Heavy On Themister will defend his title in Saturday night’s $200,000 Premier Night Championship at Delta Downs, the main event on a card of six stakes for Louisiana-breds. Purses for the program top $1 million, making the card the second richest of the meet behind Delta Downs Jackpot Day.
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DRF Past Performances
After winning the richest race in Texas last Saturday night, Rose to Gold now has her sights set on one of the most important races in Arkansas, the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap.
Rose to Gold has a spring goal of making the Oaklawn Park fixture after she forged through on the rail to win the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston on Saturday. She emerged from the race in good order, said her trainer, Sal Santoro, and provided she continues to do well she is to ship to Arkansas from her Calder base in March.
Through Sunday, John Sadler had 5 wins from 51 starters at the current meeting, leaving him tied for eighth in the trainer standings behind leader Bob Baffert with 15 wins.
For Sadler, a contender for the training title, the results are not a surprise.
“I thought we’d get off to a slow start,” he said. “We sent a lot of horses home. We have a lot coming back in.
“I thought it would be quiet at the beginning of the year. There is no panic at this point.”
The stable lost the stakes runners Kettle Corn and Lady of Shamrock to retirement, to name two.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Nominations were released Wednesday for the Grade 1 Donn Handicap, Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, and the three other stakes races here on the weekend of Feb. 8 and 9.
The Donn, to be run Sunday, Feb. 9, closed with 22 nominations, led by Eclipse Award winner Will Take Charge, who will van here from Oaklawn Park and is scheduled to arrive on the grounds next Tuesday. His chief competition figures to include River Seven, Lea, and Revolutionary.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Vagabond Shoes will appear in a $200,000 stakes race on turf one of the next two Saturdays at Santa Anita. Whether trainer John Sadler will target Saturday’s Arcadia Stakes over a mile or wait a week for the San Marcos Stakes over 1 1/4 miles remained unclear Wednesday.
Sadler said he was leaning toward the Arcadia Stakes for Vagabond Shoes, who has not raced since finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf here last November.
“I would say it’s stronger than 50-50,” he said. “I’ll enter for Saturday and see if there is enough speed and look at the race.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Wesley Ward has his undefeated Group 1 winner No Nay Never nominated to Saturday’s Grade 3 Hutcheson. But those eager to see the 3-year-old speedster make his first start since returning from a second successful trip to Europe in August will have to be patient.
Race 1
| Pastero |
| Finished strongly to be 2nd on grass at TUP Dec. 17; but heck, that was for $6,250 - he's facing much, much toughere here and has to ship for the privilege; nice they thought enough of him to then try a stakes there Jan. 18 but he was nowhere (11th) at 78-1; this spot is likely easier, yes, but still much tougher than what he faced when he ran well Dec. |
Race 3
| Pete's Fleet |
| Monday's track played fair, but the rail was the clear path to victory on the inner track last weekend, and this colt has the speed to attain a forward early position; Contessa has surprisingly weak recent stats first-time off the claim, and is 2 for 24 at the meet when using Garcia; major player. |
| Three for Me |
OLDSMAR, Fla. – In the new era of the Kentucky Derby points system, Tampa Bay Downs – like all other American tracks – is beholden to the whims of Churchill Downs officials who assign points to Derby preps.
The first Derby prep of the Tampa season comes up Saturday, and these are the points assigned to the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes: zero.
Last year, the first year for the points system, the Davis was worth 10 points to the winner, Falling Sky, who wound up 19th in the Kentucky Derby at 39-1.