Mon, 01/18/2016 - 15:40

Alto Belle to face six in Busanda

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Flora Dora, owned by Coffeepot Stables and trained by Marialice Coffey, wins the My Dear Girl Stakes at Gulfstream Park. She is the only stakes winner in the Demoiselle.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Alto Belle, an 18 1/2-length winner of a maiden race at Aqueduct in November, heads a field of seven entered for Saturday’s $100,000 Busanda Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

The Busanda, run at a mile and 70 yards, is the first of three races on this circuit that offer qualifying points to the Kentucky Oaks on May 6 at Churchill Downs.

Alto Belle is trained by Todd Pletcher, who has won three straight and four of the last five runnings of the Busanda. In 2013, he won it with Princess of Sylmar, who went on to win the Kentucky Oaks.

Mon, 01/18/2016 - 15:40

Constellation will stick with short game

Susie Raisher/NYRA
Constellation coasted to a 10-length win in the Ruthless on Sunday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With the owners of Constellation, who won the Ruthless Stakes by 10 lengths on Sunday, having other fillies such as Nickname and Inheritance to attempt the longer races, Constellation likely will be kept sprinting. The next sprint stakes on the calendar at Aqueduct is the $125,000 Cicada at six furlongs on March 26.

Mon, 01/18/2016 - 15:40

Davis faces father's worst fear

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Having three children follow his career path is both a source of pride and fear for the retired jockey Robbie Davis. On Sunday, the fear factor ratcheted up several notches when two of his children were involved in a three-horse spill in the ninth race at Aqueduct.

Mon, 01/18/2016 - 15:40

Optional claimer might yield Florida Oaks fillies

OLDSMAR, Fla. – A couple of fillies coming off smart maiden victories will make their 3-year-old debuts Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs and could emerge as contenders for the Grade 3 Florida Oaks here March 12.

Mon, 01/18/2016 - 15:40

Tepin tops group of Casse workers

Nikki Sherman
Tepin worked a half-mile in 49 seconds Monday. Her second work since arriving at Palm Meadows after winning the Breeders' Cup Mile.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Fresh off capturing the first Eclipse Award of his career Saturday night, trainer Mark Casse on Monday was gearing up for what he hopes will be a big 2016. He worked Tepin, the champion turf female of 2015, along with another Breeders’ Cup winner, Catch a Glimpse, as well as the 3-year-old Conquest Big E, all part of a busy morning at Palm Meadows.

Mon, 01/18/2016 - 15:40

Optional claimer might yield Florida Oaks fillies

OLDSMAR, Fla. – A couple of fillies coming off smart maiden victories will make their 3-year-old debuts Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs and could emerge as contenders for the Grade 3 Florida Oaks here March 12.

Mon, 01/18/2016 - 15:40

Optional claimer might yield Florida Oaks fillies

OLDSMAR, Fla. – A couple of fillies coming off smart maiden victories will make their 3-year-old debuts Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs and could emerge as contenders for the Grade 3 Florida Oaks here March 12.

Sun, 01/17/2016 - 18:17

Trainer Velasquez ponders future after selling home near Santa Anita

ARCADIA, Calif. - Danny Velasquez is a trainer on the move.

Recently, Velasquez and his wife Sharon sold their home near Santa Anita and bought one in Carlsbad, Calif., just north of Del Mar. The move will take place in March, and Velasquez said he will spend the next several weeks thinking about his future . He said on Sunday he is considering keeping a few stalls at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in San Diego County, not far from Carlsbad.

Sun, 01/17/2016 - 18:11

Zenyatta's son Ziconic may be ready for debut next month

ARCADIA, Calif. - Ziconic, a 3-year-old Tapit colt out of 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, is likely to make his career debut before the end of February.

Sunday at Santa Anita, Ziconic worked five furlongs in 1:02.20 under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. Ziconic worked in company with two stablemates.

Trainer John Shirreffs said he has seen steady progress from Ziconic in recent months.

“He’s got to get okayed from the gate and he needs a nice six furlongs and he’ll be ready to run,” Shirreffs said. “It will be within a month, I think.”

Sun, 01/17/2016 - 18:08

Street Fancy gets green light for Las Virgenes

Benoit & Associates
Street Fancy wound up with trainer Phil D'Amato after bidding at the Barretts Select sale failed to meet her reserve price of $419,000.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Street Fancy was pronounced fit for her 3-year-old debut in the $300,000 Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 6 after a five-furlong workout in 1:01.80 at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Street Fancy has not raced since winning the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Street Fancy will face a stern test in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile. The race is also a target for Songbird, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2015.

D’Amato said that Street Fancy has thrived since the Starlet, which was run at 1 1/16 miles.