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.”
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.”
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.
