Division 3—Race 9

1. Saratoga’s Magic
Owner:  Cindy Hoover
Trainer: Cindy Hoover
Jockey: Ruben Camacho
Last race was pretty weak, but two starts back he ran a decent third against open $4,000 claimers, so he’s dipping a bit in class which could wake him up at a price from the rail. 

Division 2—Race 8

1. Castle Pines
Owner:  Charles Holshouser
Trainer: Nick Lowe
Jockey: Eliska Kubinova
Might have tipped his hand last time as he stretched out really well by opening up to a big lead and holding on.  With the rail draw, expect Eliska to have this one running early.  Horse should be more fit with that route under his girth.

Portland, OR—Leg 1 of the Route Claiming Series features 27 runners spread out over three divisions.  Here are profiles of each of the runners entered for Leg 1 of the Route Claiming Series.

Division 1—Race 7

1. Stellar Blue
Owner: Karen Kirshner and Tom Allen
Trainer: Robbie Baze
Jockey: Lance Bullock
Won a mile and one eighth race two starts back so clearly likes going a route of ground.  First try against open runners last time wasn’t pretty so he’ll have to step it up to be a contender.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Saturday’s Santa Anita program features three graded stakes.

Aside from the Grade 2 Strub Stakes, the top 3-year-olds Liaison and Rousing Sermon, first and second in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park in December, start in the $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes over 1 1/16 miles.

The Grade 2 Lewis Stakes is a key prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 7. Other candidates are Chips All In, Empire Way, Groovin’ Solo, I’ll Have Another, and Sky Kingdom.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Wee Freudian, who has posted three gutsy victories since claimed by Richard Schosberg, figures to vie for favoritism with Falaah in Thursday’s six-furlong feature.

Seven older males entered the $62,000 optional claimer that carries first-level allowance conditions.

“He’s as honest a horse as we’ve had in a long time – always runs his race,” said Schosberg of Wee Freudian, who has returned a $20,000 investment by Clear Stars Stable last June more than five-fold.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Randy Morse has trained some notable horses, such as millionaires Jonesboro and Morluc. But this year his barn is poised to become more visible than ever, and not just because the stable’s numbers have grown from 26 to 40 head. Morse has a slew of well-bred youngsters coming up, and the shift within his shed row has led him to make plans to resume racing a division at Churchill Downs for the first time in four years following the close of the Oaklawn Park meet in April.

“I’ve got a lot more young horses that could turn out to be something,” he said.

ARCADIA, Calif. – If she reproduces her dazzling maiden victory, the filly Twelve Folds can be long gone Thursday at Santa Anita in her first start against winners.

There is a catch, however. The recent romp by Twelve Folds was in a sprint on dirt. But on Thursday, Twelve Folds will race in uncharted territory – stretching to two turns and switching to grass a one-mile allowance that will not showcase her attribute, speed.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Eight races into his career, the 4-year-old colt Ultimate Eagle will be tried at something different in Saturday’s $200,000 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita. He will make his first start on a dirt track.

Ultimate Eagle began his career last April, starting too late for a race during the 2010-11 season on Santa Anita’s dirt track. Last spring, he lost three starts on Hollywood Park’s synthetic main surface before being switched to turf, where he reeled off four straight wins.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Admiral Rocket has stepped up his game noticeably since he began sprinting on a regular basis, and on Thursday he can collect his second win in his last four starts in the eighth race at Oaklawn Park.

The first-level allowance is for 4-year-olds and up, and it drew a field of 10. Other key players include Anthony and Parody, a pair of three-time winners facing less experienced rivals, and Shimmy Tinjo, who exits a race that produced next-out winners at Parx Racing, Delaware Park, and Colonial Downs.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Game On Dude was less than sixteenth of a mile from winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs last November when jockey Chantal Sutherland sensed victory.

“I could touch it,” she said last weekend at Santa Anita. “It was right there.”

Racing firmly on the rail, Game On Dude led by a length. Just when he seemed clear of 11 rivals, Drosselmeyer caught him in the middle of the track, rallying to win by 1 1/2 lengths.