Oaklawn Park on Wednesday announced a purse increase for overnight races and three stakes – the Honeybee, Azeri, and Razorback – a move that pushes average daily purses for the meet close to $500,000.
The Grade 3 Honeybee on March 12 will now be worth $200,000, up from $150,000. The purses for the Grade 2 Azeri and Grade 3 Razorback each have been boosted from $300,000 to $350,000. The Azeri and Razorback will share a card with the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel on March 19.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Leading jockey Rafael Bejarano will appeal a three-day suspension given to him by track stewards on Feb. 11 for an incident in the first race Feb. 7, according to his agent, Tora Yamaguchi.
Bejarano was suspended for Sunday’s program and Feb. 25-26 but will continue riding while the appeal process is ongoing. Bejarano was cited for causing interference aboard All That Heat on Feb. 7. All That Heat set the pace in a maiden race on turf but faded to seventh. The stewards did not conduct an inquiry into the race.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Mor Spirit, the sharp winner of the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6, worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds on Wednesday for an expected start in the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes here on March 12.
Ridden by Martin Garcia, Mor Spirit worked with stablemate Uninvited, starting two lengths behind. Mor Spirit moved alongside Uninvited on the turn. They raced together through the stretch.
Trainer Bob Baffert said Mor Spirit galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 and could have done more if he had been urged.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Her Emmynency is the only probable starter in Saturday’s $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita with a Grade 1 win in her last start, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland last October.
Since then, Her Emmynency has switched trainers – going from Mike Stidham to Kristin Mulhall – and battled a throat infection that kept her sidelined briefly last fall.
Trainer Tim Keefe has a nice prospect in Great Soul, the winner of Monday’s Wide Country Stakes, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.
Great Soul is now 2 for 3 after overcoming a testing trip to take the Wide Country by a half-length. After bobbling at the start, she quickly recovered and moved up into a contending position along the inside. Jockey Trevor McCarthy had nowhere to go until the stretch, where he split horses and took her back down toward the rail. She continued with determination for the win.
Mike Trombetta’s stable has been on a roll at Laurel Park and since Jan. 29 has won with 10 of 28 starters. Trombetta is tied for third in the trainers’ standings and, as often is the case, leads in purse earnings.
On Monday, Trombetta won the Miracle Wood Stakes with the 3-year-old Marengo Road. On Jan. 30, he won the Conniver Stakes with Candida H. Marengo Road raced for Harry C. Meyerhoff, who had died four days earlier, and his son, Tom. Candida H. races for the Fitzhugh LLC of Harry’s brother, Robert E. Meyerhoff.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- Suddenbreakingnews remains a candidate for the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel next month at Oaklawn Park after emerging from his win in the track’s Southwest Stakes in good order, trainer Donnie Von Hemel said on Tuesday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Nyquist came out of his victory on Monday in the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita in good order and will target the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream on April 2 for his final prep for the May 7 Kentucky Derby, trainer Doug O’Neill said Tuesday morning.
Nyquist, the champion 2-year-old male of last year, remained perfect in six starts with his victory in the San Vicente, in which he earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 100.
NEW ORLEANS – There were a surprising number of entrants last Friday for the Rachel Alexandra Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, and equally surprising, the nine-horse field might remain intact. Shaken, who won her only start, a sprint, worked well over the weekend, and a decision on whether she’ll start won’t be made until Saturday, trainer Mike Stidham said.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Call Pat emerged from her last-to-first effort in the Grade 3, $100,000 Bayakoa on Sunday at Oaklawn Park in good order, Cox said Monday. She won her second stakes race, following the Grade 3 Groupie Doll last August at Ellis Park, and earned one of her best Beyer Speed Figures, an 89.
“She’s come out of the race really well,” Cox said. “The Azeri will be what we’ll point for.”
The Grade 2, $300,000 Azeri will be run March 19 at Oaklawn. Call Pat was a half-length winner of the Bayakoa under a well-timed ride by Joe Rocco Jr.
