HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A field of at least seven 3-year-olds now seems definite for the $1 million Florida Derby on March 31, led by division leader Union Rags and El Padrino. Other confirmed starters include Take Charge Indy, Neck ’n Neck, News Pending, Reveron, and Fort Loudon.
Daddy O. rallied for a neck win over On Down the Road in the $110,000 New Mexico State University Handicap at Sunland Park on Sunday. It was another half-length back in third to Double Smart.
The mile and 70-yard race was for 4-year-olds and up bred in New Mexico.
Daddy O. ($24.20) covered the distance on a track rated fast in 1:43.62. Alejandro Medellin rode the winner for trainer Ross Amestoy.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Ron Ellis and owner Samantha Siegel, who combined to win the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational on Saturday with Include Me Out, came back for an encore performance Sunday at Santa Anita when they sent out Canonize to capture the $71,800 Santana Mile for older males.
Canonize ($5.40), the favorite, had a compelling duel with Gladding down the stretch and prevailed by a half-length after that prolonged drive. It was another 8 1/4 lengths back to Honour the Deputy in third.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Tapitsfly may be a Breeders’ Cup winner, but she’d never won a graded stakes until Sunday when she took care of that little glitch in her résumé with a three-quarter-length victory over Bay to Bay in Gulfstream Park’s Grade 2 Honey Fox.
Jockey Ramon Dominguez, the two-time reigning Eclipse Award winner, suffered a separated – but not fractured – collarbone and will miss an undetermined amount of time as the result of a spill in Sunday’s eighth race at Aqueduct.
Meanwhile, apprentice jockey Samuel Camacho Jr., involved in the same spill, was uninjured and is expected to ride Wednesday at Aqueduct. Both jockeys were released from North Shore University Hospital about 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Paco Lopez, the two-time defending Gulfstream Park riding champion, suffered a broken collarbone and six fractured ribs in a frightening spill that took place near the top of the stretch in Saturday’s 11th and final race.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Secret Circle will attempt to complete a sweep of Oaklawn Park’s series for 3-year-olds next month, when he runs in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby. He is being pointed to the April 14 race, trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday, one day after the horse took the Grade 2, $500,000 Rebel at Oaklawn. Earlier in the meet, Secret Circle captured the second and faster division of the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest Stakes.
Jockey Gerard Melancon closed out his roller-coaster Delta Downs meet with a stakes win Saturday night, when he guided Amazing Saint to a 3 1/4-length win in the $60,000 Bonne Chance. The one-mile race for fillies and mares was one of two stakes on the closing-night card. Wicked Vow upset the $60,000 Au Revoir, winning by two lengths and returning $40.20.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Juvenile champion Hansen breezed an easy half-mile in 50.40 seconds at Churchill Downs Trackside on Sunday in preparation for the Grade 1 Wood Memorial on April 7 at Aqueduct. The work marked his first breeze since taking the March. 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.
With exercise rider Joel Barrientos aboard, Hansen breezed comfortably while never being asked for speed over a fast but drying-out racetrack. He went evenly, with Daily Racing Form timing him galloping out five furlongs in 1:06.20.
Tequila Factor, a two-time stakes winner on grass who even got a crack at the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last fall (ran 14th), had his class come through as the 121-pound co-highweight overcame a disadvantageous extreme outside post to capture Saturday’s $35,000 Tempe Handicap at a mile on the grass for 3-year-olds at Turf Paradise.
