Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., will close out its winter-spring meet with a three-day weekend. The track has run just two-day weekends for most of March but has opted to end the meet with a Sunday afternoon card.
The feature of a 10-race Friday night card is a $31,500, one-mile allowance in which Impassable Canyon and Chalice figure as favorites in a field of six older horses.
Impressive debut winner
The 15-day Keeneland spring meet starts next Friday, April 4, in Lexington, Ky., where there will be no shortage of big races and big horses.
Foremost will be Wise Dan, the reigning two-time Horse of the Year, expected to make his 7-year-old debut in the April 11 Maker’s 46 Mile “provided we can get horses to run against him,” Keeneland racing secretary Ben Huffman said Wednesday. “We’ve been calling people all week, and all we’ve got right now is Lochte.”
Racing was canceled at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz., on Tuesday after jockeys refused to ride and met with management over their concerns about the track’s insurance policies in the wake of an accident earlier this month in which a rider was paralyzed, according to officials.
Will Take Charge, the runner-up to Game On Dude in the Santa Anita Handicap, on Tuesday continued his preparations for the Grade 1, $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap with a five-furlong work in 1:01.40. He breezed in the second set, under exercise rider Alberto Rodriguez.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While trainer Bill Mott won’t be participating in the $1 million Florida Derby, he will still be well represented in many of the undercard stakes on Saturday’s program.
Mott plans to send out America in the Grade 2, $300,000 Gulfstream Oaks; Amira’s Prince in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pan American; Tetradrachm in the Grade 3, $100,000 Appleton; and maybe Clearbrook in the Grade 3, $150,000 Orchid.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Bill Mott said that Lea, winner of the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope and Grade 1 Donn Handicap here earlier this meet, will make his next start in the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic on April 19.
“I thought the timing was right,” Mott said. “He’s proven he can get a mile and an eighth. He gets around the turns well. I thought it would be a good prep for the Met Mile.”
[Clocker Reports: Get Mike Welsch’s clocker reports from Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows]
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Alan Garcia will regain the mount on Tampa Bay Derby winner Ring Weekend for the Calder Derby on April 5, trainer Graham Motion said Tuesday.
Garcia had ridden Ring Weekend in his two starts prior to the Tampa Bay Derby, but missed that race owing to a commitment that weekend in Saudi Arabia. Daniel Centeno subbed for Garcia in the Tampa Bay Derby.
[Clocker Reports: Get Mike Welsch’s clocker reports from Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows]
Trainer Tony Dutrow said Tuesday he will enter In Trouble in the Louisiana Derby on Wednesday, but that a final decision on whether to ship the horse to New Orleans on Thursday or wait and run in the Wood Memorial hadn’t yet been made. Joe Rocco would ride In Trouble if the colt starts in the Louisiana Derby.
[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]
Just five likely for Oaks
Bradester’s running lines are a throwback to an earlier era, when horsemen made full use of allowance conditions before throwing a horse into stakes competition. Bradester always has run well, compiling a record of 4-3-1 from 9 starts, but only two of those starts have come in stakes competition: Bradester finished second last fall in the Indiana Derby, and last month won the Mineshaft Handicap by 1 3/4 lengths.
