Demonic, who missed a scheduled start in Saturday’s $300,000 San Felipe Stakes because of a bruised foot, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds at Hollywood Park on Friday.
The workout was the fastest of 14 recorded works at the distance, leaving trainer John Sadler hopeful that Demonic can start in April, possibly in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 6.
“We have a couple of weeks to get back to where we want,” Sadler said. “We’ll learn a lot more in the next couple of weeks.”
My Wandy’s Girl, runner-up as the favorite in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap on Feb. 16, will make her next start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Ruffian Handicap at one mile on the Wood Memorial undercard April 6, Hushion said.
My Wandy’s Girl was beaten three-quarters of a length by longshot winner Funnys Approval in the Barbara Fritchie, her first start since Nov. 24.
Trainer Ron McAnally said Friday that Suggestive Boy is a candidate for the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile on turf April 12.
“That looks like a logical spot,” McAnally said. “The timing is good, a little more than a month. Everything is good.”
Suggestive Boy has won both of his starts this year – the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes on Feb. 2 and the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 2. He could face a very tough job in the Maker’s 46 Mile.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – By no means does owner Jim Riccio Sr. have Derby fever. But his 3-year-old The Truth and K G gave him something to think about with his first-level allowance win Thursday at Aqueduct.
Attempting two turns for the first time, The Truth and K G put away a pace challenge from debut winner Now and Then and held off the late-running Go Get the Basil – who had won three consecutive races – to win by a nose. The Truth and K G, trained by Rudy Rodriguez, ran a mile and 70 yards in 1:42.01 and both he and Go Get the Basil earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Eblouissante, the unbeaten half-sister to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, will have her stakes debut postponed until the spring after disappointing trainer John Shirreffs in a workout at Betfair Hollywood Park on Friday.
Eblouissante worked six furlongs in 1:16.80, a slower time than Shirreffs wanted. Eblouissante was considered a candidate for the $300,000 Santa Margarita Stakes over 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita next Saturday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Teddy’s Promise can continue a perfect season at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting with a victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Las Flores Stakes for female sprinters.
Since the meeting began in late December, Teddy’s Promise has won the Kalookan Queen Handicap over 6 1/2 furlongs by 5 1/4 lengths on Dec. 29 and the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes over seven furlongs by three lengths Jan. 26. The wins have helped to erase the disappointment of her eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint here last November.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Wesley Ward has been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to try his Grade 1-placed filly Sweet Shirley Mae around two turns. He will finally get that chance Sunday when Sweet Shirley Mae goes 1 1/16 miles against six other 3-year-old fillies in the afternoon’s $54,500 co-feature at Gulfstream Park.
NEW ORLEANS – Veteran jockey Pat Johnson arrived at the Fair Grounds at the start of this meet with no agent and one prospective mount.
Through Thursday, Johnson had won eight races, including three on extra-long shots, from 62 mounts at the meet. He and agent Laura Ball, who began working for him around Christmastime, are fielding requests from more and more trainers.
Business is trending up, and Johnson and Ball are thrilled with how it’s going.
“It’s unexpected, very unexpected,” Johnson said.
By David Grening
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Only Mother Nature seems capable these days of cooling off trainer Linda Rice, who entered the weekend having won seven of the last 11 races in which she has participated at Aqueduct.
A nor’easter forced Aqueduct to cancel Friday’s card, keeping two of Rice’s runners in the barn. On Saturday, she was scheduled to run two horses, including her top sprinter N.F.’s Destiny. On Sunday, Rice has two horses in both the fourth and seventh races.
