Happy Is a Choice emerged from his win in the $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes last weekend at Oaklawn Park in good order and has options for his next start, said trainer John Ortiz.
Happy Is a Choice won his second straight sprint stakes, following the Louisville Thoroughbred Society in September at Churchill Downs. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 104 for his Churchill win. Happy Is a Choice put up a 99 in the Ring the Bell.
World traveler Senor Buscador has returned home to New Mexico, where he will prep for the Pegasus World Cup, according to trainer Todd Fincher.
Senor Buscador was second in the Gulfstream Park race last season and from there went on to win the Saudi Cup and run third in the Dubai World Cup. He had spent much of the year based in Southern California.
The Pegasus will be run Jan. 25 at Gulfstream.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Speightful Lily has yet to duplicate her mammoth debut performance from 11 months ago, but her front-running victory Thursday in a second-level New York-bred allowance was a good sign to trainer James Bond.
Speightful Lily, who won her debut last January by 14 1/2 lengths while earning a 95 Beyer Speed Figure, won for the third time in five starts. She had not run since finishing sixth as the 4-5 favorite in a similar spot as Thursday in July at Saratoga.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Kant Hurry Love, who came off a 5 1/2-month layoff to win the Garland of Roses Stakes on Dec. 8, will most likely make her next start in the $100,000 What a Summer Stakes on Jan. 18 at Laurel Park, trainer David Duggan said.
Duggan said the lack of a six-furlong opportunity in New York for Kant Hurry Love is what made him look out of town. The next six-furlong stakes for females in New York is the $125,000 Correction on March 2.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York-bred Mama’s Gold won an open-company second-level allowance race by four lengths on Thursday, earning the same 103 Beyer Speed Figure he did winning the $250,000 Empire Classic on Oct. 27. Both races were run at 1 1/8 miles.
From Oklahoma to Southern California, two of trainer Doug O’Neill’s juveniles face important trials in late-season stakes.
On Friday, Dr. Ruben M, the winner of a maiden race at Santa Anita on Oct. 14, will have his stakes debut in the $300,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park.
On Saturday, Rank, winless in five starts, is scheduled to run in the Grade 2, $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity at 1 1/16 miles.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The month of December has already been a good one for trainer George Weaver, starting with Sacred Wish’s upset victory over Gina Romantica in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar. On Saturday, Weaver is hoping his December will get even better when he sends out the improving Live High Live Low against a full field of 11 other 3-year-olds in the $140,000 Tropical Park Derby.
Top American sprinter Straight No Chaser may be bound for the Middle East in early 2025.
Trainer Dan Blacker said Sunday that Straight No Chaser is an intended starter in the Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint at six furlongs on Feb. 22 in Saudi Arabia. The $2 million race is part of the program that includes the $20 million Saudi Cup.
Blacker said the Group 1 Golden Shaheen, a $2 million race at six furlongs April 5 at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, is another goal.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Bentornato turned in his final major prep for his 2024 finale, the Grade 1 Malibu on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, on Monday morning at the Palm Meadows training center, going six furlongs from the five-eighths pole in 1:13.80, per Daily Racing Form clocker Donald Harris. The move confirmed his status for the Malibu and had trainer Jose D’Angelo brimming with confidence several hours later.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The connections of White Abarrio have announced a slight change in plans for the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner’s next start and final prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational here Jan. 25, opting for the seven-furlong, Grade 3 Mr. Prospector on Dec. 28 rather than the 1 1/16-mile Harlan’s Holiday here one week earlier.
