ARCADIA, Calif. – Bayern, who has not started since winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November, resumed serious training with a three-furlong workout in 36.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Monday.
The workout was the first recorded exercise for Bayern since Jan. 3. He missed serious training for much of January with an abscess in a foot, trainer Bob Baffert said.
Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., has canceled Monday’s program, according to track spokeswoman Jennifer Hoyt. The card had featured the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds.
Oaklawn likely won't make a decision on the rescheduled date for the Southwest Stakes until Tuesday, said Hoyt.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Pablo Morales posted a riding triple on Saturday’s program to give the 26-year-old rider 17 wins on the meeting. He currently ranks seventh in the standings at Tampa this season and is starting to pick up steam after a slow start, but according to his agent, Mike Moran, the rider’s work ethic still is strong, and he has business with some solid stables such as John Terranova’s. The agent thinks Morales’ stats will improve even more as the meet progresses.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher put together a couple of potent teams of 3-year-olds to work Sunday morning at Palm Beach Downs, Itsaknockout with Khozan and Daredevil in company with Competitive Edge, saying afterward he was very pleased with the performances of all four horses.
ARCADIA, Calif. – American Pharoah, the champion 2-year-old male of 2014, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 Sunday at Santa Anita, moving closer to an expected comeback in Arkansas next month.
Trained by Bob Baffert for Zayat Stables, American Pharoah had his longest work of the year Sunday. He had two three-furlong workouts earlier this month. American Pharoah won two Grade 1 races last September – the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs and the FrontRunner Stakes here at 1 1/16 miles that clinched the title. He missed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile here Nov. 1 because of injury.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With racing luck, Warren’s Veneda would be unbeaten in her last four starts, trainer Craig Lewis argues. Instead, Warren’s Veneda is unbeaten in two starts this year and expected to be favored in the $400,000 Santa Margarita Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles March 14.
Warren’s Veneda won the most prestigious race of her career in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes, a $200,750 race at 1 1/16 miles. Ridden by Tyler Baze, Warren’s Veneda closed from seventh in a field of eight through the final three furlongs before drawing off to win by 2 3/4 lengths.
ARCADIA, Calif. - She’s a Big Winner won her stakes debut in the $79,800 Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the hillside turf course Saturday but will not be limited to that surface in coming months.
On Sunday, trainer Peter Eurton said he is considering starting She’s a Big Winner on dirt this spring. Warren’s Veneda has won 2 of 4 starts, with both wins coming on turf. She beat maidens on the hillside turf course Jan. 9.
“I think she’ll go two turns, and I think she’ll go on dirt,” he said. “She trains so well on dirt.”
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Mr. Z appeared on his way to winning last month’s $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park until he drifted out sharply in the stretch and ended up third, as Far Right rolled up the rail to claim the first local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.
The ninth race is the lone allowance Sunday at Turfway. For non-winners of three at a mile, the race drew six runners, led by the unbeaten Ancient Bells, a winner of two starts, and The Tizzler, who finished second against comparable opposition Jan. 17.
Dylan Davis, who enjoyed a successful apprenticeship while riding mostly in Kentucky and Indiana, is returning to Kentucky after riding this winter at Aqueduct, his new agent, Jimmy McNerney, said.
Now a journeyman, Davis will begin riding Feb. 27 at Turfway, McNerney said, and he plans to ride in Kentucky on a regular basis, with occasional trips to Indiana Grand when that meet begins later in the spring.
