ARCADIA, Calif. – Prominent New York owner Mike Repole is branching out to the West Coast.
On Saturday, Repole claimed Trelawny, the runner-up in the ninth race at Santa Anita, for $40,000 through trainer Michael McCarthy. Trelawny is expected to stay in California.
“It will the first time he’s had a horse in training in California,” McCarthy said Sunday.
Trelawny was beaten a nose by Avare in the optional claimer over a mile on turf.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Fury Kapcori extended his winning streak to four races, and won his first graded stakes, in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Precisionist Stakes for older horses at Santa Anita.
Fury Kapcori ($2.80) was in command throughout the Precisionist Stakes over 1 1/16 miles. Jockey Rafael Bejarano had Fury Kapcori in front by a length on the backstretch, and that was the closest his five rivals got to him.
Fury Kapcori led by two lengths on the turn and three lengths with a furlong remaining. He won by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:42.11.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Jockey Victor Espinoza said that when he was a youngster growing up in Mexico, he was afraid of horses.
“Look at me now, I’ve won two Kentucky Derbies,” Espinoza said after winning the Derby on Saturday aboard the 5-2 favorite California Chrome, a horse he’s ridden to five consecutive victories for 77-year-old trainer Art Sherman.
Espinoza, who turns 42 later this month, won his first Kentucky Derby aboard longshot War Emblem for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in 2002.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jose Espinoza just couldn’t stay away.
So confident that his brother, Victor, was going to win Saturday’s 140th Kentucky Derby aboard California Chrome, Jose made plans late Friday night to attend the Derby, a race he rode in for the first – and last – time last year.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the second straight year, trainer Dallas Stewart was second to one in the Kentucky Derby.
One year after finishing second to the favored Orb with 34-1 shot Golden Soul, Stewart was again second-best to the favorite, this time with 37-1 Commanding Curve, whose furious late rally in the stretch Saturday fell 1 3/4 lengths short of California Chrome in Kentucky Derby 140 at Churchill Downs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Here are the top five finishers, with all available mutuel prices involving the 140th Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs:
Top 5 order of finish, $2 mutuels
1 – California Chrome, No. 5, win $7; place, $5.60; show, $4.20
2 – Commanding Curve, No. 17, place, $31.80; show, $15.40
3 – Danza, No. 4, show, $6
4 – Wicked Strong, No. 20
5 – Samraat, No. 6
Exotic payoffs
Steve Coburn knew when he saw the newborn colt.
“I saw this baby twice,” the co-owner of California Chrome said. “Once in a dream, and then the day after he was born.”
Since the chestnut colt with the white face hit the ground Feb. 18, 2011, the clock has been ticking down to today. Tick-tock.
On Saturday morning, California Chrome went for an easy one-mile jog with exercise rider Willie Delgado aboard, the sun just beginning to brighten the twin spires as they loomed over the Kentucky Derby favorite.
She's a Tiger, who broke poorly and finished seventh of nine in the Eight Belles on Friday at Churchill Downs, came out of the race well and will return to California on Monday, co-owner Allen Aldrich said Saturday morning.
"She ate up good and she's walking good," he said.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Untapable came out of her impressive Kentucky Oaks romp in fine fashion and will remain at Churchill Downs with the rest of the Steve Asmussen stable before heading to Saratoga in early July.
Asmussen was noncommittal about a next start for Untapable, who came within 0.04 seconds of a stakes record when completing the 1 1/8-mile Oaks in 1:48.68. Her 4 1/2-length triumph Friday in the filly classic equated to a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest of her seven-race career.
