ELMONT, N.Y. – The Fort Marcy Stakes and Beaugay, a pair of Grade 3, $100,000 races at 1 1/16 miles that serve as the traditional starting points for the New York turf racing season, will each be run for the 34th time Saturday.
The Fort Marcy, which is scheduled for the Widener turf, attracted six turf-meant runners, with Sal the Barber’s win in the 2009 running of the Grade 3 Calder Derby the only graded stakes score among them.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Chamberlain Bridge returns to his favorite turf course when he heads a field of nine entered in the Grade 3, $100,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint, a five-furlong race that kicks off the stakes action on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby card.
Wando Redd was one of the top 3-year-olds at the Louisiana Downs meet a year ago, but his connections passed on the Super Derby in favor of focusing on sprinting with the horse. On Saturday, Wando Redd will race around one turn in the track’s featured ninth race. The $25,000 optional claimer with second-level allowance conditions will be run at 6 1/2 furlongs, and it drew a large field of 11.
Coyote Legend and Aces N Kings, who have won 10 stakes between them, will meet for the first time Saturday in a Lone Star Park turf allowance for 3-year-olds and up bred in Texas.
The 7 1/2-furlong allowance leads the track’s 12-race program.
Coyote Legend established himself as one of the top Texas-breds in training last year at 3, when he won five stakes, including two over older rivals. He comes into Saturday’s allowance off a second-place finish in the $50,000 Premiere at Lone Star on April 14.
The Louisiana Cartel has developed rapidly of late and will be a strong favorite to win his third straight race in the Grade 2, $50,000 Sam Houston Classic for Quarter Horses. The 440-yard stakes highlights a special afternoon card that begins at 1 p.m. Central.
My Star Runner and Gold Coyote are among the 13 sprinters who flooded the entry box for the $50,000 Clem McSpadden at Will Rogers Downs. The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up is one of two sprint stakes on the card. The $50,000 Wilma Mankiller for fillies and mares drew last-out stakes winners Tin Top Cat and Miss Natalie.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Dale Romans will saddle Shackleford in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, so he has a valid excuse for not being at Woodbine when his diminutive charge Black N Beauty competes in the $150,000 Queenston Stakes.
The seven-furlong Queenston is an important prep for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 26. It has lured four other Ontario-bred 3-year-olds, including Oh Canada and Bear’s Chill.