Fri, 04/08/2011 - 18:31

Jaycito to miss Santa Anita Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Jaycito is still being pointed for the Kentucky Derby.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jaycito was withdrawn from Saturday's $1 million Santa Anita Derby on Friday afternoon by trainer Bob Baffert, who said the colt's bruised right front foot had not recovered sufficiently to allow for a start.

Baffert said Jaycito was diagnosed with an abscess after a workout at Hollywood Park on March 22, and that the foot has been tender in recent days. As recently as Friday morning, Baffert was hoping that Jaycito's foot would improve enough to allow for a race.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 18:02

Keeneland: Air Support takes Transylvania by a nose

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Air Support, with Rajiv Maragh up, wins the Transylvania.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Air Support led for only one jump when Keeneland opened its 15-day meet Friday with the 1 1/16-mile Transylvania Stakes - but it was the one that counted.

With Rajiv Maragh urging him down the center of the turf course, Air Support was up to nail the race-long pacesetter, Great Mills, to capture the Grade 3, $100,000 Transylvania by a nose. He returned $23.20 to win.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 16:53

Oaklawn Handicap: Misremembered looks to build on 2011 debut

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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The $7,000 that trainer Bob Baffert spent to acquire an old broodmare he remembered as a racehorse has not only produced the best runner he has ever bred but also one of the leading handicap horses in North America.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 16:48

Trappe Shot gearing up for return to races

Barbara D. Livingston
Trappe Shot hasn’t started since a disappointing ninth-place finish in last year’s Travers.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The handicap division is wide open this year, and two horses who could have a say in things as the season progresses, Trappe Shot and Tizway, both turned in sharp workouts Friday morning at Palm Meadows.

Trappe Shot, working in company with stablemate Alyarf, went five furlongs in 1:00.60. Tizway earned the bullet after completing the distance in 1:00.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 16:45

Life At Ten starts season at Gulfstream

Barbara D. Livingston
Life At Ten will make her first start since the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic on Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Life At Ten, who received more publicity for a race she didn’t win last season than the two Grade 1’s she did, will finally get a chance to make some news again on the racetrack when launching her 2011 campaign going a mile under optional claiming conditions in Sunday’s fifth race at Gulfstream Park.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 16:22

Oaklawn: Joyful Victory, Arienza hope to use Fantasy as springboard to Kentucky Oaks

Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography
Joyful Victory, winning the Honeybee, could move on to the Kentucky Oaks with a good effort in Sunday's Fantasy.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Blind Luck and Rachel Alexandra both parlayed Fantasy victories into Kentucky Oaks gold in their next starts. The connections of Joyful Victory and Arienza would love to see their fillies do the same. They are the top choices in this year’s Grade 2, $300,000 Fantasy, which will be run Sunday at Oaklawn Park.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 16:14

Keeneland: Apple Charlotte returns in tough spot on turf

Tom Keyser
Apple Charlotte will return from a one-year layoff in an allowance race Sunday at Keeneland.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Allowance conditions in the spring condition book at Keeneland sometimes are written so that top-class horses returning from their winter breaks don’t necessarily have to rush right into the breach. That would seem the case Sunday, when the feature on one of the rare stakes-less programs of the 15-day meet drew a few fillies and mares likely to spend the rest of their year competing for black type.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 16:06

Four Del Mar stakes take a $50,000 hit

Del Mar will run 42 stakes at its upcoming summer meeting, which runs from July 20 to Sept. 7. The purses of four major stakes have been reduced by $50,000 each from the 2010 meeting, while 11 overnight stakes have been increased by $10,000.

The richest race of the meeting will be the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic for older horses on Aug. 28, an important prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Pacific Classic program will also feature the $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes for sprinters and the $200,000 Del Mar Handicap on turf.

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 16:05

Aqueduct: Rattlesnake Bridge targets Jerome

Though Rattlesnake Bridge was on the same flight that brought Uncle Mo from south Florida to New York, that’s as close as his connections want to get to the defending 2-year-old champion for the near future.

While Uncle Mo will run in Saturday’s $1 million Wood Memorial, Rattlesnake Bridge is being pointed the Grade 2, $150,000 Jerome here on April 24.

“We feel it might be the right spot,’’ trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “It’s a great spot, it’s a one-turn mile. If we were to run big or win it maybe we could run in the Preakness.’’

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 16:02

Belmont: Harissa changes target to Shuvee

When Harissa won the Langhorne Stakes by four lengths on March 29 at Parx Racing, it was initially designed to be a prep for the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

The connections have called an audible and will now point the multiple stakes-winning filly to the Grade 2, $150,000 Shuvee Handicap at Belmont on May 21. The Shuvee is run as a one-turn mile.

Hushion said the Shuvee was chosen of the Human so to not “put her through all the stress of Derby Day.’’