ARCADIA, Calif. – Mici’s Express won his 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s $188,000 California Cup Derby for statebreds at Santa Anita.
But instead of being a prep for a challenging start in a graded stakes in coming weeks or months, Mici’s Express is going to the sidelines.
“I’ll turn him out for awhile,” trainer Steve Knapp said on Sunday. “He’s run hard enough. He deserves time off.”
Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., has canceled Sunday’s card due to a forecast calling for freezing temperatures, the track announced during the races Saturday. There is a winter storm watch in effect for the county, starting at 12 p.m. Central on Sunday and continuing through 6 p.m. on Monday, according to AccuWeather.
Kopion, the unbeaten 3-year-old filly who has won two starts in sprints by more than nine lengths, will start at a mile in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 4, a new distance that trainer Richard Mandella hopes will lead to seven-figure races this spring.
Kopion won a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs by 3 3/4 lengths at Del Mar in November, and her stakes debut with an easy win by 5 3/4 lengths at 1-5 in the Grade 3 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita last Sunday.
Jockey Drayden Van Dyke returns to riding after a self-imposed hiatus for the first time in three months at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Van Dyke has two mounts on the nine-race program, both for trainer Bob Baffert – Apple Fest in a maiden race on turf in the third race, and Fast and Shiny in the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course in the seventh race.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - The second invitation list for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 27 was released Wednesday with Dynamic One having been added to the group of 12 invitees with the defection of Subsanador, who is no longer under consideration of the race, according to trainer John Sadler.
Dynamic One’s main claim to fame is his popular victory in the Grade 2 Suburban at Belmont Park in July 2022. He has started just twice since and returned from a 15 1/2-month layoff to finish a disappointing fifth as the 3-2 favorite in a one-mile allowance event here on Dec. 22.
A group of five California-breds trained by Steve Specht were on a van from Golden Gate Fields to Santa Anita on Wednesday morning when the trip came to a standstill on Interstate-5 because of a traffic accident that closed the freeway.
“The horses are just standing there,” said Specht, who was driving in a different vehicle. “It’s cold. It’s 37 degrees.”
Specht is hoping his quintet have better journeys when they start in stakes for statebreds on Saturday’s California Cup program at Santa Anita.
Too Much Kiki’s win in the Darby’s Daughter division of the Texas Stallion Stakes on Saturday launched what could be a very productive Sam Houston meet for the Texas-bred daughter of Too Much Bling.
She is eligible for a number of restricted stakes throughout the season that runs into April.
“We’ve always liked her, been very high on her,” said trainer Bret Calhoun. “She started out at Lone Star, did well, and we ended up just giving her time off, pointing for this series of races at Sam Houston.”
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The millionaire Mr. Wireless won his maiden at a mile at Oaklawn Park in 2021 and last week his 3-year-old half-brother Goldbrick did the same, rallying from well off the pace to win by a neck and earn a Beyer Speed Figure of 82.
“Goldbrick’s family has been good to us, kind of been the gift that keeps giving,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “He looks like another good one.”
Too Much Kiki had an elite rider on her back last Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park when she won a $75,000 division of the Texas Stallion Stakes under Fernando Jara.
That’s the same Jara who won the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2007 Dubai World Cup with Invasor and the 2006 Belmont Stakes with Jazil. The 36-year-old native of Panama is now based at Sam Houston after competing overseas. Jara won three races opening weekend and is tied for second in the standings, while leading all riders in earnings.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Brad Cox and Axel Concepcion, who are finalists for Eclipse Awards, are scheduled to team together Sunday at Oaklawn Park. Cox has named the rider on Sharp Flame in the second race. Concepcion is based at Turfway Park, which is not racing on Sunday.
“He’s willing to get in a car, get on an airplane, and ride races,” said Cox. “Some of the big-time riders back East said he looks like a talented rider, had high praise for him. I think he has a big career ahead of him.”
