HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Ken McPeek was all smiles here at Gulfstream Park on Saturday morning after sending out a trio of his top 3-year-olds – Java’s War, Frac Daddy, and Pure Fun – to turn in important works in preparation for upcoming stakes opportunities.
“It was a good, solid morning of works for all of them,” said McPeek.
[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]
A pair of horses switching from Polytrack to dirt may hold an advantage in split divisions of one-mile races that serve as the co-features Tuesday night at Mountaineer Racetrack.
Antique Wedding, a winner at Turfway Park two starts ago while racing for a $15,000 claiming price, is ideally drawn on the rail in race 7, the first of two races open to first-level allowance runners, nonwinners of two lifetime, or $15,000 claimers.
ARCADIA, Calif.– Goldencents is making a habit of fast workouts – and fast races.
A winner of stakes at Delta Downs and Santa Anita in his last two starts, Goldencents breezed six furlongs in 1:11.60 at Santa Anita on Saturday, preparing for next Saturday’s $300,000 San Felipe Stakes.
The workout was the latest in a sequence of quick works by the colt and left the ever-optimistic trainer Doug O’Neill certain that Goldencents is ready for the San Felipe.
Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla., opens its 32-date Thoroughbred meet on Monday with popular local Miranda Diane in the entries and newcomer John Lies in the announcer’s booth. The track will race through May 18, keeping a Monday-through-Wednesday schedule most weeks in March and April, and adding Saturdays in May.
MIAMI - In the wake of filing for a year-round racing schedule for the first time on Thursday, Calder Race Course has released its stakes program for the 2013 Calder and Tropical-at-Calder sessions, which will again be highlighted by the Summit of Speed on July 6.
The 129-day season will begin with the 76-day Calder session that runs from April 6 through Aug. 31 to be followed by the 53-day Tropical session from Sept. 1 until Dec. 29. The 2014 meeting is slated to begin on Jan. 3.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday for trainer Greg De Gannes, who died unexpectedly at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida last Sunday at age 50.
The service will take place at Sacred Heart Church, 14485 Jane Street, in King City, Ontario.
De Gannes, born in Trinidad, relocated to Canada in 1973 when his father, Rolph De Gannes, accepted a position as resident veterinarian at Windfields Farm.
Steve Hobby won the 1,000th Thoroughbred race of his training career Friday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., when Ruthless Empire cruised to a 6 3/4-length win in the seventh race. Hobby, who early in his career trained Quarter Horses, also won his first Thoroughbred race at Oaklawn, on Feb. 20, 1985.
“It feels great,” Hobby said of reaching the milestone. “And I really wanted to do it here.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - As if there wasn’t enough interest in Saturday’s card at Aqueduct, there will be a pick six carryover of $113,159 on the 11-race program.
The wager went unhit Friday when Shaunna Alexandra ($64) rallied to upset favorite Gravitate in the ninth.
There had been a carryover of $27,109 entering Friday’s card.
Saturday’s pick six sequence begins with race 6 (3:10 p.m. Eastern) - a New York-bred optional claimer - and includes the Grade 2 Top Flight Handicap, the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap, and the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes.
My Happy Face, winner of the Grade 3 Tempted last fall at Aqueduct, is likely off the Kentucky Oaks trail after developing a virus, her owner Michael Dubb said.
My Happy Face was shipped this week from Gulfstream Park to the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center in Versailles, Ky., where she is expected to reside for 10 to 14 days, according to Dubb.
Dubb said that while he wouldn’t totally rule out the Oaks, “I would say it’s highly unlikely,” he added.
Dry Summer, who remained perfect in two starts at Sunland Park with his win in last weekend’s $120,000 Mine That Bird Derby, emerged from the race in good order and is now being pointed for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 24, said his trainer, Joel Marr.
[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]
