OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Adventist, the third-place finisher in both the Withers and Gotham stakes, and Cadeyrn, an 11-length maiden winner here last month, both put in workouts Friday morning as preparations for the Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial on April 9 began to pick up.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The giant Rainbow 6 jackpot survived a close call Thursday, with four horses alive for the entire jackpot of nearly $3.8 million going into the finale, including With a Kiss, who finished second in the maiden-claiming event on turf.
The last-race winner, Sweet Madea, was not covered among the nine tickets still alive going into the nightcap despite being a shorter price than With a Kiss and being ridden by the meet’s leading jockey, Javier Castellano.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Joel Rosario, who fractured his wrist in a spill during the stretch run of the Melody of Colors Stakes here on Feb. 20, is expected to return to the saddle April 1, his agent, Ron Anderson, said Friday. Anderson said he’s got mounts lined up for Rosario on Florida Derby Day, April 2.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Not only are the two top seeds for the Kentucky Derby, Mohaymen and Nyquist, on course to collide in the $1 million Florida Derby, they also are on similar training schedules, with each turning in his penultimate work Friday for the much-anticipated battle here April 2.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The $75,000 San Pedro Stakes was originally scheduled to be run March 11, but a severe storm that afternoon forced it – and two other races – to be canceled. It was brought back for Sunday’s card and drew a field of seven 3-year-olds, including Denman’s Call, who will try to earn a berth in the Santa Anita Derby.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Beholder has not raced since last fall, when she got sick at Keeneland just before an intended start against American Pharoah in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Given plenty of time to recover, she is now making serious headway toward a return to action, and that return seemed a lot closer after her workout at Santa Anita on Friday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – It was a breakfast with champions on Friday morning at Santa Anita, with Nyquist and Beholder turning in significant works, Nyquist for his showdown with Mohaymen in the Florida Derby on April 2 and Beholder for her comeback later this spring.
The latest capital project at Churchill Downs is nearing completion and will be ready in time for the spring meet, which opens April 30. The $18 million renovation encompasses an overhaul of the Turf Club, stakes room, directors room, and other premium seating locations.
Meanwhile, the Churchill stable area will reopen Monday after the usual winter closure, with the racetrack open for training no later than next Saturday.
Keeneland opened its main track Monday after the winter break as horses start trickling into the stable area for a 16-day spring meet that runs April 8-29.
Keeneland racing secretary Ben Huffman said known candidates for the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes on April 9 include Brody’s Cause, Cocked and Loaded, Donegal Moon, and Laoban.
Airoforce is the most accomplished among a sizable roster of 3-year-olds being pointed to the Grade 3, $500,000 Spiral Stakes on April 2 at Turfway Park.
Trainer Mark Casse said Friday that owner John Oxley will have to supplement Airoforce after an oversight left the colt off the nominations list for the Spiral, a 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race that offers 50 Kentucky Derby eligibility points to the winner.
