ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Sergio Morfin, who has won races at the current meetings at Santa Anita and Los Alamitos, has been given a provisional suspension by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit after one of his runners tested positive for methamphetamine after finishing second on Dec. 29 at Santa Anita.
The positive was found in a post-race test taken from Wishtheyallcouldbe.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Sweet Azteca’s win in Saturday’s Grade 1, $301,000 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita has trainer Michael McCarthy and owner and breeder Pamela Ziebarth thinking of more lucrative prizes for the upstart 4-year-old filly.
On Sunday, McCarthy said Sweet Azteca will be considered for the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs on the May 4 Kentucky Derby program. The Derby City Distaff is run at seven furlongs and is worth $1 million.
The 50 cent late pick five at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday begins with a carryover of $22,665 from Friday.
The bet covers the fourth through eighth races. Post time for the fourth race is 2:52 p.m. Pacific.
The pool of new money could reach $100,000.
Some tickets will have key selections in the first three races in the series.
Racing in Northern California will be based at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton beginning this fall as a replacement for Golden Gate Fields, if a proposed race meeting is approved by the California Horse Racing Board.
Justin Oldfield, a Northern California-based owner and breeder, said Thursday that an organization of owners, trainers, and breeders located in that part of the state, working with the California Authority of Racing Fairs, will request racing dates at Pleasanton from the racing board at its monthly meeting March 21.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fl. - Trainer Todd Pletcher was busy on a couple of fronts during training hours Friday.
At Palm Beach Downs, reigning 2-year-old champion Fierceness continued to prepare for his next start, which is expected to be in the $1 million Florida Derby here March 30. He worked five furlongs from the half-mile pole in 1:00.95 before galloping out six panels in 1:13.91 with regular rider John Velazquez aboard and in company with Tuscan Sky, according to Daily Racing Form clocker David Norton.
Hit the Road, winner of the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile in 2021 and three other stakes, has been retired from racing and will enter stud later this year in South Africa, trainer Dan Blacker announced on social media earlier this week.
A 7-year-old by More than Ready, Hit the Road won 6 of 19 starts and earned $608,751 for the partnership of DK Racing, Blacker’s Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski, and Dave Odmark.
Subsanador will have a California-based campaign this spring after the Argentine-bred finished a game second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap last Sunday in his second start in the United States.
Subsanador set the pace in the Big Cap at 1 1/4 miles and led to the final strides before he was beaten by a head by Newgate.
Trainer John Sadler said on Friday that Subsanador will be pointed for the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on April 20.
Timberlake, who opened his season with a win in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Rebel on Feb. 24 at Oaklawn, breezed Friday morning at Fair Grounds. He went a half-mile in 48.40 seconds on a fast track, the fifth-fastest move of 73 at the distance Friday in New Orleans.
“It was his first work back,” said trainer Brad Cox. “It was a really good move, by himself.”
Timberlake remains under consideration for the Arkansas Derby and Blue Grass, said Cox.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jockey Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount on Liberal Arts for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby, according to trainer Robbie Medina.
The race is March 30 at Oaklawn Park.
Liberal Arts also had been under consideration for the Blue Grass on April 6 at Keeneland, but the decision has been made to target the Arkansas Derby. He last raced Feb. 3, finishing third in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn.
Impel is set to advance to a Kentucky Oaks prep after running her record to 2 for 2 with an impressive allowance win March 3 at Oaklawn. She darted home by more than eight lengths.
Impel is a homebred for the Juddmonte operation founded by the late Prince Khalid bin Abdullah. She is by Quality Road. Impel won her debut in a maiden special weight sprint at Fair Grounds.
