A year ago, Untapable was the queen of the Mother Goose. Entering off a big win in the Kentucky Oaks, she defeated four rivals by more than nine lengths at a nickel on the dollar.
The scenario for this Saturday’s Mother Goose is different, as Larry Jones is tentatively pointing Oaks winner Lovely Maria to the July 11 Delaware Oaks. But while the Grade 1 Mother Goose won’t have a standout, it is not likely to have a large field either.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – At the age of 94, Jerry Bozzo became the oldest trainer ever to win a stakes when Flutterby ran the race of her life to capture the Sea Lily Handicap here last month. On July 5, Bozzo will attempt to become the oldest trainer ever to win a graded stakes when he brings his homebred filly back in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney Handicap.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Before going home to England for a brief vacation, Sophie Doyle left Kentucky with easily the richest win of her riding career.
Doyle won the $68,817 Roxelana Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs aboard 25-1 shot Fioretti for her first stakes win. Doyle, 27, first came to the U.S. in 2011 and worked for trainers Ian Wilkes, Steve Asmussen, and Kellyn Gorder before she rode her first winner here last November for Larry Demeritte.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jockey Victor Lebron returned Sunday at Churchill following a seven-week hiatus in preparation for what he and agent Nelson Arroyo hope will be a productive summer at Ellis Park.
Lebron had not ridden since May 2 at Tampa Bay Downs. A motorcycle aficionado, he has been busy setting up a vehicle-repair and sales business in the Tampa area, according to Arroyo.
“He’s all set up with it now,” said Arroyo. “He and his family have moved back here to Louisville, and he’s ready to get back to riding.”
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Corey Lanerie has been the dominant jockey in recent years at Churchill Downs, but he’s got company atop the standings as the 2015 spring meet winds to a close.
Julien Leparoux has been on a tear, and with just three days to go at the 38-day meet, Lanerie is clinging to a 37-36 lead.
“Everything is going great again,” said Leparoux. “I’m riding good horses for good people. It just goes that way sometimes.”
Larry Jones is beginning to finalize plans for his strong contingent of 3-year-old fillies.
On Monday, he said I’m a Chatterbox was probable for the Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile race at Saratoga on July 26, and that Lovely Maria was likely for the Grade 3, $300,000 Delaware Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on July 11.
Souper Colossal was the best 2-year-old at Monmouth Park last summer, running off three straight victories, including the Sapling and off-the-turf Tyro Stakes. He has made only two starts at 3, both in turf sprints, but trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. is now ready to return him to the main track and stretch him out in the $100,000 Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth on July 11.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A number of potential contenders for the Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap on July 5 got in key workouts over the last several days, including reigning division champ Work All Week, who went five furlongs in 59.40 seconds at the Churchill Downs training center on Sunday.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Owner and trainer Carlo Vaccarezza said he felt like he got “the monkey off my back” after his Grade 1-placed Little Alexis visited the winner’s circle for the first time in nearly a year when outgaming the favored Best Behavior for a well-deserved neck victory in Saturday’s Barely Even Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
