A 2-year-old trained by Mike Stidham as an odds-on favorite in a Fair Grounds dirt-route race with a short field: Haven’t we heard this one before?
As a matter of fact, yes.
DRF Past Performances
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INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Three times this year, Self Preservation has finished behind Weemissfrankie in Grade 1 races in Southern California and Kentucky.
Along the way, there have been two close finishers – a one-two in the Del Mar Debutante in September and a three-four in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs last month. That was not the case in the Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita in October when Weemissfrankie won and Self Preservation was a disappointing fifth.
Among the new faces in the jockey colony this year is Joe Rocco Jr., who’ll ride on a regular basis in south Florida for the first time this winter. Rocco got off to a good start by winning two races on opening day, including the Spectacular Bid for trainer Tony Dutrow aboard Ancient Rome.
“I rode in Oaklawn for the first time last winter, that’s the furthest west I’ve ever been,” said Rocco, a 13-year veteran. “But I have a few outfits down here from Delaware to ride for, and it just seemed like the right time to try and step up to the next level.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Groupie Doll is nominated to both the six-furlong Sugar Swirl and 7 1/2-furlong South Beach on the turf this weekend. But trainer Buff Bradley said the Grade 3 winner is not likely to run in either spot, even after she worked a sharp five furlongs in 59 seconds under exercise rider Jose Garcia here Tuesday.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Take a look at Voodoo Storm's breeding and it's easy to see why trainer Shug McGaughey started his career on the grass and expected the colt to be a better horse on turf than dirt. But lo and behold, it now seems Voodoo Storm may actually be fonder of the main track, a theory McGaughey plans to put to the test in Thursday's $53,500 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park.
Humble Smarty has run some of the best races of his career at Remington Park, so his return to the Oklahoma City track for Thursday night’s $50,000 Winter Dash should be meaningful for the horse. He will be coming off a start in New Mexico, but one race earlier had won the $100,000 David M. Vance at Remington.
“He’s run some good races here,” said Brett Creighton, who owns and trains Humble Smarty. “I think we’ll do better here. Well, I’m hoping to.”
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Winless in three starts in this country, Whisper Louise returns to racing after a two-month break in Thursday’s restricted $60,000 Spearfish Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Hollywood Park.
Gone, for the moment, are starts in graded stakes. Whisper Louise was second in the Grade 2 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita in April, but only seventh in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood Park in June.
It will be good to be a 3-year-old at Golden Gate Fields this winter and spring.
Seven of the 10 stakes offered at the winter-spring meet will be for 3-year-olds, including a pair of new $100,000 turf stakes, the Campanile for fillies on June 2 and the open Silky Sullivan on June 9. Both races are scheduled for one mile on the turf.
The $100,000 California Derby will be run on Jan. 14, with the meeting’s signature race, the Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby. on Feb. 18. The $100,000 California Oaks for 3-year-old fillies will be Jan. 21.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Trainer Jason Servis had a banner day Saturday. In addition to sending out Jenny’s So Great to capture the Lightning City Stakes here at Tampa Bay Downs, Servis also won races at Aqueduct and Gulfstream for a training trifecta.
The horseman pointed out that Jenny’s So Great was coming off a race against males in her last start and that the horse that won that race Regally Ready, came back to capture the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in his next start.