Newgrange, the dominant older horse at the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, will start in the March 2 Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap as a potential prep for the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 30.
Newgrange won the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Jan. 27 for his second consecutive stakes win of the winter. Trainer Phil D’Amato said after the San Pasqual that the $12 million Dubai World Cup would be Newgrange’s next start.
Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., will pay trainers upfront money prior to its meet under a novel incentive program that seeks to boost field sizes at the track, Canterbury officials announced Wednesday.
Due to a forecast that calls for rain, Tampa Bay Downs has postponed two turf stakes scheduled for Saturday until Feb. 24, the track announced Wednesday.
Entries for the $100,000 Leinster Turf Dash for 4-year-olds and up and the $100,000 Leinster Lightning City Stakes for fillies and mares 4 and up were to be taken Wednesday. But the decision was made earlier in the day not to draw those five-furlong turf stakes and push them back by one week.
Tapalo, second in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday, is under consideration for the March 23 Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, trainer John Sadler said.
Tapalo had his stakes debut in the El Camino Real Derby at 1 1/8 miles on a synthetic track. The $700,000 Jeff Ruby is also run at 1 1/8 miles on a synthetic track.
The El Camino Real Derby did not award qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, while the Ruby offers 100-50-25-15-10 points for the first five finishers.
Fonner Park, a Nebraska tradition, opens Saturday in a meet that runs through May 4. Purses are up for the new season, and the meet’s signature race, the $75,000 Bosselman/Fonner will share a card with a new offering, the $30,000 Elite Sprint Cup.
Eric Jackson, the senior vice president of Oaklawn, is set to enter the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame on Friday in Little Rock. It’s the first of two inductions for statewide Halls of Fame for Jackson. Later this year, Jackson will enter the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Touchuponastar ran his Delta Downs record to 5 for 5 with his win in the $150,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship on Feb. 3 to cap an outstanding run at the meet that closes Feb. 24.
Touchuponastar earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 101, the highest number of the current stand in which he owns the top three Beyers. Touchuponastar earned a 97 Beyer for his win in the Oct. 6 Gold Cup and a 95 for his victory in the Nov. 3 Delta Downs Mile.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Stakes-placed runners Tejon Pass and Time for Truth are both potential new shooters for the 3-year-old series at Oaklawn Park, as the pair are under serious consideration for the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes on Feb. 24.
Tejon Pass worked six furlongs on Tuesday, going in 1:15 in company in the mud. The son of Justify and five-time graded winner Foxysox was a maiden special weight winner at Santa Anita and also ran third to Nysos in the Grade 3 Bob Hope back home at Del Mar. He’s now with trainer Peter Miller’s division at Oaklawn.
Ova Charged, moving from dirt to turf, turned in the best race of her career Tuesday at Fair Grounds, contesting a fast early pace before drawing clear for a 5 1/4-length win over the accomplished race favorite Oeuvre in the $100,000 Mardi Gras Stakes.
Ova Charged ran about 5 1/2 furlongs over a good course in 1:03.66 and earned a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure.
Given his depth in the division, Todd Pletcher does not have an easy time finding suitable spots for his phalanx of 3-year-olds. Thus, he was shipping five of them mid-week from his winter base at Palm Beach Downs to run in races Saturday at Fair Grounds.
