ARCADIA, Calif. – Weather and track conditions will dictate whether Amazombie, the 2011 champion sprinter, starts in Saturday’s $150,000 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita, and if the stakes winner Mensa Heat is among the competition.
Trainers Bill Spawr and Ted H. West were as focused on the weekend forecast on Wednesday as they were on the condition of their respective runners.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – I Want Revenge isn’t the only 6-year-old running in Saturday’s $75,000 Evening Attire Stakes seeking a return to past glory.
Redding Colliery, who won multiple graded stakes in 2010, makes just his second start in 14 months in Saturday’s Evening Attire at Aqueduct. Sidelined by foot issues for most of 2011, Redding Colliery returned off a year layoff in an overnight stakes at Penn National last Nov. 23 where he finished sixth as the even-money favorite in a nine-horse field.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.– The Grade 1-winning mare Shotgun Gulch is on schedule to launch her final season of racing in March. She is based at Oaklawn Park and is a few weeks away from her first workout of the year, her trainer, C.R. Trout, said Wednesday. He said Shotgun Gulch could make her return in the Grade 3, $150,000 Azeri here March 17.
ARCADIA, Calif. – With different long-term goals set by their trainers, Exotic Slew and Rockinarz Recruit seek their first victories against winners in an optional claimer for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Friday.
Exotic Slew finished second in the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes over seven furlongs for statebreds here on Dec. 26. The $200,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for that division over 6 1/2 furlongs here on March 31 is a springtime goal for his confident trainer, Ed Moger Jr.
“He should run a great race,” Moger said. “It seems to me that’s he’s improving.”
After one of the worst weekends of his training career, Bear Bassett had a much-needed piece of good news earlier this week.
Dash Back Perry, who Bassett saddled to win the $100,000 Charger Bar Handicap on Jan. 8, will remain in training this winter for a start in the Los Alamitos Winter Championship trials on Jan. 29. The $200,000-estimated final is Feb. 19.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Pomeroys Pistol is not running in Friday’s third race at Gulfstream Park. That’s good news for the connections of two talented fillies who are Strike the Moon and Catch a Thief, both of whom futilely chased the multiple graded stakes winner Pomeroys Pistol to the wire earlier this meet in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl.
Strike the Moon and Catch a Thief are two of the leading contenders in Friday’s $60,000 main event, a 6 1/2-furlong dash that drew a field of seven fillies and mares.
The millionaire Bold Chieftain concluded his career by losing a tight photo to Dunmore East in an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields on Monday.
Trainer Bill Morey Jr. thought for a moment that Bold Chieftain had gone out a winner.
“I’m never very confident about photos, but the angle we were sitting at, I thought he won,” said Morey.
Despite the loss, Morey was only momentarily disappointed.
“It was a great run with that horse,” he said.
It has been a long time since Northern California was the exclusive home for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. While his “A” team is based in Southern California, Hollendorfer maintains a large Northern California stable that includes some of the best horses on the grounds at Golden Gate Fields.
He is especially loaded with quality 3-year-olds – both here and in Southern California
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Cody Autrey might be new to Oaklawn Park, but he made himself at home over opening weekend by going 5 for 8 to take the lead in the trainer standings. On Thursday, he will attempt to keep the good times rolling.
NEW ORLEANS – Ask trainer Al Stall how he feels about Applauding’s chances of stretching her speed around two turns, and he will only shrug.
“You have absolutely no idea how they’re going to do it until you try,” Stall said. “At least, I don’t.”
