Stakes for trainer John Terranova in 2016, and Caledonian won the Lost in the Fog for him this year. King Kranz makes his next start in an allowance race Friday at Aqueduct. Caledonian is expected to make his next start in Monday’s $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes here.

Caledonian was entered in the Gander Stakes around two turns on Jan. 28, but he was scratched due to a hind-end muscle pull. But Caledonian returned to the work tab Sunday, breezing a half-mile in 49.95 seconds, and galloped well Wednesday.

Wed, 02/15/2017 - 15:10

Paulassilverlining resumes working

Barbara D. Livingston
The Gallant Bloom is one of four stakes Paulassilverlining won in 2016.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Paulassilverlining, an Eclipse Award finalist in the female sprint division, was back on the work tab Wednesday morning, but it remains to be seen when she will return to the races.

Paulassilverlining breezed a half-mile in 49.10 seconds over the Belmont Park training track Wednesday, just her third breeze since her victory in the Garland of Roses Stakes on Dec. 10 at Aqueduct. At one point, trainer Michelle Nevin was considering pointing Paulassilverlining to Saturday’s Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel, but opted to back off her instead.

Wed, 02/15/2017 - 15:06

Hot City Girl back with her friends in Broadway

Barbara D. Livingston
Hot City Girl will make what could be the final start of her career in the Feb. 18 Broadway for New York-bred fillies and mares.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Hoping to get at least one more victory on her résumé before perhaps being retired, Hot City Girl drops back in with New York-breds when she heads a field of eight entered Wednesday for Saturday’s $100,000 Broadway Stakes at Aqueduct.

At this time last year, Hot City Girl was competing against open company. Following a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 La Brea in December 2015, Hot City Girl ran in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel last February, finishing sixth of seven.

Wed, 02/15/2017 - 14:46

South American import Huracan Americo possible for Fountain of Youth

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Among the paddock schoolers at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday was Huracan Americo, a Group 1 winner in his native Chile at 2 who is currently being pointed toward a possible start in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 4.

Wed, 02/15/2017 - 14:46

Coasted getting in shape for 3-year-old debut

Barbara D. Livingston
Coasted is training at Gulfstream, but no race has yet been targeted for a first start in 2017.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Coasted was one of the surprise stories of last year’s Breeders’ Cup, finishing a fast-closing second while beaten just a half-length by New Money Honey in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Wed, 02/15/2017 - 14:40

Wild Shot will point to Tampa Bay Derby

Tom Keyser
Wild Shot finished fourth in last weekend's Sam F. Davis.

Wild Shot, beaten 3 1/2 lengths when fourth behind McCraken last weekend in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, will return to Tampa Bay Downs for the March 11 Tampa Bay Derby “unless I see no reason not to go,” said trainer Rusty Arnold.

Like McCraken, Wild Shot was making his first start since the Nov. 26 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. A son of Trappe Shot, Wild Shot is based at Payson Park.

Wed, 02/15/2017 - 14:36

Mines and Magic ready to launch comeback in Wild Pearl

Churchill Downs/Coady Photography
Mines and Magic will make her 4-year-old debut going seven furlongs in the Wild Pearl.

Vicki Oliver was all set to finish off a nice 3-year-old season with Mines and Magic when the filly came down with pneumonia, of all things.

“It is unusual for a Thoroughbred to get pneumonia,” Oliver said. “It was a pretty bizarre thing.”

Mines and Magic won the $100,000 Dogwood on Sept. 24 at Churchill Downs as the favorite and was scheduled to run back in the Raven Run at Keeneland.

“Obviously, we had to stop on her a couple of months and miss the Keeneland race,” Oliver said.

Wed, 02/15/2017 - 14:26

Buena Vista at mercy of weather

A strong storm expected to bring plenty of wet weather to Southern California was forecast to hit beginning Friday and lasting through Saturday, and that could impact the Grade 2, $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes for older females, scheduled for one mile on the turf course Saturday.

Wed, 02/15/2017 - 14:26

Arrogate looking good for whatever's next

Barbara D. Livingston
Arrogate works a half-mile in 48.60 under Martin Garcia Tuesday morning at Santa Anita.

While no next race has yet been picked out for Arrogate, it certainly is looking like he’ll be racing again within the next six weeks or so. There had been thought prior to the Pegasus World Cup that he might get a break after that race, but he ran so well that day and came out of it so well that he’s continued right along with his training.

The most obvious and richest option for Arrogate would be the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 25, but trainer Bob Baffert said he’s “not in any hurry to make any call” regarding where Arrogate runs next.