ARCADIA, Calif.- Mildly Offensive had little difficulty extending her unbeaten streak to two races in Sunday’s $100,000 Santa Paula Stakes at Santa Anita.
In doing so, she ran to her odds as the 1-2 favorite, gave jockey Rafael Bejarano a sweep of the day’s two stakes, and further enhanced her status as a 3-year-old filly to follow.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- Chief of Affairs established himself as one of the top choices for next month’s Grade 3, $200,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park when he won the $75,000 Hot Springs on Sunday in a meet-best time of 1:08.56 for six furlongs.
The time also equaled the stakes record of Double Ready in 1984.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - La Luna de Miel has a German sire, an English dam, and a Russian owner.On Sunday, she became an American graded stakes winner for the first time when she rallied under a perfect ride by jockey John Velazquez to a one-length victory over 6-5 favorite Endless Expanse in Gulfstream Park’s $150,000 Orchid Stakes.
ARCADIA, Calif.- Bound for the winner’s circle after Juniper Pass’s hard-fought victory in Sunday’s $150,000 San Luis Rey Stakes, owner Robert Irvin was understandably full of enthusiasm.
“I think I’m going to hug Rafael,” he said of winning jockey Rafael Bejarano.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The California Horse Racing Board has filed a complaint against trainer Doug O’Neill after one of his starters at Santa Anita in February tested positive for etodolac, an anti-inflammatory medication not permitted for use in racehorses.
The positive test was taken from a post-race urine sample from Separate Forest, the winner of the fifth race at Santa Anita on Feb. 5. Separate Forest earned $22,800 of a $40,400 purse in winning a $40,000 claimer on the hillside turf course as the 8-5 favorite.
The entrants came out of the woodwork Sunday when the field was drawn and post positions assigned for the $1 million Louisiana Derby. A field of 13 – most wholly unproven in open stakes competition – was entered in the Grade 2, 1 1/8-mile race, the centerpiece of what ought to be a blockbuster, multi-graded-stakes racing program Saturday in New Orleans.
Baryshnikov and Dean’s Kitten gave Mike Maker, the leading trainer at the Turfway Park winter-spring meet, a one-two sweep of the $50,000 Tejano Run Stakes on Saturday night.
With Tommy Pompell aboard, Baryshnikov notched his first career stakes victory when making or forcing all the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race, returning $19 as sixth choice in a field of eight older horses. Dean’s Kitten, winner of the Lane’s End Stakes last year, was second, 1 3/4 lengths behind his stablemate and another half-length before Mint Chip.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The Factor put himself on the road to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, when he answered the two-turn question with authority in the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The 1 1/16-mile was his first start beyond seven furlongs, and he settled beautifully before winning off by 6 1/4 lengths.
"He could have gone a mile and an eighth today," said Bob Baffert, who trains The Factor.
The Factor dominated from the start Saturday when winning by daylight in the 51st running of the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
With Martin Garcia riding for trainer Bob Baffert, The Factor returned $4.80 as the favorite after finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.19 over a fast track.
