ARCADIA, Calif. - Rosengold won his second consecutive turf stakes – and showed a new dimension – with a sharp victory as the favorite in Friday’s $72,800 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds over a mile on turf.
Ridden by Martin Garcia, Rosengold stalked pacesetter Meringue Pie for the first six furlongs, took the lead in early stretch and won by a half-length over Procurement, the 5-2 second choice. Rosengold was timed in 1:34.20. In his previous two wins, Rosengold went wire to wire.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Power Broker has been something of a forgotten horse in recent months, even if he was a Grade 1 winner as a 2-year-old last September.
He can make up for lost time in Saturday’s $750,000 Santa Anita Derby.
[DERBY WATCH: Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders with odds and video]
The millionaire West Virginia-bred Russell Road will make a rare road trip from his Charles Town base when he launches his 7-year-old campaign in Monday night’s $37,100 feature at Mountaineer Racetrack.
Russell Road will be cutting back from 1 1/8 miles to 5 1/2 furlongs and making his first start since November in Monday’s eighth race, a no-conditions allowance that drew a full field of 10 older horses.
ARCADIA, Calif. – There is a pick-six carryover of $49,844 on Saturday’s nine-race program at Santa Anita.
Saturday’s pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific.
There are two $200,000 stakes for 3-year-old California-breds that are part of the pick-six races – the Evening Jewel Stakes for fillies and the Echo Eddie Stakes. Each race has 11 entrants.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Ile St. Molly won the second stakes race of her young career Friday at Oaklawn Park, when she cruised to a 3 3/4-length win in the $60,000 Rainbow Miss. Sashabye finished second, a length clear of third-place finisher Pistolpackinpenny.
Grace Hall, the four-time graded stakes winner, tuned up for a start in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park by working four furlongs in 47.02 seconds Friday morning at Palm Meadows.
It was the fastest of 20 works at the distance and a sign to trainer Tony Dutrow that Grace Hall has moved forward since her well-beaten third-place finish behind Royal Delta in the Sabin.
Michelle Nevin, who took over the stable operated by trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. when he began serving a 10-year suspension earlier this year, will take 27 head to New York. She will be stabled at Belmont Park.
Nevin won with her first starter, Teaks North, in the Sunshine Millions Turf here Jan. 19. She went 3 for 29 at the meet.
Teaks North finished second in the Mac Diarmida and last weekend ran sixth in the Pan American behind world-record setting Twilight Eclipse.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Jockey Alex Solis finished third on both of his mounts Wednesday, but he was just happy to be riding again.
Solis, a finalist for the Hall of Fame this year, was away for five months after needing shoulder surgery.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Twilight Eclipse, who set a world record for 1 1/2 miles on turf winning the Pan American in 2:22.63 on March 23, will likely make his next start in the Grade 2, $150,000 Elkhorn at Keeneland on April 26.
Terry Finley, head of the West Point Thoroughbreds syndicate that owns Twilight Eclipse, said that the Elkhorn would be a stepping-stone to Grade 1 races like the Man o’ War at Belmont and maybe the Sword Dancer at Saratoga this summer.
“He definitely wants to run a mile and a half,” Finely said. “Wherever they card those races, we’ll be there.”
Rudy Rodriguez, trainer of undefeated Kentucky Derby hopeful Vyjack, is currently serving a 20-day suspension for two positive tests for Banamine and could face further penalties after a third horse of his tested positive for the same drug.
Majestic Marquet, who won a $51,000 starter/optional-claiming race at Aqueduct on March 10, tested positive for Banamine, according to Gustavo Rodriguez, Rudy’s brother and his assistant, who is overseeing the stable in his brother’s absence.
