Wed, 03/09/2016 - 15:16

Wavell Avenue skipping Inside Information

Barbara D. Livingston

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Grade 2 Inside Information, to be decided at seven furlongs March 19, attracted 18 nominations, led by Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue. But trainer Chad Brown said it’s “highly unlikely” that she will run.

Brown said he’ll probably bring Wavell Avenue back in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland on April 9.

“If there were more time between races, I might have run her in both,” said Brown. “But they are too close together to try to do that.”

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 15:16

Silks Run attracts top turf sprinters

Barbara D. Livingston
Power Alert's time winning the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint was 57.74 seconds. His time was .39 faster than Lady Shipman's winning time in the Ladies' Turf Sprint Stakes, earlier in the day at Gulfstream.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Saturday’s $75,000 Silks Run Stakes will feature a rematch between two of the top turf sprinters in the area, Power Alert and Amelia’s Wild Ride. The pair finished first and second, a neck apart, in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint on Feb. 6.

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 15:06

Heart to Heart taking shot at $6 million Dubai Turf

Barbara D. Livingston
Heart to Heart, ridden by Julien Leparoux, wins the Grade 3 Canadian Turf by 2 1/2 lengths Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Heart to Heart, the winner of the Canadian Turf and Fort Lauderdale stakes here earlier in the meet, will make his next start in the $6 million Dubai Turf on March 26 at Meydan.

After conferring with owner Terry Hamilton, trainer Brian Lynch said the decision was made to accept the invitation tended to Heart to Heart late last week.

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 14:56

Madefromlucky ships up for Stymie

Coady Photography
Madefromlucky wins the West Virginia Derby by 1 1/2 lengths Saturday at Mountaineer Racetrack.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Madefromlucky, the runner-up to stablemate Tommy Macho in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap last November at Aqueduct, has returned to New York and will be aimed at Sunday’s $125,000 Stymie Stakes, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Madefromlucky has made his last two starts at Gulfstream Park, finishing second to Valid in the Harlan’s Holiday on Dec. 12 and last of eight to stablemate Mshawish in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 6.

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 14:56

Green Gratto waiting for Carter

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Green Gratto, winning the Gravesend, finished third in the Toboggan last Saturday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – One horse whose absence was conspicuous from the entry box for Saturday’s Tom Fool Handicap is Green Gratto, the New Jersey-bred gelding who won the Fall Highweight and Gravesend last fall.

Trainer and part-owner Gaston Grant said he will train Green Gratto up to the Grade 1 Carter at Aqueduct on April 9. Green Gratto finished second to Dads Caps in last year’s Carter at odds of 53-1.

Since winning the Gravesend on Dec. 26, Green Gratto has finished third in the Grade 3 Toboggan on Jan. 30 and fourth in the Grade 3 General George at Laurel on Feb. 15.

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 14:50

Tom Fool has familiar look

Michael Amoruso
Salutos Amigos is being freshened and then will be pointed to the Forego at Saratoga.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The familiar foes Salutos Amigos and Dads Caps renew acquaintances at Aqueduct on Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap, a race in which they finished one-two last year.

Salutos Amigos and Dads Caps were two of 11 horses entered Wednesday for the Tom Fool, including a trio of runners from the Chris Englehart stable.

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 14:36

Odd-looking filly Painting the Sky can run

Coady Photography
Painting the Sky may resemble a Paint, but she's a Thoroughbred.

Those who watched the sixth race at Delta Downs on Feb. 20 might have thought that a Paint horse won the maiden special weight race at the Vinton, La., track. But Painting the Sky is all Thoroughbred, and the 3-year-old filly with unusual markings will be back in action Friday night. She again runs in the sixth race, a first-level allowance on the penultimate card of the meet.

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 13:50

Calculator may have found niche in San Carlos

Shigeki Kikkawa
Calculator wins an optional-claiming race at Santa Anita on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – This might be the year Calculator reaches his potential.

Last month, the 4-year-old Calculator returned from a 13-month layoff to win an optional claimer here at seven furlongs. On Saturday, he starts in the $300,000 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs.

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 12:46

Lost Bus prepping for Great Lady M. Stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa
Lost Bus, claimed for $32,000 in November, scored by a head over Finest City in the $200,000 Santa Monica.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Lost Bus needs action.

A 4-year-old filly, Lost Bus has not started since winning the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes in a 64-1 upset Jan. 23. She starts in an optional claimer at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Friday that trainer Gary Sherlock envisions as a prep for the $200,000 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos on April 23.

“I’m ready to run her,” Sherlock said on Wednesday.

Wed, 03/09/2016 - 12:36

Laurel: Live racing resumes Friday

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Trevor McCarthy has ridden 31 winners so far this season in Maryland.

Racing returns to Maryland following a 3 1/2-week hiatus on Friday and will continue at the Maryland Jockey Club tracks of Laurel Park and Pimlico for the remainder of the year, excluding an 18-day break in late August and early September for the Maryland State Fair meet at Timonium.

Laurel, which opens Friday, will continue through Mother’s Day, May 8, the day after the Kentucky Derby. Pimlico will open the following Thursday, host the May 21 Preakness, and race through June 26. Laurel will then run the rest of the year, excluding the seven-day Timonium session.