ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Doug O’Neill is wasting no time showcasing his juveniles at Santa Anita this spring.
On May 1, the O’Neill-trained Wake Up Nick won a maiden race over 4 1/2 furlongs in his debut. He is a candidate for the $125,000 Santa Anita Juvenile over 5 1/2 furlongs on June 22. Wake Up Nick could be joined in that race by stablemates Sky Preacher or Henry’s Holiday, pending the results of Friday’s first race.
OPELOUSAS, La. – Who says you can’t go home again?
Heitai and Our Quista, a pair of Louisiana-breds who ventured out into open company with mixed results at the recently completed Oaklawn Park meeting in Hot Springs, Ark., each made a triumphant return to the Bayou State last Saturday. Our Quista outclassed a group of 3-year-old statebred allowance fillies at Louisiana Downs, while Heitai made his turf debut with a victory in the Need for Speed Stakes at Evangeline Downs.
Julian Pimentel, who has ridden Kid Cruz to a pair of minor stakes victories, will keep the mount aboard the colt for the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes, trainer Linda Rice confirmed Wednesday.
“Frankly, he knows the horse; he’s run well for him. I like the fact he’s riding that track,” said Rice, who will be making her Preakness debut.
Rice also mentioned that when her owners, Steven Brandt and Richard Boylan, decided to allow Black Swan Stable – from which they claimed Kid Cruz – to buy back into the horse, it was “good karma. I feel the same way about Pimentel.”
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – In a full field of 12 fillies and mares, a lot could have gone wrong for Silent Treat, who started from the rail in last Saturday’s $126,600 Ballade Stakes at Woodbine. But luckily for trainer Scott Fairlie, he was able to describe Silent Treat’s trip as “uneventful” after the race.
“She went right to the lead; it was good,” he said. “She’s the kind of filly that’s going to give you everything she’s got.”
Pimlico Race Course will add a pick three to its wagering lineup linking the Pimlico Special on May 16 with the Dixie Stakes and Preakness Stakes on May 17, the track announced Wednesday.
The bet will have a 50-cent minimum and a 25.75 percent takeout, Pimlico said. The Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, is Pimlico’s biggest race.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Four days after winning the 140th Kentucky Derby, California Chrome finally took a victory lap around Churchill Downs.
With exercise rider Willie Delgado aboard Wednesday, the chestnut colt never got out of a slow jog when going once around the one-mile oval clockwise. It was his first trip back to the track where he became the first California-bred since 1962 to win the Derby and the only horse to keep alive hope of becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years.
Richard Eramia, chasing his fourth consecutive riding title at Louisiana Downs, was off to a fast start over the track’s three-day opening weekend. He won 10 races from 27 mounts to lead the standings over John Jacinto, who went 5 for 25. Eramia, 34, liked his prospects heading into the meet.
“I’ve got a lot of decent horses, good Louisiana-bred horses,” he said.
Joey Foster, who won the training title last meet, went 3 for 19 during the opening weekend to lead all trainers in wins.
Racing resumes Thursday.
Remington Park will put on 20 trial races for the Grade 1, $1 million Heritage Place Quarter Horse Futurity between Friday and Saturday night. The Futurity, the track’s richest race, is May 31.
The card Friday night will center on Im a Fancy Pyc’s appearance in the sixth race, in which he will attempt to run his record to 4 for 4. Earlier in the meet, he won the Oklahoma-Bred Futurity. Paint Me Perry, undefeated in two starts, goes Saturday in race 11.
Each trial will be at 350 yards, and each carries a purse of $15,000.
Tight Britches will be seeking her ninth consecutive win Thursday night, when she takes on males for just the second time in her career in Lone Star Park’s third race. She starts in an optional $7,500 claiming sprint at five furlongs on the main track, and chief among her five rivals is fellow win machine Mr. Fuzzybottom.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The 2-year-old filly Sea Mona will start her career in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race at Santa Anita on Thursday with high expectations from trainer Adam Kitchingman.
Sea Mona is a half-sister to Let Em Shine, who won the Came Home Stakes for Kitchingman at Hollywood Park last year. Sea Mona, who breaks from the rail in a field of eight, might be just as good, her trainer said.
“She’s training excellent,” Kitchingman said. “I couldn’t be happier with her. I think she’ll like the inside post as long as she breaks. She’s good at the gate.”
