ARCADIA, Calif. – Sushi Empire was expected to run well when she became the first stakes winner of 2014 in California in the Blue Norther Stakes on turf Jan. 1.
Sushi Empire had established turf form and ran accordingly as a 3-1 shot in the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies. How she will fare in Saturday’s $300,000 Las Virgenes Stakes on the main track is less clear.
| Edie |
| Don't care to see what she's done in her two most recent starts, but those were sprint events, and she has run well routing over turf in the past; feel that she's eligible to be ready for better while making just her second start for Walder, especially after being given some time off, and viewing the presence of Rosario as a positive indicator; third-place finisher from latest won next out here on 1/17 going |
A two-year-old Northern California rivalry was renewed at Santa Anita last Saturday, when Ciao Bella Luna and Marks Mine hooked up in the $126,500 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint on California Cup Day.
The 4-year-old fillies met twice as 2-year-olds at Golden Gate Fields. Ciao Bella Luna won the first race, an optional claimer, with Marks Mine turning the tables on Ciao Bella Luna, who was trained by the late Dennis Patterson at the time, in the Golden Gate Debutante.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - She’s been riding here less than a month, but Taylor Rice is making quite the first impression.
On Monday at Aqueduct, Rice recorded a personal-best four wins on one card, going 4 for 7, including a sweep of the late double with Abra ($2.90) and Executive Office ($10.60), both trained by her aunt Linda Rice.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Trainer Mark Casse’s 3-year-olds train at Palm Meadows, but Tampa Bay Downs has become one of the top proving grounds for his up-and-coming horses.
In recent years, Casse has sent runners like Prospective and Dynamic Sky to Tampa Bay Downs for the track’s 3-year-old stakes series. Dynamic Sky won the Pasco Stakes here last season, and Prospective won the 2012 Tampa Bay Derby.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Scherzinger, the winner of Saturday’s $200,250 Santa Monica Stakes over seven furlongs, will start around two turns in her next start.
“I think she deserves a shot to stretch out,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.
Scherzinger won the Grade 2 Santa Monica by a length over Iotapa. Ridden by Mike Smith, Scherzinger led early, dropped back to third on the turn, and rallied on the inside to retake the lead in the final furlong. Smith said Scherzinger was a patient filly.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Art Sherman is the trainer of California Chrome, the winner of Saturday’s $250,750 California Cup Derby for statebreds at Santa Anita. He is quickly becoming the colt’s biggest fan.
On Sunday, Sherman said he was delighted by the way California Chrome burst clear in early stretch to win the race over 1 1/16 miles by 5 1/2 lengths.
“The horse kind of impressed me,” Sherman said. “I was hoping he didn’t move too quickly.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he was doing “great” Sunday morning, and why shouldn’t he have been, in light of Cairo Prince’s outstanding performance Saturday in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes?
Cairo Prince parlayed a perfect trip under jockey Luis Saez into a convincing 5 3/4-length victory over Conquest Titan in the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull, earning a 95 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest of his four-race career.
“He’s happy this morning, so I’m happy,” McLaughlin said Sunday. “He came out of the race bright-eyed and feeling great.”
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said champion Will Take Charge is “on target” for the Grade 1, $500,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 9 after the horse worked six furlongs from the gate Sunday at his base of Oaklawn Park. The race will be his first start at age 4. Will Take Charge closed out his championship 3-year-old season with a win in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Top Billing gave every indication that he will be a major player on the road to the Kentucky Derby this season when he rallied from last to a very impressive 2 3/4-length victory over the well-regarded Surfing U S A in Saturday’s fourth race at Gulfstream Park.
The victory was the second in three starts for Top Billing, a son of Curlin who suffered his only setback when beaten a neck by another leading Derby prospect, Commissioner, going 1 1/8 miles in a similar first-level allowance here earlier this month.
