BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin still is baffled by Frosted’s performance in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. Seemingly on his way to victory, Frosted stopped, eventually finishing fourth.
In the five weeks since the race, McLaughlin has made several changes he hopes will make for a different result when Frosted runs in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial.
Catch a Flight, third behind top handicap horse Shared Belief in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on March 7, worked five furlongs in 1:01 on Sunday at Santa Anita for an expected start in a stakes in coming weeks.
Trainer Richard Mandella said after the workout that he is unsure whether Catch a Flight will race in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 11, the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on April 18, or the $100,000 Precisionist Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on May 2.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - While the trainers of Florida Derby one-two finishers Materiality and Upstart said the race was run over a demanding Gulfstream Park surface, both horses appeared to have emerged from the race in good order and will be pointed to the Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
American Pharoah, the champion 2-year-old male of 2014, worked five furlongs in 58.60 seconds Sunday at Santa Anita, preparing for the $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 11.
Santa Anita Derby hopefuls Bad Read Sanchez and One Lucky Dane had workouts at Santa Anita on Sunday.
The $1 million Santa Anita Derby has a probable field of six, and Bad Read Sanchez and One Lucky Dane are considered outsiders compared with Dortmund and Prospect Park, the first two finishers of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 7. Dortmund is unbeaten in five starts, while Prospect Park made his stakes debut in the San Felipe.
Two horses pointing to the Grade 1 Carter and two 3-year-olds pointing to the Grade 3 Bay Shore on next weekend's Wood Memorial card turned in their final prerace works Saturday in New York.
The two favorites for the Grade 1 Wood, Daredevil and El Kabeir, are expected to work Sunday at Belmont Park.
The Big Beast and Dads Caps, who could be the top two choices in the seven-furlong, $400,000 Carter, worked five furlongs over the inner track Saturday.
Dortmund and Prospect Park had their final workouts Saturday for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
Dortmund, considered a top prospect for the Triple Crown, worked six furlongs in 1:11.60. Earlier in the morning, Prospect Park worked five furlongs in 1:01.20.
Dortmund, trained by Bob Baffert, worked in company with a stablemate, who took an early lead.
“I sent a horse out there in front of him as a target,” Baffert said.
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – On Saturday afternoon, Todd Pletcher was scheduled to run 11 horses at Gulfstream Park. On Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs – his winter headquarters about 40 miles northwest of Gulfstream – Pletcher worked 29 horses, including top 3-year-olds Carpe Diem and Far From Over.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park moves into its most important stretch of racing next Saturday, April 4, with the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy Stakes. The feature for 3-year-old fillies opens the annual Racing Festival of the South.
Oaklawn will put on nine major stakes over its final five dates as part of the festival, which was introduced in 1974. There are five graded races during that period, including the only two Grade 1 races held in the Southwest, for total stakes purses of $3.3 million. The series closes with the Arkansas Derby on the final card of the season, April 11.
Turfway’s winter-spring meet wraps up Sunday with a nine-race card to close out a largely successful season. The track raised its modest purses twice, and its Polytrack synthetic surface withstood a harsh winter.
Albin Jimenez dominated the rider standings, entering Friday’s card with 45 winners, well ahead of Rodney Prescott and Perry Ouzts, who were tied in second with 27 winners apiece.
