HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - El Padrino’s final work for Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby may not have gone quite as planned at the beginning. But in the end, trainer Todd Pletcher got just what he was looking for from the Risen Star winner, who figures to be the second choice behind Union Rags in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
Dynamic Host won his first stakes in Saturday’s $150,000 Tokyo City Cup over 1 1/2 miles on the main track and may start in another marathon next month – the $150,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap over about 1 3/4 miles on turf.
“We’ve got options for him,” trainer Art Sherman said. “We could look at the San Juan Capistrano.”
The San Juan Capistrano is the closing day feature, on April 22.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Empire Way, runner-up in the Grade 2 Robert Lewis Stakes in February, but ninth in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 10, is off the Kentucky Derby trail, trainer Mike Harrington said on Sunday.
Empire Way is likely to make a start in an allowance race later this spring, Harrington said.
“I backed off him a little while,” he said. “He needed a little time.
He’s definitely off the Derby trail.
“When he comes back, I’ll run him in an allowance race. I still think he’s a good horse. He’s still training.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Frank Stronach’s undefeated, Eclipse Award winner Awesome Feather will not run in Saturday’s Grade 3 Rampart at Gulfstream Park as originally scheduled, trainer Chad Brown reported on Sunday.
Awesome Feather, who has won all nine career starts, including the Sunshine Millions Distaff here earlier this winter, was expected to meet Grade 1 winner Awesome Maria in the 1 1/8-mile Rampart.
Bourbon Courage could be headed for the Derby Trial after scoring a second-straight flashy six-furlong win at Fair Grounds on Saturday, trainer Kellyn Gorder said Sunday.
In his career debut on Feb. 3, Bourbon Courage won a maiden race by 4 ¼ lengths, running six furlongs in 1:09.28 and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 103. Saturday, facing other winners for the first time, he scored by 6 ½ lengths, running six furlongs in 1:09.42 and earning an initial Beyer of 101.
Cigar Street, a blowout two-turn Fair Grounds maiden winner in his most recent race, green-lighted his entry into next Sunday’s $1 million Louisiana Derby with a good five-furlong workout in 1:01.20 Sunday morning.
“Our main question was how was he going to look doing it, and I think the question was answered,” trainer Steve Margolis said Sunday morning. “Right now, all systems are go. We’re going to enter tomorrow.”
Jockey Sheldon Russell and trainer Dane Kobiskie were repeat winners during the 12-week Laurel Park winter meeting that wrapped up Saturday.
Russell, the top jockey in Maryland a year ago, collected his fourth straight meet-leading riding title in the state by finishing with 54 first-place finishers, 21 ahead of runner-up Malcolm Pierce.
Trainer Scooter Davis locked up four of the 10 available slots for the finals of the Charles Town Starter Tournament by going 4 for 4 with his runners in Saturday night’s semifinals.
Disco Indy ($7.80) snapped a three-race losing streak in the second of two seven-furlong heats worth $30,000 apiece, one race after Davis-trained runners finished one-two-three. The favored Pure Rey ($4.20) won his second straight race since the 7-year-old was claimed for $5,000. His stablemates, Run Fat Boy Run and Etched Stone, checked in second and third.
Cold Cash 123, the reigning world champion Quarter Horse, won his first start of the year Saturday night at Remington Park, when he overcame a slow start to edge Llano Teller by a neck in the $100,000 Leo Stakes. With the win, which was his fourth straight, Cold Cash 123 became a millionaire.
The Leo, which was delayed when a horse broke through the gate and was briefly loose, was the first start since Dec. 31 for Cold Cash 123. He broke outward in the 400-yard race, and then picked up steam to cover the distance in 19.52 seconds. He paid $3.40.
