Wed, 03/25/2015 - 13:40

Euro Charline back from extended layoff for Dubai Turf

Four-Footed Fotos
Euro Charline, winner of the Beverly D. Stakes, will return off an extended layoff Saturday in the Dubai Turf at Meydan Racecourse.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – On Aug. 16 at Arlington, Euro Charline won the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes by three-quarters of a length over the excellent mare Stephanie’s Kitten. She has yet to perform an encore.

Racing for trainer Marco Botti at Arlington, Euro Charline was transferred to Todd Pletcher for a North American fall campaign but suffered a setback and never raced for Pletcher. Instead, she was returned to England and rejoined Botti’s barn. On Saturday, she makes her first start since the Beverly D. in the $6 million Dubai Turf.

Wed, 03/25/2015 - 13:15

Mott returns to World Cup with talented Lea

Mathea Kelley/Dubai Racing Club
Lea will start Saturday in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – For what it’s worth – and who doesn’t appreciate a nice, round number – this is the 20th edition of the Dubai World Cup, which means it was 19 years ago this week that Cigar held off Soul of the Matter and put the World Cup on the map.

Wed, 03/25/2015 - 13:10

Daredevil settles in for Wood Memorial

Barbara D. Livingston
Daredevil, shown here last month at Palm Beach Downs, arrived in New York on Tuesday for the April 4 Wood Memorial.

Far From Over and Daredevil may both be trained by Todd Pletcher and running in the same race, but their preparations for the Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 4 will be a little different.

Wed, 03/25/2015 - 11:30

Work All Week has first published work since Breeders’ Cup

Nikki Sherman
Work All Week went a half-mile in 48.20 in his first published work since winning the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Work All Week is back to, well, work.

On a sunny Wednesday morning at Oaklawn Park, the champion had his first breeze since winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He went a half-mile in 48.20 seconds on a fast track. Work All Week had been in training at an Ocala, Fla., farm since Feb. 1 and arrived at Oaklawn last Tuesday.

“He went real good,” said Roger Brueggemann, who trains the Eclipse Award-winning sprinter of 2014 for Midwest Thoroughbreds. “It was just his first work, and we wanted to go easy.”

Wed, 03/25/2015 - 09:06

California Chrome lands outside in Dubai World Cup

Mathea Kelley/Dubai Racing Club
California Chrome, with Dana Barnes up, breezes about a half-mile Tuesday at Meydan in preparation for the Dubai World Cup.

The California-bred with the humble pedigree and the first-time, one-in-a-million owners always has been a racing outsider, and so it will be Saturday night at Meydan Racecourse when California Chrome breaks from post 9 in the $10 million Dubai World Cup.

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 18:00

Upstart to begin from outside post in Florida Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Ami's Flatter, a debut winner at Woodbine last year, most recently was second in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby.

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.

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 15:15

Mufajaah, winner of two stakes this year, retired

Coady Photography
Mufajaah wins the Bayakoa Stakes by a neck Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

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.

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 15:00

Fresh horses boost Hartman to top of standings

Jack Coady/Coady Photography
Trainer Chris Hartman earned his 1,000th career victory Sunday with Silver Rock Star in a conditioned claiming event at Prairie Meadows.

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.

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 15:00

Mr. Z losing blinkers for Louisiana Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
After five consecutive starts with blinkers, Mr. Z is taking them off on Saturday.

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!”

Tue, 03/24/2015 - 14:06

Alysheba is Honor Code’s next target

Barbara D. Livingston
Honor Code wins the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 7.

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.”