Wed, 05/07/2014 - 15:37

Calhoun mulls next stakes for Fiftyshadesofgold, Marchman

Barbara D. Livingston
Fiftyshadesofgold (right), winner of last week's Eight Belles, could target the Acorn at Belmont Park.

Trainer Bret Calhoun enjoyed a memorable Derby Weekend by winning the Grade 3 Twin Spires Turf Sprint on Friday with Marchman and the Grade 3 Eight Belles on Saturday with Fiftyshadesofgold.

The move to the Eight Belles was particularly sagacious, considering that Calhoun had pointed Fiftyshadesofgold to the Oaks for weeks before diverting her to a better fit.

“We’ll think about the Acorn for her,” he said.

Marchman, a two-time stakes winner this year in the turf-sprint niche, could run May 31 in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Penn National, he added.

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 15:21

Dreaming of Julia to miss Ruffian

Barbara D. Livingston
A minor illness will prevent Dreaming of Julia from making her 2014 debut in Sunday's Ruffian Stakes.

Dreaming of Julia, a multiple graded stakes winner last year, will not make her 4-year-old debut in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian Stakes as expected due to a “little infection,” according to trainer Todd Pletcher.

Dreaming of Julia, who won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks by 21 3/4 lengths in 2013, has not run since finishing second to Close Hatches in the Grade 1 Mother Goose last June at Belmont.

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 15:16

Mr Speaker targets Pennine Ridge

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Mr Speaker, winner of the Lexington Stakes on Polytrack, will switch to turf for his next start in the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont.

Mr Speaker, the winner of the Lexington Stakes over Keeneland’s Polytrack, will make his next start in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes going 1 1/8 miles over the turf course at Belmont Park on May 26.

Trainer Shug McGaughey said he has not ruled out running Mr Speaker on dirt later in the year, but he will use the Pennine Ridge as a stepping-stone to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Belmont Derby on July 5.

In his first work since the Lexington, Mr Speaker worked four furlongs in 48.93 seconds over the dirt at Belmont last Saturday.

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 14:33

Four-race card kicks off weekend of racing, entertainment

OMAHA, Neb. – It’s festival time in Omaha, as live racing returns to Horsemen’s Park for a three-day meet that starts Friday at 6 p.m. Central.

Friday’s four-race card kicks off a weekend of trip giveaways, T-shirt tosses, and live music in a true festival environment that always draws large crowds. Omaha has never forgotten its links to racing’s heyday, when Ak-Sar-Ben ranked as one of the Midwest's top tracks, and the weekend of racing over this strip is a strong reminder of those days.

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 14:29

Next stop New York for Untapable

Barbara D. Livingston
Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable will run next in either the Acorn or the Mother Goose at Belmont Park.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Untapable will be considered for the Acorn or Mother Goose stakes for her next start, trainer Steve Asmussen said Wednesday, the second day for the filly to go to the track since she dominated the Kentucky Oaks last Friday at Churchill Downs.

Asmussen typically breezes his horses nine days after a race but said he’d “most likely skip” a work this Sunday for Untapable “and maybe wait another week before we let her get back into a nice rhythm.”

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 14:15

Our Caravan heads Peter Pan cast

Coady Photography
Our Caravan, romping winner of last month's Calder Derby, tops a field of seven for Saturday's Peter Pan, a prep for the Belmont Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Following Our Caravan’s 9 3/4-length victory in the Calder Derby on April 5, it would not have been surprising had his connections targeted the Preakness Stakes on May 17.

But owner Stuart Sobotnick and trainer Michael Dilger opted for the more conservative route and chose to run Our Caravan in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park.

Our Caravan is the only stakes winner among seven 3-year-olds entered Wednesday in the Peter Pan, the local prep for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 7.

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 13:59

Ferocious one to watch in Laz Barrera Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Ferocious is named appropriately, trainer Ron Ellis says. "He's tough, and he seems to thrive on a battle," Ellis said.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ferocious makes his stakes debut in the $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters at Santa Anita on Saturday. The race could lead to a start in stakes around two turns this summer, trainer Ron Ellis said.

Already, the lightly raced colt has displayed significant ability, winning his last two starts after finishing a game second in a maiden race in January.

“He’s named very appropriately,” Ellis said. “He’s tough, and he seems to thrive on a battle.”

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 13:39

Tiz Flirtatious cranking up for return at Del Mar

Benoit & Associates
Tiz Flirtatious, winning the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive last year, had her first work of the year on Tuesday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Tiz Flirtatious, the winner of the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes last September and five other stakes in her career, is back in training for a campaign in the second half of this year.

On Tuesday at Santa Anita, Tiz Flirtatious breezed three furlongs in 36.60 seconds, her first workout of 2014. Tiz Flirtatious is expected to start during the Del Mar summer meeting, according to trainer Marty Jones.

“She looks really good,” Jones said. “She was just breezing.”

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 13:36

O'Neill juveniles showing potential

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.

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 12:09

Heitai, Our Quista eye Louisiana Legends Night after victories

Coady Photography
The Louisiana-bred Heitai returns to his home state to race May 24 as part of Louisiana Legends Night at Evangeline Downs, coming off a victory in the Need for Speed Stakes.

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.