ELMONT, N.Y. – Coming off an adventurous entry-level allowance victory at Aqueduct four weeks ago, Incognito makes his stakes debut in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park with an eye toward the Belmont Stakes.
A field of 11 was entered Wednesday for the Peter Pan, nine of whom are Triple Crown-nominated. The Peter Pan, run at 1 1/8 miles, is the local prep for the Belmont, scheduled for June 8.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Power Broker will trade Grade 1 stakes company for older foes when the 3-year-old colt returns to action Friday on the first twilight program of the Churchill Downs spring meet.
As one of the leading 2-year-olds of 2012, Power Broker is sure to be a heavy favorite in the 10th of 11 Friday races, which is scheduled for 7:24 p.m. Eastern. As a maiden, the colt was good enough to win the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes (formerly the Norfolk) at Santa Anita, making him the 2-1 second choice in his next race, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
An eighth-place finish by Treasury Bill in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 16 ended any chance of the colt running in the Triple Crown races. It also was not a true measure of Treasury Bill’s ability, trainer Ron Ellis insists.
“He didn’t handle the track,” Ellis said. “He didn’t handle the flight. I’m going to throw it out. Things didn’t go right for him.”
Calvin Borel may or may not have had a chance to get a feel for the wet racetrack before riding Revolutionary to a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. After all, Borel had just one other mount on the Derby Day card, and that was aboard a maiden named Indy Awesome, who was away slowly before finishing a no-factor sixth in the fourth race.
For whatever reason, Borel – the three-time Derby winner who last month was voted into the Hall of Fame – has had a difficult time securing mounts at this meet.
AUBURN, Wash. – After a successful winter in Arizona, Touch the Sun returns to Emerald Downs on Friday to headline the feature race, a $17,500 claimer for Washington-breds at six furlongs. First post for the seven-race card is 6:45 p.m. Pacific.
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Field for the 2013 Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 18, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Click horse name to view contender profile and past race replays. MORE: Get Preakness PPs, watch video previews, read latest updates »
Purse: $1,000,000; 1 3/16 miles
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Friday could be a milestone day for top jockey Rafael Bejarano at Betfair Hollywood Park – if he does not win four races Thursday.
Bejarano, 30, entered the racing week at Hollywood Park on Thursday with 2,996 career wins. He had five mounts Thursday, leaving him with an excellent chance of reaching the 3,000th win of his career sometime this week.
ELMONT, N.Y. – When Miss Valentine left New York for south Florida last December, trainer Christophe Clement had designs on trying the New York-bred daughter of Afleet Alex in an open company stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Unsatisfied with how Miss Valentine trained when she first arrived at Payson Park, Clement opted to scrap those plans and give Miss Valentine a break.
Friday night’s featured eighth race at Evangeline Downs drew a field of six sprinters slated to go six furlongs. The second-level optional $20,000 claimer carries a $26,000 purse.
El Vino, no worse than second in four starts since relocating from the West Coast late last year, could rule a slight favorite. He comes in off a pair of victories at Sam Houston, the latest while running for a $35,000 claiming price.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Larry Jones wants to keep his standout distaffers separated, but he’s having a bit of a hard time with it.
Joyful Victory will run later this month in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park, and while Jones said he likely will save Believe You Can for the June 15 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs, he has not ruled out a run in the Belmont race for her, too.
