HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Cosmic Evolution, who won her maiden in last year’s $100,000 Debutante at Churchill Downs, is on pace to make her two-turn debut in the Grade 3, $150,000 Honeybee on March 12 at Oaklawn Park, said trainer Lon Wiggins.
Cosmic Evolution won a first-level allowance on Feb. 6 at Oaklawn in her first out since August. She tracked the pace and went on to a 1 1/4-length win under regular rider Calvin Borel.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Street Strategy, who won the $100,000 Fifth Season during opening weekend at Oaklawn Park in his first start since the Breeders’ Cup, will miss the balance of the meet, according to trainer Randy Morse.
Street Strategy has a foot injury and likely will return to action later this year in Kentucky,” Morse said.
NEW ORLEANS – The Nov. 28 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes has aged well so far. Second-place Mor Spirit has returned to win two graded stakes and ranks among the leading California-based 3-year-olds, while third-place Mo Tom was a convincing winner of the Lecomte Stakes last month at Fair Grounds. Mo Tom is back Saturday for the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes, and even more will be known about the Kentucky Jockey Club with the first- and fourth-place finishers, Airoforce and Gun Runner, also in the Risen Star.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The claiming box is getting a workout this season at Oaklawn Park. It’s just a month into the meet, and already 179 horses have changed hands through Sunday. The total claiming commerce between stables has reached $2.6 million.
Highlights include a 16-way shake for Big Sugarush in the second race last Saturday. Later on the same program, there was an 11-way shake for Bad Student. Big Sugarush was in for a claiming price of $5,000 and Bad Student for $12,500. Earlier in the meet, seven horses were claimed from the fourth race Jan. 28, each for $16,000.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With the undefeated pair of Mohaymen and Awesome Banner the two marquee names expected for the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on Feb. 27, there is a tendency to forget some of the other talented 3-year-olds targeting the important Kentucky Derby prep, including Awesome Speed, who will bring a three-race win streak into the race.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The Fred “Cappy” Capossela Stakes will not be run in 2016. It did not draw enough entries when originally scheduled for Feb. 6 and was pushed back to Feb. 14. A field of six was entered for that day, but Sunday’s card was canceled due to extreme cold.
Now, New York Racing Association officials fear that a further delay would put the race too close to the $125,000 Jimmy Winkfield on March 6 – like the Capossela a sprint for 3-year-olds –so the decision was made not to card the race.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Sunny Ridge, who made a successful 3-year-old debut in winning the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Jan. 30, will make his next start in the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes here on March 5, trainer Jason Servis said Monday.
“I kind of thought it might be a little softer than the Wood,” Servis said when asked about choosing the Gotham as opposed to waiting for the Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial on April 9. “We’ll go from there.”
A majority interest in Riker, who won the Grey Stakes at Woodbine last year and is expected to win the Sovereign Award as Canada’s top 2-year-old male of 2015, has been purchased by Team Valor International and owner Gary Barber, Team Valor announced on Monday.
Riker will be transferred to trainer Mark Casse. He had been trained by Nick Gonzalez.
According to Team Valor, current owners Carlo and Lou Tucci will retain a 25 percent interest in Riker.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Smokey Image had his first work since winning the Jan. 30 California Cup Derby – and his first in preparation for next month’s San Felipe Stakes – when he worked a half-mile in 47.20 seconds Monday morning at Santa Anita under jockey Victor Espinoza.
The work was a bit faster than planned by trainer Carla Gaines, owing to the Gary Mandella-trained unraced maiden Heartifix beginning a three-furlong work when Smokey Image was an eighth of a mile into his breeze, but Smokey Image went easily throughout.
