Fri, 03/23/2012 - 16:28

Santa Anita: Amazombie leaning toward Oaklawn's Count Fleet Sprint Handicap

Shigeki Kikkawa
Amazombie could be headed to Oaklawn Park for the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Amazombie, champion sprinter of 2011, worked six furlongs in 1:13 at Santa Anita on Friday for a start in early April at Oaklawn Park or Santa Anita.

Trainer Bill Spawr said that Amazombie will make his next start in the $150,000 Potrero Grande Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on April 7 or the $250,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap over six furlongs at Oaklawn Park on April 14.

Spawr said that he was leaning toward Oaklawn Park, “55-45,” but emphasized that a decision will not be made for another week.

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 16:24

Gulfstream: Reveron picks up Trujillo for Florida Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Reveron, winner of the Gulfstream Park Derby, will skip the Holy Bull Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Reveron already has one derby victory on his r é sum é . A Calder-based 3-year-old prospect, Reveron will try for a second derby win here at Gulfstream Park next weekend as one of the outsiders in the $1 million Florida Derby.

Reveron, a son of Songandaprayer, launched his 3-year-old campaign with a game half-length decision over Casual Trick in the inaugural Gulfstream Park Derby. He has made just one start since, finishing a wide-running third after taking the lead in early stretch of Grade 3 Sam Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 16:10

Sunland Park: Princess Arabella faces Glinda the Good in Oaks

Shigeki Kikkawa
Princess Arabella makes her stakes and two-turn debut in the Sunland Park Oaks.

The connections of Princess Arabella on Sunday will be following a path to the Kentucky Oaks that worked for them last year when they start their undefeated filly in the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks. It was in this race a year ago that Peachtree Stable, trainer Bob Baffert, and jockey Martin Garcia sent out Plum Pretty for a 25-length win in advance of her victory in the Kentucky Oaks.

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 15:34

Sunland Park: Castaway, Daddy Nose Best square off in Sunland Derby

Shigeki Kikkawa
Castaway comes into the Grade 3 Sunland Derby off a win in a division of the Southwest Stakes.

As the Kentucky Derby preps move to 1 1/8 miles, distance can become a stumbling block for many 3-year-olds. But the trainers of both Castaway and Daddy Nose Best welcome the distance of Sunday’s Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby.

“I think Castaway will like the mile and an eighth,” Bob Baffert said.

“The distance definitely seems to suit Daddy Nose Best,” said Steve Asmussen.

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 14:55

Santa Anita: Bourbon Bay tries to turn tables on Slim Shadey in San Luis Rey

Shigeki Kikkawa
Bourbon Bay (above) will be rematched with Sanagas in Saturday's San Marcos.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bourbon Bay was left with too much to do in the stretch of the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 11, closing from last in a field of six to finish fourth behind Slim Shadey.

Those two meet again in Sunday’s $150,000 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita, and this time race circumstances could be different. Bourbon Bay, a 6-year-old gelding trained by Neil Drysdale, is proven over the San Luis Rey distance of 1 1/2 miles on turf, while the 4-year-old Slim Shadey, trained by Simon Callaghan, is running that far for the first time.

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 14:32

Santa Anita: City to City starts outside in Santa Ana Stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa
City to City wins the Buena Vista on Feb. 20, going three wide on the turn and racing wide in the stretch.

ARCADIA, Calif. – An outside post for City to City in Sunday’s 11-runner, $150,000 Santa Ana Stakes at Santa Anita left trainer Jerry Hollendorfer unimpressed.

“Nice post, huh?” he said Thursday when entries were drawn.

No, the draw may not be ideal, but Hollendorfer can take consolation with City to City’s last performance, a victory in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Handicap on Feb. 20.

In that race over a mile on turf, jockey Corey Nakatani brought City to City into a prominent position with a three-wide rally on the turn.

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 12:43

Fair Grounds: Daisy Devine won’t run in Bayou

Lynn Roberts
Daisy Devine, with James Graham up, wins the Pago Hop.

Daisy Devine, winner of the Pago Hop and the Mardi Gras stakes during the ongoing meet at Fair Grounds, will be forced to miss the $100,000 Bayou Handicap next Saturday after contracting a skin disease.

Daisy Devine, trainer Andrew McKeever said, already has been shipped from Fair Grounds to Keeneland. McKeever remains hopeful of being able to make the Jenny Wiley Stakes there with Daisy Devine, a six-time winner of nearly $600,000.

Tiz Moe has edge if feature moves to dirt

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 12:34

Golden Gate adjusts date for Golden Poppy, changes Berkeley to handicap

Golden Gate Fields racing secretary David Jerkens has announced two changes to the spring meet stakes schedule. The $75,000 Golden Poppy will be pushed back one day to Sunday, May 6, from Saturday, May 5, and the Grade 3, $100,000 Berkeley on May 28 will be run as a handicap race rather than a stakes.

Jerkens said that switching dates for the Golden Poppy to move it away from Kentucky Derby Day could provide fans two big days.

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 12:32

Fair Grounds: Louisiana Derby could attract a baker's dozen

Lynn Roberts
Mark Valeski (right) runs second to El Padrino in the in the Risen Star.

As long as the prospective stakes fields hold together during the next week, Fair Grounds’s 2011-2012 race meeting is going out with a loud bang.

A field that might swell to 13, headed by Risen Star stakes runner-up Mark Valeski, is expected for the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby, the featured race on the Sunday, April 1 finale, while the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap could wind up with the deepest cast in the older-route-horse division so far this season.

Fri, 03/23/2012 - 12:18

Los Alamitos: This Boogie Fires sharp for finals of La Primera Del Ano Derby

Springtime racing at Los Alamitos seems to bring out the best in the Quarter Horse filly This Boogie Fires.

Last year, she beat maidens in her debut in April, won a division of the time trials for the Kindergarten Futurity on May 8, and finished third in the final two weeks later.

On March 17, days before the official start of spring, she made her second start of 2012 in the time trials for the $214,300 La Primera Del Ano Derby and set the fastest qualifying time of 19.78 seconds for the 400-yard race. The final is on April 6.