HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Most of the field for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup had their final pre-race workouts last weekend, including Cyberknife, the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a lineup of 12 older horses.
Cyberknife, who will be making the final start of his career in the Grade 1 Pegasus before going to stud at Spendthrift Farm, went five furlongs in 1:01.20 Saturday at trainer Brad Cox’s winter base at the Fair Grounds.
The death of exercise rider Daniel Quintero in a tragic pre-dawn training accident Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs cast a pall over the tight-knit racing community in Oldsmar, Fla.
The Tampa publicity department on Sunday issued a press release that detailed the reaction of Quintero’s family members to the terrible news, saying the 19-year-old Venezuela native “died what he loved doing.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Kazushi Kimura has found a fan in California trainer John Sadler.
Kimura, the leading rider at Woodbine in 2021 and 2022, is riding at Santa Anita this winter. He had his first win of the meeting aboard Kirstenbosch for Sadler in the Grade 3 La Canada Stakes for fillies and mares on Jan. 15.
On Saturday at Santa Anita, Kimura had his first two-win day in California, riding Duvet Day ($28.20) in the Grade 3 Astra Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf for trainer Michael McCarthy and Hawker ($16.80) in a maiden race on turf for Sadler.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Practical Move, winner of the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 17, is under consideration for one of two Grade 2 stakes at 1 1/16 miles later this winter, trainer Tim Yakteen said Sunday.
Races such as the $1 million Rebel Stakes on Feb. 25 at Oaklawn Park and the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes on March 4 at Santa Anita are possibilities for Practical Move’s 3-year-old debut, Yakteen said.
“We have a lot of options,” he said.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Betsy Blue and Piece of My Heart, who finished first and second for trainer Linda Rice in Saturday’s $97,000 Interborough Stakes, are likely to remain in New York but run in different races for their next starts.
Rice isn’t exactly sure which race she would point Betsy Blue to, but has the option of the $100,000 Broadway for New York-breds on Feb. 12 or the $100,000 Correction on March 11. Her primary New York target is the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap on April 7. Rice said she could consider the Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap on Feb. 18.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Arctic Arrogance on Sunday at Belmont Park had his second workout with blinkers, and trainer Linda Rice indicated the equipment is achieving the desired effect as he prepares for a start in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes on Feb. 4.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Pirate Rick was visually impressive winning a third-level allowance race Sunday at Aqueduct by seven lengths. Given his affinity for wheeling horses back on short rest, trainer Lynn Cash did not take offense when asked if he would run Pirate Rick back in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan Stakes here.
“It’s a fair question,” Cash said, still standing in Aqueduct’s makeshift winner’s circle.
He didn’t rule it out, though twice previously he’s wheeled Pirate Rick back on six days’ rest and the horse didn’t run well either time.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gulfstream Park officials released a statement Sunday afternoon confirming an equine herpesvirus positive in Barn 21 at the track. The result had an immediate impact on Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational when the entry of Super Corinto, a horse who resides in that barn with trainer Amador Sanchez, was withdrawn from the race shortly before the post-position draw.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – At 7 a.m. here Sunday, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was asked where he’d like to see his Florida Derby winner White Abarrio draw when post positions were pulled later that afternoon for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational.
“Seven,” Joseph replied emphatically.
Veteran trainer Neil Pessin celebrated a successful Saturday afternoon with a rollicking Saturday night in New Orleans. Pessin won the Louisiana Stakes with the improving Happy American and sent out first-time starter Sweet Alyssa to a 3-year-old filly sprint maiden score in Saturday’s second race. Maiden 3-year-old Baseline Beater rallied from a mile back to finish second in race 10, a two-turn maiden. And then things really got wild.
“I was at the barn until 8, then I got fast-food drive-thru, went home, and went to bed,” Pessin said.
