Sun, 04/07/2013 - 17:26

Kentucky Derby: Verrazano heads Wood Memorial trio heading to Louisville

Barbara D. Livingston
John Velazquez has to decide whether he wants to ride Wood Memorial winner Verrazano (above) or Florida Derby winner Orb in the Kentucky Derby.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. -  Led by undefeated Verrazano, the top three finishers from Saturday’s $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct will all head to Churchill Downs early to begin preparing for the May 4 Kentucky Derby.

Sun, 04/07/2013 - 17:06

Los Alamitos: Revv Me Up prevails by nose in La Primera Del Ano Derby

Revv Me Up caught the 43-1 outsider Feature Malinche in the final strides to win Saturday’s $200,000 La Primera Del Ano Derby for 3-year-old Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos.

The La Primera Del Ano Derby was the first stakes win for Revv Me Up and her second win in 10 starts. She won a division of the La Primera Del Ano Derby trials on March 16 after losing her first eight starts.

Sun, 04/07/2013 - 14:59

Keeneland: Hungry Island sharp in prep for Churchill Distaff Turf Mile

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Hungry Island made her return to the races a winning one at Keeneland on Sunday, passing Grade 1 winner Karlovy Vary in the stretch on the way to a one-length victory in a $68,000 turf allowance, the third race of the day.

Sun, 04/07/2013 - 14:52

Oaklawn: Grace Hall heads seven-horse field for Apple Blossom

Tom Keyser
Grace Hall has had three consecutive bullet workouts since finishing third in the Feb. 17 Sabin.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark .- Grace Hall will be seeking the fifth graded stakes win of her career on Friday, when she breaks from post 2 in the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park. She was one of seven fillies and mares entered in the 1 1/16-mile race on Sunday.

Sun, 04/07/2013 - 12:58

Goldencents will follow same pattern to Kentucky Derby that worked for O'Neill last year

Shigeki Kikkawa
Goldencents, in the Santa Anita winner's circle with jockey Kevin Krigger, earned a career-high 105 Beyer Speed Figure for his Santa Anita Derby victory.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Goldencents, who won the Santa Anita Derby on Saturday, emerged from the race “great,” trainer Doug O’Neill said Sunday morning, and will move on to the May 4 Kentucky Derby, a race O’Neill won last year with I’ll Have Another, who also won the Santa Anita Derby in his final prep.

“We’re flying high,” O’Neill said Sunday morning.

Goldencents was awarded a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure for his performance in the Santa Anita Derby.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 20:47

Turf Paradise: Why Not Be Perfect game in Wildcat Handicap victory

Coady Photography
Why Not Be Perfect, with Anne Sanguinetti riding, gets a hard-fought victory in the Wildcat Handicap.

PHOENIX - Why Not Be Perfect was hammered down to 2-5 in Saturday’s $35,000 Wildcat Handicap at Turf Paradise, and while the 6-year-old validated that confidence, it wasn’t easy.

Owned by JC Racing Stable and trained by Jeff Metz, Why Not Be Perfect stalked the pace in the 1 3/8-mile turf event under Anne Sanguinetti, was asked to go challenge for the lead turning for home and had to fight hard to get up for the neck win.

Flexiplus rallied strongly from well back to be second while Bullittone finished third in the field of nine.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 19:35

Sunland Park: Jaws n’ Paws wires Czaria

Coady Photography
Jaws n’ Paws, with Ry Eikleberry riding, leads start to finish in the Czaria.

Jaws n’ Paws has now won 8 of her last 9 starts after wiring the field in the $50,000 Czaria at Sunland Park on Saturday. She won by a length over Pyrite On My Mind, while it was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third to African Rose.

Jaws n’ Paws ($4) broke on top in the six-furlong race for fillies and mares and took the field through fractions of 22.28 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.69 for the half-mile. Jaws n’ Paws went on to cover the distance on a track rated fast in 1:09.21.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 19:25

Santa Anita Derby: Goldencents sends O'Neill, Pitino to Kentucky Derby

Benoit & Associates
Goldencents, ridden by Kevin Krigger, takes the Santa Anita Derby, sending trainer Doug O'Neill back to the Kentucky Derby for the second straight year. The horse is owned by a partnership that includes University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Doug O’Neill enjoyed winning the Santa Anita Derby last year so much he decided to do it again. Guess he said, I’ll Have Another.

Goldencents, now starting on the path O’Neill trod last year with I’ll Have Another, ran his way into the May 4 Kentucky Derby with a 1 1/4-length victory over favored Flashback on Saturday in the Grade 1, $750,750 Santa Anita Derby before an ontrack crowd of 33,005.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 19:19

Santa Anita: Hollendorfer ties Leatherbury in wins with Providencia Stakes victory

Benoit & Associates
Scarlet Strike, with Rafael Bejarano riding, wins the Providencia, giving trainer Jerry Hollendorfer his 6,375th victory.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Scarlet Strike won the first stakes of her career in Saturday’s $151,250 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita, leaving Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in a tie with King Leatherbury for fourth-place on the all-time wins list with 6,375 victories.

Hollendorfer entered Saturday trailing the Maryland-based Leatherbury by two wins. Hollendorfer won twice at Santa Anita and once at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday, while Leatherbury won the featured race at Pimlico, the Mister Diz Stakes with Ben’s Cat.

Sat, 04/06/2013 - 18:57

Oaklawn: Officer Alex noses out Bobcat Jim in Bachelor

Coady Photography
Officer Alex and jockey Alex Birzer (left) battle to barely reach the wire ahead of Bobcat Jim in the Bachelor for 3-year-old sprinters.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Officer Alex caught Bobcat Jim on the wire for a dramatic win in the $75,000 Bachelor for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. The six-furlong race was run on a perfect spring afternoon, before an ontrack crowd of 22,361.

Officer Alex ($12.20) settled in fourth in the early stages of the Bachelor, as Bobcat Jim jumped out to the lead and was clear through fractions of 21.51 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.17 for the half-mile. Officer Alex rolled into the stretch four wide, and rallied through the lane to catch Bobcat Jim.