ARCADIA, Calif. – Dressed in Hermes, the winner of three stakes on turf, has been entered for Saturday’s $1 million Santa Anita Derby as a likely prep for a turf stakes at Churchill Downs in May.
Trainer Janet Armstrong said on Wednesday that Dressed in Hermes is being pointed for the $300,000 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 7 and not the Kentucky Derby on the same day.
John Servis won his eighth straight race dating back to March 30 when Miss Inclusive took the eighth race at Parx Racing on Tuesday.
Servis had previously gone 4 for 4 at Parx on Monday and 2 for 2 at the Bensalem, Pa., track last Saturday. On March 30, in the sixth race at Penn National, Servis finished first and fourth with Someday Jones and Poised for Action.
Marcus Vitali will base his stable at Laurel Park this summer rather than Monmouth Park, as he has the past three years.
Vitali won 25 races at the Gulfstream Park championship meet, which ended Sunday, to finish third in the trainer standings behind Todd Pletcher and Jorge Navarro. The Stronach Group owns both Gulfstream and Laurel.
“They’re pretty accommodating at Laurel, and my clients and I want to support The Stronach Group,” Vitali said. “They’re doing a lot for the game. I went up to Laurel a few weeks ago and saw a lot of improvements.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – The way Exaggerator ran against Nyquist in the San Vicente Stakes in February, coupled with how strong Nyquist subsequently ran in Florida Derby last Saturday, continues to leave trainer Keith Desormeaux puzzled over Exaggerator’s second start of the year, last month’s San Felipe Stakes, in which he finished third to Danzing Candy and Mor Spirit.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Twentytwentyvision has a score to settle with the starting gate when he returns in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita. The one-mile turf race will be his first start since a messy late scratch on Sept. 27.
A 5-year-old trained by Richard Mandella, Twentytwentyvision was among the favorites last fall in the City of Hope Mile following a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Eddie Read and a highly rated allowance win. But after he loaded into the gate for the City of Hope Mile, it all went wrong.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A spectacular afternoon of racing is on tap for Saturday at Keeneland when the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes caps an 11-race card also highlighted by the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes and Grade 1 Madison.
The $1 million Blue Grass, which offers 170 points (including 100 to the winner) toward eligibility to the May 7 Kentucky Derby, drew an oversubscribed field of 3-year-olds, with Zulu being pegged the 5-2 favorite. He breaks from post 4 in the 1 1/8-mile race. Sixteen will be on the program, although only as many as 14 can start.
A second horse has tested positive for the equine herpesvirus at Parx Racing, which will extend the current quarantine into at least early May.
The 3-year-old filly Monkey Hill was tested for the virus after becoming sick, and on Monday afternoon it was confirmed she had tested positive. Monkey Hill is trained by Michael Aro, the trainer of No Quid Pro Quo, who last Friday was determined to have the herpesvirus. No Quid Pro Quo was sent to the Mid-Atlantic Equine Center in Ringoes, N.J., the middle of last week after becoming ill, and has since died.
Lone Star Park near Dallas will open its 50-date meet Thursday night with a new announcer, an improved purse structure, and later post times. The track will race through July 17.
“We’re going into our 20th season,” said Bart Lang, director of racing for Lone Star.
Jim Byers will be the new voice of Lone Star, taking over for John Lies, who now serves as the racing secretary and announcer for Will Rogers Downs. Byers is familiar with the local booth, having subbed at times for Lies.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – New arrivals have been filing into Keeneland in recent days as momentum continues to build for the spring meet that starts Friday.
Florida Derby winner Nyquist was among the horses taking up residence in the Keeneland stable area over the weekend. The unbeaten colt will train – but not race – here for several weeks before leaving for Churchill Downs, where he is expected to be the favorite for the May 7 Kentucky Derby.
