Sun, 04/01/2012 - 16:47

Fair Grounds: Look At the Time rallies to win Crescent City Derby

Hodges Photography/Lynn Roberts
Look At the Time wins the $75,000 Crescent City Derby at Fair Grounds.

Look At the Time finished first for the fourth time in as many career starts when rolling past Event Center to win the $75,000 Crescent City Derby on Sunday at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Sun, 04/01/2012 - 16:03

Fair Grounds: Gantry completes sprint stakes sweep in Duncan Kenner

Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges Jr.
Gantry wins the Duncan F. Kenner Stakes at Fair Grounds in a stakes record 1:08.58.

NEW ORLEANS – Gantry has proved to be the sprinter of the winter during the 2011-12 Fair Grounds meet, completing a sweep of the three Fair Grounds dirt-sprint stakes with a stakes-record performance in the $145,000 Duncan F. Kenner on Sunday.

Sun, 04/01/2012 - 14:17

Gulfstream Park: Dullahan works toward Blue Grass Stakes

Tom Keyser
Dullahan breezed five furlongs in 1:02.19 on Sunday at Gulfstream Park as he prepares for the Blue Grass Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Working for the first time since his second-place finish in the Palm Beach Stakes, Dullahan breezed five furlongs in 1:02.19 shortly after the first renovation break Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

Dullahan, who missed several days of training as a result of a popped splint bone discovered shortly after the Palm Beach, broke off at the half-mile pole and finished around the turn at the mile pole. He posted splits of 24.94 seconds for the quarter and 49.66 for the half before galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.72.

Sun, 04/01/2012 - 14:03

Take Charge Indy, Union Rags, El Padrino heading to Kentucky Derby

Elizabeth Macy
Take Charge Indy, winner of the Florida Derby, will make his next start in the Kentucky Derby.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Take Charge Indy, Union Rags, and El Padrino all emerged from Saturday’s Florida Derby in good shape, their respective trainers said Sunday morning, and all will be pointed to the May 5 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Patrick Byrne, trainer of Take Charge Indy, said the Florida Derby winner “looks fresh this morning.”

“He cooled out really quick last night,” Byrne said.

Byrne said Take Charge Indy would leave for Churchill Downs by van April 11, arriving on April 12, and would not have a workout until he gets to Kentucky.

Sun, 04/01/2012 - 11:50

Kentucky Derby Future Wager: Union Rags closes as 9-2 favorite in Pool 3

Barbara D. Livingston
Union Rags relaxes in a pen Sunday in south Florida. He is the 9-2 favorite in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Racing fans were undeterred by Union Rags being defeated Saturday as an odds-on choice in the Florida Derby when settling on the colt as a lukewarm 9-2 favorite in the third and final pool of the 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which closed 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday after the customary three-day run.

Sun, 04/01/2012 - 10:28

Kentucky Derby Future Wager: Union Rags starts final day as favorite in Pool 3

Tom Keyser
Union Rags trains Wednesday at Palm Meadows in preparation for Saturday's Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Despite being defeated Saturday as the odds-on favorite in the Florida Derby, Union Rags was the 7-2 favorite heading into the final day of wagering into Pool 3 of the 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 20:43

Fair Grounds: Nehro will scratch from New Orleans Handicap

Barbara D. Livingston
Nehro, runner up in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, remains eligible for an entry-level allowance.

NEW ORLEANS – Nehro, the 2011 Kentucky Derby runner-up, will be scratched from the New Orleans Handicap on Sunday after tying up following a Saturday morning training session, trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed Saturday night.

“He got a little tight today when he trained,” Asmussen said. “I’m not going to run him unless he’s 100 percent.”

Nehro made his first start since the 2011 Belmont Stakes here Feb. 25, easily winning a first-level allowance race. The 4-year-old Mineshaft colt, who was second in the Louisiana and Arkansas derbies, still is seeking his first stakes win.

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 20:36

Santa Anita: Derby Gold salvages day for Baffert in Echo Eddie

Benoit & Associates
Derby Gold, who came into the race as a maiden, scores an upset in the Echo Eddie.

ARCADIA, Calif.- The California-bred colt Derby Gold saved Saturday for trainer Bob Baffert.

After disappointments in Dubai with Game On Dude in the Dubai World Cup and The Factor in the Golden Shaheen Stakes, and a loss by Eden’s Moon in the Santa Anita Oaks earlier on the Santa Anita program, Derby Gold won the $200,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for California-breds.

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 20:06

Santa Anita pick six carryover goes to $256K

ARCADIA, Calif. - There is a two-day pick six carryover of $256,115 at Santa Anita on Sunday.

The carryover was clinched after Saturday's ninth race, after favorites lost the first five legs, the fifth through ninth races. There was a carryover of more than $54,000 from Friday into Saturday's program.

Sunday's pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a nine-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific The pool is expected to grow by more than $1 million on Sunday.

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 19:53

Santa Anita: Apprentice Flores guides Warren's Amber to Evening Jewel upset

Benoit & Associates
Eswan Flores guides Warren's Amber to victory in the Evening Jewel for California-breds.

ARCADIA, Calif.- Apprentice jockey Eswan Flores won the richest race of his career – to date – aboard Warren’s Amber in Saturday’s $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes at Santa Anita. Considering his success in the last four months, that may only be a temporary status.

Flores, 19, is currently ranked third in the jockey standings at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, and rode like a veteran to score an upset win in the Evening Jewel Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies.