OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Saginaw has lost only five times in his last 16 starts dating back 447 days. Three of those losses, however, were in races run around two turns over Aqueduct’s inner track.
Due to the delayed opening of Aqueduct’s main track, Thursday’s $75,000 Compelling Word Stakes for New York-breds will be contested as a one-mile race around two turns over the inner track instead of a one-turn mile, perhaps opening the door for a mild upset.
Kevin Greely has been named the director of racing at Indiana Downs. For the past three years, Greely has been the racing secretary at Hoosier Park. He is currently the assistant racing secretary at Gulfstream Park.
Centaur Gaming, which owns Hoosier Park, recently acquired Indiana Downs and casino and has received permission from the Indiana Racing Commission to run all of the state’s Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse dates at Indiana Downs this year. Indiana’s Standardbred races will all be held at Hoosier Park.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Bob Baffert is going to be in action in Derby preps every weekend from now until the Kentucky Derby on May 4, and though last weekend did not pan out as planned, with Den’s Legacy and Super Ninety Nine both losing in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, Baffert was looking forward Monday at Santa Anita, where he worked Flashback, Code West, Power Broker, and Sunland Derby prospects Govenor Charlie and Shakin It Up on a cool, overcast morning.
Whenever Mother Nature allows it to be turf season, Hessonite will be ready.
The seven-time stakes-winning New York-bred mare worked five furlongs in 1:02.45 on Monday at Belmont Park, her fifth breeze since rejoining trainer David Donk’s barn earlier this winter.
“She’s really doing well,” Donk said. “We’re happy with her; she’s happy with herself. We look forward to having a little fun with her this year.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Even trainer Wesley Ward isn’t sure which of the two 3-year-olds he has entered in Wednesday’s $58,850 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park, Rip Roarin Ritchie or Off the Page, is better. The only way to find out is to put them in the starting gate and let them duke it out, along with seven others, in the five-furlong turf dash.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer John Terranova’s initial thought when seeing West Hills Giant start to lug in during the stretch run of the Gotham Stakes was to chalk it up to immaturity.
There might have been more to it.
Terranova said Monday that West Hills Giant may have been bothered by a cracked cap, the term given to a horse’s baby tooth that is being pushed up by the permanent tooth.
The top two finishers in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap last month at Gulfstream Park both had weekend breezes as they continue preparations for their expected rematch in the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap on the Louisiana Derby undercard March 30.
Graydar, the Donn winner for Todd Pletcher, went an easy five furlongs in 1:03.80 on Sunday at the Palm Meadows training center, while Bourbon Courage went five furlongs Saturday in a minute flat at Fair Grounds.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The pace scenario for the $1 million Florida Derby may have changed significantly on Monday after trainer Bob Hess Jr. announced his intention to run Merit Man in the Grade 1 fixture on March 30.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jason Servis isn’t brimming with as much confidence as one might suspect the trainer of Lady Gracenote would have entering Wednesday’s $75,000 Sonia’s Scamp Stakes at Aqueduct.
On paper, Lady Gracenote looks the horse to beat, dropping out of the Grade 2 Top Flight while others are stepping out of the claiming ranks.
But Servis is concerned about running Lady Gracenote back just 18 days from the Top Flight, a race in which Lady Gracenote earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 84.
