Mon, 03/17/2014 - 14:39

Santa Anita: Sahara Sky has two options

Shigeki Kikkawa
Sahara Sky and jockey Joel Rosario win the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Sahara Sky, who won the San Carlos Stakes on March 8, worked a half-mile in 50.80 seconds on Sunday morning as he prepares for his next start, either the Grade 1 Carter at Aqueduct on April 5 or the Grade 2 Potrero Grande at Santa Anita on April 12.

Mon, 03/17/2014 - 14:28

Gulfstream Park: Sonja's Angel faces tougher

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sonja’s Angel will put her four-race local winning streak on the line when she steps up in class to take on seven fillies and mares in Wednesday’s $54,500 optional-claiming feature at one mile.

Mon, 03/17/2014 - 13:47

Santa Anita: Let Faith Arise feeling right at home

Shigeki Kikkawa
Let Faith Arise wins the Santa Margarita on Saturday for her first Grade 1 victory.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The elongated season under which Santa Anita now operates could be advantageous for Let Faith Arise, who has progressed mightily this meet and reached new heights by capturing the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes on Saturday.

Mon, 03/17/2014 - 12:21

Tampa Bay Downs: Ness stable continues racking up winners

Tom Keyser
Through Sunday’s racing program, Jamie Ness (pictured here) has sent out the winners of 35 races to hold a 13-win lead over Gerald Bennett.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Just prior to the opening of the 2013-14 Tampa Bay Downs meeting, trainer Jamie Ness was asked for an assessment of his expectations for the season.

“I think we’ll have a good meeting but we’ve had a long year,” Ness said. “Many of our horses need a little break, and we’re also leaving some horses up north, so while I’m cautiously optimistic, I also realize it will be tough this winter.”

Sun, 03/16/2014 - 14:41

Oaklawn Park: Arkansas Derby or Santa Anita Derby next for Hoppertunity

Coady Photography
Hoppertunity earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Rebel Stakes.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Bob Baffert, the trainer of Hoppertunity, on Sunday morning at Santa Anita said the Rebel winner would run next in either the Santa Anita Derby on April 5, or return to Oaklawn for the Arkansas Derby on April 12. Both are $1 million races at 1 1/8 miles. Hoppertunity earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 100 for his half-length win over Tapiture in the Rebel, a Grade 2, $600,000 race run Saturday.  

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Sat, 03/15/2014 - 16:09

Sunland Park Derby attracts pair from Pletcher and Baffert barns

Shigeki Kikkawa
Chitu will make his 3-year-old debut in a yet to be determined stakes after winning an optional claimer with an 83 Beyer Speed Figure on Friday.

Trainers Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher plan to invade New Mexico with two shippers each next Sunday for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby. The 1 1/8-mile race could have as many as 10 horses when entries are drawn on Wednesday.

The Sunland Derby carries 85 preference points for the Kentucky Derby, to be divided among the first four finishers on a scale of 50-20-10-5. The Sunland Derby anchors a program of seven stakes worth a cumulative $1.4 million. The program includes the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks, which offers its first four finishers points toward the Kentucky Oaks.

Sat, 03/15/2014 - 14:42

Gulfstream Park: Onlyforyou euthanized after training mishap

Tom Keyser
Onlyforyou won the Grade 2 Forward Gal and the Grade 2 Davona Dale.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Onlyforyou, a winner of her first four career starts including the Grade 2 Forward Gal and Grade 2 Davona Dale stakes here earlier in the meet, was euthanized Saturday after suffering a condylar fracture while galloping out after a routine workout at Palm Meadows.

Onlyforyou, a 3-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon, was owned by Glencrest Farm LLC. She was preparing for a scheduled start in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks on March 29.

Sat, 03/15/2014 - 14:27

Gulfstream Park: No pressure on Wildcat Red going into Florida Derby

Tom Keyser
Wildcat Red worked for the first time since winning the Fountain of Youth when he breezes three furlongs Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Having already won the Fountain of Youth Stakes and earned enough qualifying points to be virtually assured of making it into the Kentucky Derby with Wildcat Red, Jose Garoffalo has a luxury few other trainers have when it comes to preparing their 3-year-olds for Derby preps such as the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 29.

Sat, 03/15/2014 - 14:06

Santa Anita: Beholder stretches legs in Saturday work

Barbara D. Livingston
Beholder could earn a second consecutive divisional Eclipse Award representing sire Henny Hughes.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Richard Mandella wanted to give Beholder a freshening after her win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, bring her back in the spring, and point for the major races in the summer and fall, including the Distaff, to be run again at Santa Anita this year.

Sat, 03/15/2014 - 12:59

Santa Anita: Nicolas gets apprentice extension

Benoit & Associates
A Jealous Woman will be pointed to the one-mile Buena Vista Stakes on Feb. 18.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey Gonzalo Nicolas has been granted a 69-day extension of his apprentice claim after missing more than two months because of injury earlier this year. Nicolas, 23, returned to riding Friday for the first time since suffering a back injury in a spill Jan. 2.

Santa Anita stewards issued a ruling Thursday stating that Nicolas can ride as an apprentice until Oct. 24 or until he has ridden his 40th winner, whichever occurs later. Through Friday, Nicolas had 25 wins.

Nicolas was the leading apprentice at the Hollywood Park autumn meeting last year.