Del Mar has made only minor revisions to its 39-race stakes schedule for the 31-day summer meeting, which runs from July 21 to Sept. 10, the track announced on Thursday.
The stakes program will be worth $8,275,000, the same as 2022 and well above the $7.45 million offered in stakes in 2021.
“We didn’t feel the need to shift anything, given the success of last year,” racing secretary David Jerkens said earlier this week.
Trainer Bob Baffert has three candidates for the major stakes on the Dubai World Cup program at Meydan Racecourse on March 25.
Country Grammer, who won last year’s Dubai World Cup and was second in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 25, will attempt to join Thunder Snow (2018-2019) as the only two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup. First run in 1996, the Dubai World Cup is run at 1 1/4 miles and has a purse of $12 million.
Three of the biggest names among the California-based 3-year-olds had workouts at Santa Anita on Thursday, a day before the expected arrival of a rainstorm.
Arabian Knight, who has won his two starts by a combined 12 3/4 lengths, worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 on Thursday. He had worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds on Saturday.
Reincarnate, a game third with trouble in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 25, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jim Byers will be serving as the announcer at Oaklawn Park for the immediate future because Vic Stauffer is no longer with the track as of this week, an Oaklawn executive said Thursday.
Byers is the regular announcer for Lone Star Park near Dallas, which opens its meet April 13.
“At least in the short term, Jim is going to assist us until he has another engagement,” said Wayne Smith, general manager of Oaklawn.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Tapit Trice heads a field of 12 3-year-olds set to go Saturday in the lone Kentucky Derby qualifying race of the weekend, the Grade 3, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs.
Tapit Trice, trained by Todd Pletcher, will leave from post 6 with Luis Saez aboard in the 1 1/16-mile race. The gray Tapit colt will be making his stakes debut following a last-out allowance romp at Gulfstream Park.
Two Phil’s, second in the Lecomte Stakes and third in the Risen Star, has left Fair Grounds and settled into trainer Larry Rivelli’s string at Hawthorne, and will make his next start March 25 at Turfway Park in the $700,000 Jeff Ruby Stakes.
Two Phil’s has made all seven of his starts and dirt and will be trying a synthetic surface for the first time. Rivelli said the other option was a long trip to the $600,000 Sunland Park Derby on March 26, but that race has been ruled out.
Trainer Brad Cox still is sorting where to run a bevy of Fair Grounds-based Kentucky Derby hopefuls. Cox had three runners in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds and figures to have at least that many in the March 25 Louisiana Derby there.
Trainer Brad Cox won the Honeybee Stakes on Feb. 25 at Oaklawn with Wet Paint, who’s getting a lot of love as a Kentucky Oaks candidate. But Cox might have a better Oaks hopeful stabled in New Orleans, where The Alys Look is working strongly for the Fair Grounds Oaks on March 25.
The Aly’s Look on March 4 worked five furlongs at Fair Grounds in 1:00.20, fastest of 31 works at the distance that morning. The breeze came just six days after the filly had drilled a half-mile. “She worked great,” Cox said.
Senor Buscador emerged from his comeback race in good order and now has several options for his next start, trainer Todd Fincher said Tuesday.
Senor Buscador made his first start since the Breeders’ Cup on March 5, winning the $75,000 Curribot Handicap at Sunland Park. He stalked the pace and cruised home by four lengths, while covering the 1 1/16 miles distance in a strong 1:42.75.
“It was a very nice comeback race for him,” said Fincher.
A couple months into his 5-year-old season and with 15 starts behind him, Proxy remains a work in progress.
After running a thoroughly professional race winning the Grade 1 Clark Stakes last November, Proxy fell out the back door while resenting the kickback before rallying belatedly to finish fifth in the Pegasus World Cup. And this past Saturday, a lack of focus during the middle stages of the race cost Proxy victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.
