When federal marshals swept into Los Alamitos last June and seized horses owned by members of Mexico’s Los Zetas drug cartel, trainer Jose Antonio Flores lost two of his best 2-year-olds – Mr Ease Cartel and Super Long Straw.
Both had qualified for the $1,001,000 Ed Burke Million Futurity but were in federal possession by the June 24 final. The loss of Mr Ease Cartel was particularly painful for Flores.
“I never thought I’d see him again,” he said.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Clubhouse Ride, second to Game On Dude in the Santa Anita Handicap last Saturday, is being considered for the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on April 20, trainer Craig Lewis said on Monday.
Game On Dude is a candidate for the same race.
“Most likely, he’ll chase Game On Dude across the country,” Lewis said.
“It will be a good field. We’ll take a chance.”
Trainer Ronny Werner gets together with extended family members each Thanksgiving, and for years the dinner conversation has swirled around getting a horse together. Talk has finally become action in the form of Guadalupe High, who on Thursday night will be going for her second straight stakes win when she starts in the $75,000 Azalea at Delta Downs.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Omega Star will make his graded stakes debut in Saturday’s $300,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, just in time to make an impression in the last major prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 6.
Trained by John Shirreffs for Marty Wygod and Herman Sarkowsky, Omega Star has had three starts, but never faced a field as tough as the one expected for the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes. Run over 1 1/16 miles, the San Felipe is expected to be led by recent graded stakes winners Flashback and Goldencents, top contenders for the Santa Anita Derby.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Jan’s Perfect Star will be making her first start for new connections, her first start against winners, and her first start against open company when she runs in Thursday’s eighth race at Oaklawn. She comes into the first-level allowance sprint for fillies and mares off a 12-length debut win Feb. 7 at Oaklawn for which she earned a Beyer of 89.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Super Ninety Nine and Oxbow are both being pointed to the Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 16, their respective trainers said Tuesday. Rafael Bejarano has the mount on Super Ninety Nine, according to trainer Bob Baffert, while Mike Smith will be aboard Oxbow, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jockey Mike Smith will be active in both stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, when he rides Flashy Gray in the Grade 3, $150,000 Honeybee for trainer Bill Mott and and Brethren in the Grade 3, $150,000 Razorback Handicap for trainer Steve Asmussen.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Galileo has been Europe’s champion sire for the past three seasons. He’s also going to have a major influence on Thursday’s $57,500 main event at Gulfstream Park with two of his up-and-coming progeny, the English-bred Aigue Marine and Irish-foaled Twirl, likely to vie for favoritism in the 1 3/8 mile turf feature.
Eighteen fillies and mares were nominated to Saturday’s $50,000 Camilla Urso at six furlongs, but early in the week only three runners were considered definite, with a fourth on the fence.
The Camilla Urso was added to the Golden Gate Fields stakes schedule this year to provide a sprint for fillies and mares.
Racing secretary David Jerkens said that Distinctive Yolie, English Royal, and Personal Sunset, who finished necks apart in a Feb. 10 prep, are considered definite for the Camilla Urso. I’m Tops, who would be making her first start since last March, could join them.
