Demonic, winner of a maiden race over seven furlongs in his debut Jan. 13, is being considered for two graded stakes for 3-year-olds in coming weeks – the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes over seven furlongs on Feb. 17 or the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on March 9.
Owned by Lee and Susan Searing and trained by John Sadler, Demonic worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 on Monday under jockey Garrett Gomez, who was aboard for the maiden win.
The $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 2 may include Clubhouse Ride, if trainer Craig Lewis gets a break in the weights against expected favorite Game On Dude.
The Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap is run over 1 1/4 miles and is the top race of the winter-spring meeting for older horses.
In the $200,000 San Antonio Stakes over 1 1/8 miles last Sunday, Game On Dude won by 6 1/2 lengths over Clubhouse Ride. A 5-year-old horse, Clubhouse Ride has won 3 of 25 starts.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A surprisingly large field of 10 horses was entered for Saturday’s $500,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park, adding a degree of drama to Wednesday’s post position draw for the Grade 1 fixture.
The Donn will share top billing on Saturday’s 12-race program along with the Grade 1, $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, which not surprisingly lured only six starters because of the imposing presence of Animal Kingdom, Point of Entry, and Unbridled Command, three of the top older grass runners in the country.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Always in a Tiz is to return to Oaklawn for the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest on Feb. 18, setting up a rematch of the top three in last month’s $150,000 Smarty Jones. Always in a Tiz invaded from Florida for the Smarty Jones and was third by a neck, edged by winner Will Take Charge and runner-up Texas Bling, both of whom are scheduled to run back in the Southwest.
[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer John Parisella returned to New York from south Florida early Wednesday morning and headed right to his barn at Belmont Park.
A little jet-lagged, Parisella perked up at the sight of his two fabulous 4-year-old fillies, Sunny Desert and Centrique. Combined, Sunny Desert and Centrique have won 11 of their last 12 starts.
Centrique looks to keep the good times rolling Friday at Aqueduct when she heads a field of six entered in the $69,000 allowance feature going a mile.
ARCADIA, Calif. – One month into his comeback, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens is an everyday fixture at Santa Anita, riding nearly every day and working horses on most mornings each week.
It’s the statistics that he would like to change. Since his return Jan. 6, Stevens, 49, has 2 wins in 28 starts, with 9 second-place finishes.
“I’m disappointed with the seconds, but I like the way they are running,” Stevens said between workers Wednesday morning. “I feel good. I felt good when I started and I feel better now.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer John Kimmel felt that with a little luck, his Kibosh and Lady's Lunar Luck could have run one-two when launching their 2013 campaigns going a mile at Gulfstream Park. On Friday, Kimmel will give his two New York-breds a chance to run one-two again when the pair square off against 10 rivals, this time at a mile and one-sixteenth on the turf, in the afternoon’s $54,500 main event.
Cash Refund, winner of the 2010 Duncan Kenner Stakes and an earner of $367,376, left the Steve Margolis barn at Fair Grounds early Wednesday for his new retirement home at the Forest Lane Farm of Charlie and Amy Lopresti on the outskirts of Lexington, Ky.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The former maiden claimer Funny Gal may be a stakes runner by the end of next month.
Trained by John Sadler, Funny Gal starts in a $58,000 allowance race for California-bred 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita on Friday. The six-furlong race could lead to a start in the $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies over 6 1/2 furlongs here March 30.
Craig Dado and Josh Rubinstein have been promoted to executive vice presidents of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, the organization announced Wednesday.
When Craig Fravel left his post as Del Mar’s president and general manager to become chief executive officer of the Breeders’ Cup in July 2011, his position was not filled, and his duties were absorbed by four people: Mike Ernst, Tom Robbins, Dado, and Rubinstein.
