CYPRESS, Calif. – An eager California Chrome worked a half-mile in 48.20 seconds at Los Alamitos on Thursday, an exercise that trainer Art Sherman pushed forward to avoid an expected weekend rainstorm.
The workout was the second-to-last for California Chrome at Los Alamitos before departing for Florida on Jan. 6 for the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. California Chrome will be retired to stud in Kentucky after the Pegasus on Jan. 28.
Farrell, the good-looking winner of the Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs in her most recent start, worked a half-mile Wednesday morning in 48.80 seconds at Fair Grounds. Farrell hadn’t breezed in 11 days, but trainer Wayne Catalano said the gap between works came mainly because of the timing of Christmas.
“She just went easy by herself. Worked great. Went on out a bit and worked more like 4 1/2 [furlongs], really,” Catalano said.
Farrell will skip the Silverbulletday Stakes on Jan. 21 to point for the Rachel Alexandra on Feb. 25.
Savings Account and Kathballu, who were dominant stakes winners on the Delta Downs Jackpot undercard Nov. 19, have contrasting plans over the next few months.
Savings Account won the $200,000 Treasure Chest at Delta. Craig Bernick, who co-owns the 5-year-old mare with Heider Family Stables, said she is scheduled to be sold at the January sale at Keeneland. Savings Account won six races at six different tracks for the partnership.
Valadorna, the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in her most recent start, has settled into Mark Casse’s barn at Fair Grounds after getting a brief rest in Florida and is nearing her first timed workout of the winter.
“She’s been there about 10 days,” Casse said Tuesday night. “We’re getting ready to breeze her in the next couple days.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Michael Tomlinson was not concerned when the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector was postponed Monday because of a lack of entries. But should the Grade 3 event not fill a second time when it is brought back for Sunday, then Tomlinson may find himself with bit of a problem.
Tomlinson is pointing Candip to the Mr. Prospector and said the more time between races, the better for the horse. But only up to a point.
Donegal Racing and the brothers Jerry and Ronnie Frankel have reached a partnership agreement to start Donegal’s Keen Ice in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in south Florida on Jan. 28, the partners said on Wednesday.
Jerry Frankel, who purchased a starting slot in the Pegasus for $1 million earlier this year with his brother, declined to provide details about the partnership agreement but said it was a “one-off” applicable only to the Pegasus. The Frankels had been searching for a horse for their Pegasus slot for several months, Jerry Frankel said.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – King Kranz became the first stakes winner on this circuit in 2016, winning the Lost in the Fog Stakes on New Year’s Day at Aqueduct. Away from the races for the last five months, King Kranz is working his way toward a return to action later this winter.
On Wednesday, King Kranz worked four furlongs in 49.71 seconds over the Belmont Park training track. He worked in company with Not Taken and got his final quarter in 24.07 seconds. It was his fourth work back since getting a break following a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga on July 30.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While his top New York-bred older route horse, Royal Posse, awaits the Jazil Stakes here on Jan. 14, trainer Rudy Rodriguez will still be well represented in Saturday’s $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes with Good Luck Gus and Becker’s Galaxy.
A field of seven was entered Wednesday for the Robb, a 1 1/16-mile race for New York-bred 3-year-olds and up, including last year’s winner, Empire Dreams.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After flashy wins sprinting in his last two starts, El Areeb will get his first opportunity to stretch out around two turns in Monday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.
El Areeb, a son of Exchange Rate, completed preparations for the Jerome on Wednesday morning by working six furlongs in 1:15 at Laurel Park, where trainer Cal Lynch is based.
“The further, the better the way he’s training,” Lynch said. “We always thought he wanted to go longer.”
The Jerome is run at a mile and 70 yards.
Oaklawn Park newcomer Declan Cannon started getting on horses at the Hot Springs, Ark., track on Wednesday, according to his agent, Cory Prewitt.
“He breezed a few horses this morning,” Prewitt said.
Cannon on Tuesday traveled to Oaklawn, which begins its meet Jan. 13.
Cannon had been riding at Tampa Bay Downs, where he went 5 for 19 in December for a 26 percent strike rate. Earlier in the year, he was based in Kentucky, and the wins he had there for outfits that spend the winter at Oaklawn led to the decision to base in Hot Springs, said Prewitt.
