ARCADIA, Calif. – From last July through Jan. 1, Somethingabouther ran in seven consecutive stakes in Virginia and California, never winning. She has reached a point in her career where a confidence boost might help.
The string of stakes appearancces ends Friday when Somethingabouther starts in a $58,000 allowance race over a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.
Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can will make her long awaited return to action Saturday when she heads a field of six fillies and mares in the $100,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes at Fair Grounds.
Trainer Larry Jones said Wednesday from the New Orleans track that he is excited about the way Believe You Can has trained into the Tiffany Lass, which will be run at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
PHOENIX – Friday’s clash between top local sprinters Derive and Absolutely Cool in the $35,000 Swift was delayed a few days, but judging by their previous meetings it will be worth the wait. The Swift was originally scheduled for last Saturday, but was postponed when that card was scrapped after heavy rains made the track unsuitable for racing.
Al Stall Jr. is quite the realist and therefore knows how highly improbable it would be for a 3-year-old named Sunbean to closely follow in the revered Louisiana-bred footsteps of the retired Star Guitar.
“I’d love to tell you he’s going to make a million-eight,” said Stall, exaggerating only a little regarding the $1,749,862 earned by Star Guitar. “But I’d say the odds are against that happening.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – An allowance route in January cannot be mistaken as a Kentucky Derby prep race. But for the promising 3-year-olds entered Thursday in race 6 at Santa Anita, a first-level allowance at one mile is a good place to start dreaming.
“Anytime you have a 3-year-old at this time of year, you have ambitions,” Appealing Tale’s trainer Peter Miller said.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Goldrush Girl will make a key surface switch at Oaklawn Park on Thursday when she moves back to dirt for a second-level allowance at a mile. The field of eight fillies and mares also includes Lady Jensen, a two-time restricted stakes winner this fall at Remington Park, and Songs and Sonnets, a daughter of the multiple Grade 3-winning racemare Bedanken.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Will Take Charge, the winner of the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn, has a few options for his next start and will likely run Feb. 18 in Oaklawn's Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest at 1 1/16 miles, said his trainer, D. Wayne Lukas.
“Right now, if I had to say, I’m pretty much locked in,” Lukas said of targeting the Southwest.
