LEXINGTON, Ky. – Two down, one to go.
Charlie Lopresti spent many a waking moment this winter focused on how the three star older horses in his stable would perform in their returns to action at the Keeneland spring meet. And after terrific efforts by Successful Dan and Turallure, Lopresti will send out Wise Dan to try to complete that trifecta of sorts in the Grade 3, $150,000 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – After the first weekend of racing at Hastings, Fernando Perez held a one-win lead over Richard Hamel in the jockey standings. It is a bit early to make predictions, but it is very likely that Perez will battle it out with Hamel for leading rider this year, thanks in large part to his alliance with the powerful team of owner Glen Todd and trainer Troy Taylor.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sweet Cassiopeia ended last year on a high note with victories in her last three outings. On Sunday, Sweet Cassiopeia will be looking to continue those winning ways in headier company when she faces nine rivals in the six-furlong Whimsical Stakes at Woodbine.
“She’s been excellent,” said Barbara Minshall, who trains the homebred 4-year-old for owners Dan Considine and Steve Snowden. “She’s training really well.”
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Todd Pletcher pulled an audible with his prospective Kentucky Derby starters Gemologist and El Padrino early Friday morning, making the decision to work both 3-year-olds after the renovation break at the Palm Meadows training center with the possibility of heavy rains predicted for the local area beginning later that afternoon and continuing throughout the weekend. Both Gemologist and El Padrino had been scheduled to work at Palm Meadows on Sunday.
Trainer Bret Calhoun won the 2,000th race of his career Thursday when favored Forty Winks won the third race during evening racing at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Tex.
Calhoun, who operates a large stable with divisions based primarily in Texas and Kentucky, is best known for having trained two Breeders’ Cup winners in 2010 at Churchill Downs: Dubai Majesty in the Filly and Mare Sprint and Chamberlain Bridge in the Turf Sprint.
Dubai Majesty was later voted champion female sprinter of that year, the only Eclipse Award-winning horse that Calhoun has trained.
ALTOONA, Iowa - The $60,000 Golden Circle Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old colts and geldings, highlights the first Saturday of the 2012 Thoroughbred meet at Prairie Meadows.
Despite the small field of five, the Golden Circle shapes up as an intriguing showdown among the precocious pair of Alsvid and Twelve Hundred as well as Heir to Dixie, Whiskey Double and Wildcat Country, who are all improving.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Amazombie, the champion sprinter of 2011, is bound for the $400,000 Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard on May 5, trainer Bill Spawr said on Thursday.
Spawr was between the Churchill Downs Stakes and the $125,000 Tiznow Stakes at Hollywood Park next Saturday for Amazombie's next start. The absence of Amazombie from the Tiznow Stakes is likely to lead to a larger field. Run over 7 1/2 furlongs for California-breds, the Tiznow Stakes is part of the California Gold Rush program for statebreds.
Diavoletto will try to repeat his last performance and make it two in a row in the $50,000 Howard B. Noonan at Beulah Park on Saturday afternoon. Trained by Mike Rone, the 3-year-old gelding trounced a field of other Ohio-breds in his last out March 31.
An evenly matched field of 10 3-year-old fillies is set to start in Saturday night's Hallowed Dreams Stakes at Evangeline Downs. The 5 1/2-furlong, $50,000 headliner will go as the 10th of 11 races.
While no one will threaten the string of 16 consecutive victories that the namesake of Saturday night's feature put together to begin her career several years ago, there is still some quality to be found in the Hallowed Dreams.
