BALTIMORE – Trainer Wesley Ward and jockey Joel Rosario regularly teamed together long before Rosario became one of the hottest riders in the game, and the pair was at it again Saturday at Pimlico Race Course with Redwood Kitten.
Redwood Kitten turned in a powerful, front-running performance in the $100,000 James W. Murphy, winning the one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds by a length over Shining Copper. It was another three lengths back in third to Notacatbutallama.
BALTIMORE – Minutes after the first rain shower of the racing day, Summer Applause proved a popular winner of the Grade 3, $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico.
Summer Applause, who paid $5.20 as the favorite, turned back a stretch challenge from Sea Island to score by two lengths. Brushed by a Star, the 2-1 second choice, never was a serious threat after loping along last in the field of five early behind a very slow pace. She did manage third, though, finishing three lengths behind the runner-up.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Paynter, winner of the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational last August who later survived a bout with laminitis, is nearing a comeback.
Friday, the 4-year-old Paynter worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Hollywood Park, his sixth workout on the surface since mid-April. Trainer Bob Baffert, who won Friday’s Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico with Fiftyshadesofhay, said that he has not selected a race for Paynter’s return.
“He still has a ways to go,” Baffert said.
BALTIMORE - It had been mentioned to trainer Bob Baffert early on Saturday that speed wasn’t very good at Pimlico.
“Hey, wait til Zee Bros gets on it,” Baffert responded.
Zee Bros, with Martin Garcia up, made a slow track look quick as he blitzed his eight rivals with a front-running 2 1/4-length victory in the $100,000 Chick Lang Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Take Charge Indy, the romping winner of the May 3 Alysheba Stakes, had his first breeze since that breakout victory when going an easy half-mile in 51 seconds early Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Pat Byrne said he definitely is planning on running Take Charge Indy in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill on June 15. The 4-year-old colt earned a 109 Beyer Speed Figure with his six-length triumph under Rosie Napravnik in the Grade 2 Alysheba on the Kentucky Oaks undercard.
Evelyn’s Dancer is going to be tough to beat in the 6 1/2-furlong, $50,000 Strawberry Morn at Hastings on Monday. Trained by Troy Taylor, Evelyn’s Dancer has won five of her last six races at Hastings, and in her only loss, she ran a huge race to finish second behind Class Included in the Grade 3 Ballerina, where she was facing older fillies and mares for the first time. She dominated the local 3-year-old filly division last year, and prior to her loss in the Ballerina, she romped by 5 1/4 lengths in the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks.
Older fillies and mares who suddenly produce a career-best Beyer Speed Figure while winning are usually good candidates to regress next time out. The 5-year-old mare La Grey Zuliana, who just ran the fastest race of her 35-race career, and 4-year-old filly Dani’s Storm, freshened after she delivered her best performance in 14 lifetime starts, would seem to be two good examples of runners to bet against in Monday’s $50,000 feature at Parx Racing.
Trainer Greg Tracy got what he was looking for when Bond James Bond easily won a $25,000 optional claimer in his seasonal debut at Northlands Park on May 4. A triple stakes winner at 2, Bond James Bond had not won a race since he scored a front-running win in a $75,000 optional claimer at Hastings in his first start as a 3-year-old in 2011.
“I was hoping for an easy win to help him regain his confidence,” Tracy said. “That was a good race for him, and it was nice to see him in the winner’s circle again.”
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Herbie D, the champion sprinter in British Columbia in 2012, will make his seasonal debut in the $50,000 John Longden 6000 at Hastings on Monday. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up headlines an eight-race card that also includes the $50,000 Strawberry Morn, where Evelyn’s Dancer figures to be an overwhelming favorite in a six-horse field.
There are five horses entered in the Longden, and four of them figure to be chasing Herbie D, who is clearly the speed of the race. Post time for the Victoria Day holiday card is 1:50 p.m. Pacific.
BALTIMORE – Debt Ceiling used new tactics Saturday, when he remained perfect in two starts with his off-the-pace win in the $100,000 Rollicking. The five-furlong race for 2-year-olds was the first of seven stakes on the Preakness card at Pimlico Race Course.
Debt Ceiling wired the field in his career debut March 30 at Laurel, increasing his advantage at every call for a 4 1/2-length win in a maiden special weight.
