Golden Gate Fields will begin racing on turf this year as early as March 31.
The track’s condition book for March 31 to April 2 has at least two turf races on each program.
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DRF Past Performances
Hit Show, the Grade 3 Withers Stakes winner, will return to New York for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 8 at Aqueduct, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Wednesday.
In the days after he won the Withers, Hit Show shipped to Fair Grounds to train while Cox and owner Gary West were contemplating whether to run back in the Wood or perhaps go to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Arkansas Derby on April 1 at Oaklawn Park, where the horse won an allowance race in February.
Henry Q will face Southern California shippers Fort Bragg and Hard to Figure on Sunday in the Grade 3, $600,000 Sunland Park Derby.
The 1 1/8-mile race offers Kentucky Derby points to its first five finishers on a scale of 50-20-15-10-5.
Henry Q, who was previously based in Southern California, could go favored when he breaks from post 4 in the seven-horse Sunland Derby. He won the local prep, the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby, by 14 3/4 lengths on Feb. 28. Edwin Maldonado was aboard for The Del Mar Group and trainer Todd Fincher and again has the mount Sunday.
Trainer Ben Colebrook and owners Andrew and Rania Warren will have a little more breathing room between races when their colts Scoobie Quando and Raise Cain run in a pair of major Kentucky Derby points races in the coming weeks.
Colebrook will saddle Scoobie Quando in Saturday’s Grade 3, $700,000 Jeff Ruby at Turfway Park, with Raise Cain likely to carry the same owners’ colors two weeks later in the Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass at Keeneland. Both races offer Derby points on the 100-40-30-20-10 scale.
Japan-based Mandarin Hero is the only known shipper for the Santa Anita Derby. His trainer, Terunobu Fujita, provided insight into the colt’s late-running style in a recent visit to California. Fujita told Santa Anita publicity that Mandarin Hero “has really good acceleration in the final stretch.”
“I think he probably cannot handle the early pace, but he really likes to chase down other horses,” he said.
:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2023: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more
Geaux Rocket Ride will be among the least experienced entrants in the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 8, but the two-start colt could inherit the most important role – he is the likely pacesetter.
Runner-up in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, Geaux Rocket Ride is the only true front-runner among six known possibles for the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby. Nominations close March 30 and early possibles include Geaux Rocket Ride, Practical Move, Skinner, I Don’t Get It, Mandarin Hero, and Dazzlemesilver.
Santa Anita has canceled racing on Friday because of significant rain on Tuesday and will race from Saturday through Monday this week in an effort to conduct three programs that include use of the turf course.
In an already rain-soaked year, Southern California was hit with a significant rainstorm Tuesday, with more forecast later on Tuesday and into early Wednesday. Track officials project Santa Anita will sustain two to three inches of rain from the storm, which would strongly jeopardize turf racing on Friday.
Morning-line favorite Major Dude drew the rail in a field of 12 on Tuesday for Saturday's Grade 3, $700,000 Jeff Ruby Stakes at Turfway Park.
The Ruby, at 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta, awards Kentucky Derby points to its top finishers on a 100-40-30-20-10 scale.
Major Dude, trained by Todd Pletcher, is a two-time graded stakes winner on the turf. He won the Grade 3 Kitten's Joy last month at Gulfstream Park in his most recent outing.
Rich Strike was conspicuously absent when entries were drawn Tuesday for Saturday’s marquee card at Turfway Park. The Kentucky Derby winner is now targeting an April start to his season after what owner Rick Dawson termed a “non-serious issue.”
Dawson said Rich Strike, who had been targeting the Kentucky Cup Classic on Saturday at Turfway Park, trained Tuesday morning at trainer Eric Reed’s Mercury Equine Center base. This followed a few days off for the 4-year-old Keen Ice colt, who most recently breezed March 15 at Turfway.