AUBURN, Wash. – With no suitable fillies-only race on the immediate horizon, Dan Markle made the decision to try his promising 3-year-old filly Strawberry Dawn against the boys. Naturally, it’s one he hopes he doesn’t regret.
Strawberry Dawn drew post 3 and will be ridden by Felipe Valdez in Sunday’s seventh race, a $22,575 no-conditions allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs. Markle is using the race as a prep for the $50,000 Seattle Handicap on June 1.
Texas Bling, best known for his 128-1 win over eventual champion Will Take Charge in the $300,000 Springboard Mile two seasons ago at Remington Park, is possible for the Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap, said trainer Danele Durham. Texas Bling is now based at Lone Star after wintering at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark., where he was diagnosed with an upper-respiratory infection following a seventh-place finish in an allowance route March 29.
Got Shades, a troubled fifth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf after winning a pair of stakes at Louisiana Downs, is moving closer to a return to racing. He has not started since January and was to have his first work back Saturday, said trainer Danny Pish. The horse is a long-range candidate for some of the major turf stakes at Arlington Park.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita is running eight races on Sunday as part of a plan for a shorter racing program following nine- and 11-race programs on Friday and Saturday.
A similar plan is scheduled for the weekend of the Preakness Stakes, with eight-race programs on May 16 and 18 and an 11-race program on May 17.
ARCADIA, Calif. – A victory in an optional claimer on turf Thursday has put Kathleen Rose on course for her graded stakes debut in the $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes for fillies and mares next month.
Trainer Mike Machowsky said the Grade 2 Royal Heroine over a mile on turf June 28 will provide a class test for Kathleen Rose.
“We’re going to keep going up now” in class, Machowsky said. “We might look at the Royal Heroine. It’s a Grade 2, and that goes a long way for fillies.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Martin Pedroza, who has been out since early February after suffering a shin injury, is targeting a mid-June comeback, according to his agent, Richie Silverstein.
Pedroza suffered a fracture in his left shin here on Feb. 7 when he was unseated from his mount. Silverstein said that Pedroza opted not to go undergo surgery to avoid the inconvenience of having a stabilizing rod inserted in the leg and then having to miss further time to have the rod removed.
ARCADIA, Calif. – A track-record performance by the 2-year-old first-time starter Wake Up Nick on Thursday has co-owner Dennis O’Neill hoping for a stakes appearance in June.
Wake Up Nick, by Cindago, won a maiden race for California-breds by 9 1/4 lengths, finishing 4 1/2 furlongs in 51.22 seconds under jockey Mario Gutierrez. The previous mark of 51.40 seconds – or 51 2/5 – was set in 1972 by Willy Float.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Bob Tiller has gotten off to a fast start at the meet. He topped the trainers’ standings heading into this week with seven wins from 20 starters, one victory more than perennial leader Mark Casse. Last year, Tiller finished a clear second in the standings with 62 wins while scoring at a solid 21 percent clip.
Tiller has a deep bench of 3-year-olds who seem poised to carry the stable for a while before his 2-year-olds make the races.
Live racing returns to Assiniboia Downs on Sunday, which is opening day of a 60-day meet that runs through Sept. 21.
Racing at the Winnipeg track is scheduled for Fridays, Saturdays, four Sundays (May 4, May 11, June 15 and Sept. 21) and on the holidays May 19, July 1, Aug. 4 and Sept. 1. Wednesday racing will be added May 28, but will not be conducted after a holiday.
Post time is 1:30 p.m., Central, for Sundays and holidays. Post time for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday racing is 7 p.m.
