HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Last year’s 3-year-old filly champion, Untapable, is confirmed for a start in the Grade 1, $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap, trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. She breezed a half-mile earlier in the day in her final prep for the 1 1/16-mile race, which will be run Friday at Oaklawn Park.
“We’re a go,” Asmussen said Monday afternoon after firming up plans with owners Winchell Thoroughbreds.
Asmussen said John Velazquez has the mount on Untapable.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said he would like to get Gazelle Stakes winner Condo Commando to Churchill Downs early, possibly in time to put in two workouts over the track in preparation for the May 1 Kentucky Oaks.
“Everybody says it’s important to train over the track, so we’ll try to do that,” Rodriguez said Monday morning. “If we can give her two works there, that would be good.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though disappointed in El Kabeir’s third-place finish in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial, owner Ahmed Zayat said Monday he is leaning toward running the horse in the Kentucky Derby.
“If you ask me today, I’d say 80 percent we should go,” Zayat said by phone Monday afternoon. “For the trainer, for the horse, they deserve a chance.”
El Kabeir, trained by John Terranova, certainly has enough qualifying points to get into the Kentucky Derby based on his victories in the Kentucky Jockey Club last fall and the Jerome and Gotham this year.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Even with the last four races canceled Friday because of drastic weather conditions, all-sources wagering for the first two days of the Keeneland meet was barely down in comparison to the same two days at the 2014 spring meet.
On 17 races, Keeneland handled $20,161,278, down just 1.5 percent from last year, when 20 races were run. Combined ontrack handle of $2,467,740 was down 16 percent, while attendance was down 20 percent, with only 12,527 turning out Friday amid nasty conditions and 26,357 here Saturday.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The first race of the year in Kentucky for 2-year-olds is carded as the Wednesday opener at Keeneland, and to the surprise of no one, Wesley Ward has two of the likely favorites among his uncoupled pair of Bruised Orange and Love the Kitten.
“I like them both a lot,” said Ward, who has won a remarkable 39 races for 2-year-olds at Keeneland since 2007.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Stephanie’s Kitten is among the 30 nominees to the Jenny Wiley on Saturday at Keeneland, but owner Ken Ramsey and trainer Chad Brown are intent on running her instead against male rivals in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on the May 2 Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs.
“My dad really wants to win the Eclipse [for female turf horse] with her this year,” said Jeff Ramsey, an employee of the family farm. “Running a big race against the boys would be a good way to get a leg up on that.”
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The first two days of the Keeneland spring meet produced plenty of news and adventure, but wait, there’s more. Seven stakes will be run this coming weekend, including a pair of Grade 1 races, a last-gasp Kentucky Derby prep, and the return of the unbeaten filly Lady Eli.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Mr. Z breezed a half-mile Monday at Oaklawn Park in preparation for a possible start in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said conversations are being held with owner Ahmed Zayat and his family concerning a potential start in Saturday’s race. Entries for the Arkansas Derby will be taken on Wednesday.
“I’m hoping that Mr. Z will let us run Mr. Z,” Lukas said Monday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Beholder, the two-time champion, will have her first start since September in Friday’s $75,000 Santa Lucia Stakes at Santa Anita.
On Sunday, Beholder was supplemented to the Santa Lucia Stakes for $1,500 by trainer Richard Mandella, the second consecutive year in which he supplemented Beholder to the same restricted stakes for fillies and mares.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Stellar Wind is bound for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 1 after her comprehensive win in the $400,500 Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday. She may be the only runner from that field bound for the lucrative race for 3-year-old fillies.
On Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert said the runner-up Luminance will be sent to Churchill Downs, but her participation in the Kentucky Oaks is uncertain.
Stellar Wind is unbeaten in two starts this year and will be a leading contender and possibly the favorite for the Kentucky Oaks, which is run at 1 1/8 miles.
