Mon, 01/13/2014 - 13:06

Santa Anita: Unbridled Command back in training

Barbara D. Livingston
Unbridled Command is scheduled to join trainer Peter Miller's barn this week.

Unbridled Command, who won the 2012 Hollywood Derby, is back in training and now with trainer Peter Miller, after being sent last year to Great Britain, where he failed to run.

Unbridled Command has not raced since finishing third behind Point of Entry and Animal Kingdom in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap 11 months ago. He had recently been purchased by a partnership that had long-term designs on Australian racing, but, in the interim, was sent to the United Kingdom and was trained by Ed Dunlop.

Mon, 01/13/2014 - 12:56

Santa Anita: Paseana winner Golden Production to stick with stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa
Golden Production holds off Stanwyck to win the Paseana Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Golden Production was taken for $40,000 the first time she showed up in a claiming race back in October, hasn’t been in a claiming race since, and likely won’t be for a while now, if ever, following a stakes victory Sunday at Santa Anita in the listed Paseana for older fillies and mares.

Golden Production ($20.80) went off as the second-longest shot in the six-horse field and showed impressive grit to turn back a late bid from Stanwyck and prevail by a head in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Mon, 01/13/2014 - 11:39

Gulfstream Park clocker highlights: Bad Debt, Frac Daddy breeze

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A very fast track combined with a brisk tailwind down the backstretch to produce extremely fast workout times at Gulfstream Park on Monday.

Among the notable horses to work here Monday were the stakes-winning turf runner Bad Debt and Frac Daddy, who also has found a home on grass of late.

Bad Debt breezed an easy half-mile in 48.38 seconds while finishing under light urging before galloping out five-eighths in 1:01.80 in a typical maintenance breeze over the main track.

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 14:40

Santa Anita: Baffert impressed with Midnight Hawk after Sham Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Midnight Hawk, with Mike Smith aboard, wins the Grade 3 Sham Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Midnight Hawk, who won the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, impressed his trainer, Bob Baffert, by stretching out successfully around two turns to remain unbeaten in two starts.

“They went fast, and he still stayed in there,” Baffert said Sunday. “I was hoping he’d run like that, but, going two turns for the first time, you never know. He’s still a little green. It’s exciting. There’s a long way to go, but I like what I saw.”

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 11:39

Oaklawn Park: Will Take Charge breezes ahead of 2014 debut

Barbara D. Livingston
Will Take Charge's participation in the Donn Handicap could hinge on travel plans.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Horse of the Year finalist Will Take Charge was out early Sunday morning at Oaklawn Park, breezing five furlongs in a maintenance move that came in the first set of workers. He worked in 1:02 on a track rated “good,” with temperatures in the high 30s.

Sun, 01/12/2014 - 11:00

Santa Anita: Shared Belief misses workout due to grabbed quarter

Shigeki Kikkawa
Shared Belief could provide trainer Jerry Hollendorfer with his best shot to win a Triple Crown race for the first time in 2014.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Shared Belief, the unbeaten winner of the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity and a finalist for the Eclipse Award as champion male 2-year-old, had a scheduled workout for this weekend postponed after suffering a cut to his right front hoof, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Sunday morning at Santa Anita.

The injury, commonly known as a “grabbed quarter,” is minor, said Hollendorfer, who said he decided the prudent approach was to merely wait it out.

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 14:24

Gulfstream Park clocker highlights: Mucho Macho Man works

Tom Keyser
Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man breezes a half-mile in 47.97 seconds Saturday.

Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man completed preparations for his 2014 debut next week in the Sunshine Millions Classic by breezing a sharp half-mile in 47.97 seconds Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Mucho Macho Man completed his final quarter-mile in 23.89 into a pretty stiff headwind before galloping out five-eighths in 1:00.57 in a second straight impressive-looking work.

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 14:19

Santa Anita notes: Candy Boy, Kobe's Back work for Sadler

Kobe's Back
Kobe's Back, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, won the Willard Proctor Memorial in his first start Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer John Sadler was hoping to take the next step on the Kentucky Derby trail Saturday afternoon with Kristo in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes, but early Saturday morning at Santa Anita, he was polishing his other top 3-year-old prospects, Candy Boy and Kobe’s Back, who both worked in advance of scheduled stakes starts next month.

Sat, 01/11/2014 - 10:13

Aqueduct, Laurel cancel Saturday cards

Aqueduct canceled its nine-race card Saturday due to heavy fog, and Laurel Park canceled its nine-race card due to problems with its track caused by changing weather. There were no stakes races on either card.

Racing at Aqueduct was scheduled to resume with Sunday's nine-race card beginning at 12:25 p.m. Eastern. The featured race is the $100,000 Ruthless Stakes, a six-furlong test for 3-year-old fillies.

Laurel and Pimlico will be open for simulcasting Saturday. Live racing at Laurel is scheduled to resume Wednesday at 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Fri, 01/10/2014 - 16:04

Gulfstream Park Turf, Donn handicaps moved to a Sunday

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Gulfstream Park announced Friday that it has moved its two Grade 1 races for older horses, the Donn Handicap and Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, from Saturday, Feb. 8 to Sunday, Feb. 9 to help kick off the Jockey Club Tour on Fox television series. The races will air on Fox Sports 1.

The Donn and Gulfstream Park Turf handicaps will now join the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie on the Feb. 9 card. The Feb. 8 program will still offer the Grade 3 Suwannee River and Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint.