HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Upstart, the 8-5 morning line favorite, drew the outside post in a field of nine for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby will be run as the final race on a marathon 14-race program which begins at noon.
Trainer Rick Violette was clearly not pleased with Upstart’s post, especially because there is a short run to the first turn in races run at 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Mufajaah, the winner of the first two races in Oaklawn’s route series for fillies and mares, has been retired and is scheduled to be bred to Quality Road, trainer Dan Peitz said Monday. Mufajaah, 4, ran third in the Grade 2, $300,000 Azeri at Oaklawn in her most recent out March 14.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Chris Hartman is having a meet to remember at Oaklawn, where he is tied atop the standings with Steve Asmussen. Both had won 18 races through Tuesday. Hartman, who has sent out 84 starters, has amassed $552,091 in stable earnings.
“We’re having a good meet, the best one to date,” said Hartman, who sent a string to Oaklawn about six years ago, then came in with a full division in 2013.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Mr. Z completed preparations for the Louisiana Derby with an easy half-mile breeze Tuesday at Oaklawn and was scheduled to ship Wednesday to Fair Grounds, said trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The Grade 2, $750,000 Louisiana Derby is the main event on Saturday’s stakes-filled program in New Orleans.
“Mr. Z is getting on the Lukas Express tomorrow morning, driven by D. Wayne himself,” the trainer said of travel arrangements. “We’re going to Louisiana!”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Honor Code, the winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 7, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $400,000 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs, part of the May 1 Kentucky Oaks undercard.
Trainer Shug McGaughey said “two turns and timing” were the major reasons why he chose the Alysheba for Honor Code, who breezed a half-mile in 49.80 seconds at Payson Park on Sunday.
“Even though he came out of it fine, that race has taken something out of him,” McGaughey said of the Gulfstream Park Handicap. “But he came out of his breeze really well.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – On paper, the two horses Dale Romans entered Tuesday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby look out of place. But Romans has reason to believe that both could outrun what figure to be long odds.
Romans entered Indianaughty and Jack Tripp against Upstart, Itsaknockout, and Materiality in the Florida Derby, this track’s major prep for the May 2 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Sunday is the final day of the Laurel Park winter meet, which began Jan. 1. The winter meet immediately followed the fall meet, which ran from Sept. 4 through Dec. 31. Racing returns to Pimlico next Thursday, April 2.
With four days remaining in the Laurel season, jockey Sheldon Russell leads Jevian Toledo 38-36 in the standings. Victor Carrasco is third with 29 wins.
Trevor McCarthy, who swept all three Maryland Jockey Club meets in 2014, only recently resumed riding after breaking a wrist in a December spill. McCarthy is 6 for 25 at Laurel since his return.
Page McKenney just keeps getting better.
Last Saturday, he turned in a strong performance to win the Harrison Johnson Memorial in the mud at Laurel Park by four lengths. The 1 1/8-mile race was basically over at the top of the stretch when he took the lead three wide.
Page McKenney has now won 10 races and $480,000 since trainer Mary Eppler claimed him at Penn National for $16,000 in July 2013.
Last year, it looked as if time was catching up to Russell Road at age 8, but then he jumped up and won the $450,000 West Virginia Breeders’ Classic at Charles Town for a third time and called it a season.
Russell Road returned to the work tab at Charles Town last week – working not once, but twice – and even trainer James W. Casey is a bit surprised by Russell Road’s enthusiasm. Russell Road breezed three furlongs in 37.40 seconds March 13 and then worked a bullet half-mile in 47.00 on March 19.
