OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When last seen in New York, Behrnik’s Bank suffered her first defeat, losing a neck decision to Frosty Margarita in a division of the New York Stallion Stakes last December at Aqueduct.
Behrnik’s Bank has returned to New York seeking redemption. Exactly where she will seek it remains a question.
An understandably downcast Peter Eurton was accepting condolences on Sunday morning at Santa Anita, the day after the trainer lost two of his horses following stakes races, one at Oaklawn, one at Santa Anita.
Kyriaki died after running in the Azeri at Oaklawn. Eurton said that the leading theory on her death is that she suffered a severed femoral artery during the race – possibly from a fracture to her pelvis -- and died from internal bleeding later while in her stall.
Sensitively, the second choice on the morning-line in the Grade 3 Las Flores on Sunday at Santa Anita, was scratched in favor of starts in Kentucky in the next couple of months, trainer Phil D’Amato said.
D’Amato said Sensitively and another talented female sprinter he has, Sunday Rules, are among horses he is taking to Keeneland for the spring meet that begins on April 8.
He said his hope is to run Sensitively in an allowance race at Keeneland at the beginning of the meet and then point for the Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs if she runs well.
Swipe, second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall, and Texas Red, who won the Jim Dandy last summer, both moved closer to their 2016 debuts with demanding workouts on Saturday morning at Santa Anita for trainer Keith Desormeaux.
Swipe went six furlongs from the gate in 1:12.80 as the pace of his drills accelerates toward his first start of the year. He has not run since the Breeders’ Cup, and Desormeaux has said that if Swipe progressed to his satisfaction there was a chance he would try to run in one Kentucky Derby prep in a Hail Mary bid to get into the May 7 Derby.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Tara’s Tango and Taris, the one-two finishers in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, both came out of the race well, but will head in different directions for their next starts.
Tara’s Tango will remain around two turns, with the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 15 at Oaklawn Park under serious consideration, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Sunday morning. The 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita was her first Grade 1 win.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Cupid caught a shuttle to the airport right after training hours ended on Sunday at Oaklawn Park, headed home to Santa Anita following his Saturday win in the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel Stakes.
He could be back soon.
Trainer Bob Baffert said once Cupid gets home he'll evaluate him and then decide on a final prep for the Kentucky Derby on May 7, with a likely target the Arkansas Derby on April 16 because it gives Cupid an extra week compared with his other options, the Santa Anita Derby or Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, both on April 9.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Swipe, second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall, and Texas Red, who won the Jim Dandy Stakes last summer, both moved closer to their 2016 debuts with demanding workouts on Saturday morning at Santa Anita for trainer Keith Desormeaux.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With his trio of Kentucky Derby candidates bedded down at Belmont Park, trainer Chad Brown traveled from Florida to New York for a quick visit to oversee Saturday morning workouts for the three as they prepare for important final prep races.
Shagaf, the winner of the Grade 3 Gotham; Flexibility, the winner of the Grade 3 Jerome; and My Man Sam, an impressive maiden winner and allowance runner-up, all breezed at Belmont on Saturday.
Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said he’s still puzzled over the ninth-place finish by Dads Caps in the Grade 3 Tom Fool last week, but he doesn’t see anything physically wrong with the 6-year-old horse and still plans to run him in the Grade 1 Carter on April 9. Dads Caps has won the previous two runnings of the Carter, his only two wins over the last 27 months.
