OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Siblings Thin White Duke and Yes and Yes are back on the work tab for trainer David Donk as they prepare for the upcoming turf season in New York.
The 5-year-old Thin White Duke, who won last year’s Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga, breezed three furlongs in 36.67 seconds on Thursday, his second breeze since rejoining Donk’s stable. The 7-year-old Yes and Yes breezed three furlongs in 36.49, his first breeze of the year.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Venti Valentine, who won the Bay Ridge Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths here Dec. 17, returned to the work tab Friday, breezing a half-mile in 49.81 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.
Trainer Jorge Abreu said he is targeting the $200,000 Critical Eye Stakes on May 29 at Belmont for Venti Valentine, a 4-year-old daughter of Firing Line who is a three-time stakes winner at a one-turn mile. The Critical Eye is run at 1 1/16 miles around one turn.
Abreu said Venti Valentine got turned out for a couple of months on a farm in Ocala, Fla.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While he will still be well represented in Sunday’s $100,000 Biogio’s Rose with Timeless Journey, trainer Ray Handal’s best New York-bred female dirt horse, Funny How, has a bigger prize in her sights – the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap on April 7 at Aqueduct.
Vietnam Victory is one of three starters trainer Bret Calhoun could have in the new $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Derby on March 25 at Sam Houston Race Park.
The mile and 70-yard race for Texas-breds is open to graduates of Texas Thoroughbred Association auctions. The race is part of the $700,000 Texas Champions Day card.
Vietnam Victory improved his record to 3 for 4 when he won his second stakes in the Groovy in January at Sam Houston. For the effort, Vietnam Victory earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81. The horse will move to two turns for the TTA Derby.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer John Ortiz said Heart Rhythm is under consideration for the Grade 3, $300,000 Commonwealth at Keeneland following his allowance win Thursday at Oaklawn Park.
The Commonwealth, for 4-year-olds and up at seven furlongs, will be held April 8.
Heart Rhythm finished with a flourish Thursday when he won a six-furlong allowance in the slop in a sharp 1:09.80. For the effort, he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93.
“He had a fantastic gallop out,” Ortiz said. “He’s a very versatile horse. He’s got tactical speed, can sit off of it.
Santa Anita has canceled an eight-race program for Friday because of expected rain through the day, racing secretary Jason Egan said.
The decision was made before 9 a.m. Friday. Egan said no makeup day has been arranged and that additional races will be offered on the weekend of March 17-19 to accommodate owners and trainers who had horses entered Friday.
Del Mar has made only minor revisions to its 39-race stakes schedule for the 31-day summer meeting, which runs from July 21 to Sept. 10, the track announced on Thursday.
The stakes program will be worth $8,275,000, the same as 2022 and well above the $7.45 million offered in stakes in 2021.
“We didn’t feel the need to shift anything, given the success of last year,” racing secretary David Jerkens said earlier this week.
Trainer Bob Baffert has three candidates for the major stakes on the Dubai World Cup program at Meydan Racecourse on March 25.
Country Grammer, who won last year’s Dubai World Cup and was second in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 25, will attempt to join Thunder Snow (2018-2019) as the only two-time winner of the Dubai World Cup. First run in 1996, the Dubai World Cup is run at 1 1/4 miles and has a purse of $12 million.
Three of the biggest names among the California-based 3-year-olds had workouts at Santa Anita on Thursday, a day before the expected arrival of a rainstorm.
Arabian Knight, who has won his two starts by a combined 12 3/4 lengths, worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 on Thursday. He had worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds on Saturday.
Reincarnate, a game third with trouble in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 25, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jim Byers will be serving as the announcer at Oaklawn Park for the immediate future because Vic Stauffer is no longer with the track as of this week, an Oaklawn executive said Thursday.
Byers is the regular announcer for Lone Star Park near Dallas, which opens its meet April 13.
“At least in the short term, Jim is going to assist us until he has another engagement,” said Wayne Smith, general manager of Oaklawn.
