INGLEWOOD, Calif. – More than likely, Anthony’s Cross must finish in the first three in Saturday’s $1 million Santa Anita Derby to have sufficient earnings to earn a berth in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7.
SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY: See Brad Free’s video previews and watch full card live on DRF.com
OPELOUSAS. La. – Evangeline Downs calls itself “home of the biggest fields,” and while it officially lost that distinction in 2010 when surpassed by Remington Park in the average number of starters per race, it looks poised to make a run at regaining the top position.
Evangeline Downs, which averaged 9.7 starters per race last year compared to Remington’s 10.1, opens its 2011 meet Wednesday with a total of 110 horses entered for its 10-race program. Another 115 are slated for Thursday night’s card, and Friday’s 11-race slate drew a whopping 129 runners.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Earlier last week, Pat Scanlon, owner of Jr’s Exchange, had a wary eye on the weather forecast for the weekend as he talked about his horse’s chances in Saturday’s $30,000 overnight handicap at five furlongs on the Tampa Bay Downs turf.
Sunland Park's leading rider, Alejandro Medellin, won six races at the track on Sunday. His wins came aboard both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds at the New Mexico track that operates a mixed meet.
Medellin won the first race, at 350 yards, with Wonwabbitwon ($8). He then took the sixth through ninth races, which were for Thoroughbreds. His winners, beginning with the sixth race, were Vera's Key ($2.60), Watchin Senorita ($9), Brother Louie ($6) and Get Down Wanda ($3) Medellin then won the 11th race with Dunn Slinger ($4.40).
Your browser does not support iframes
Turf Paradise track announcer Michael Chamberlain was feeling nostalgic Sunday. As the horses came down the stretch in race 5 at the Phoenix track, Chamberlain cleared his throat and brought home winner Que Sera Sera to the tune of the same name in honor of Doris Day’s 89th birthday. The song was Day’s calling card, one she made popular in the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Man Who Knew Too Much.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - With a performance that moved his trainer Nick Zito to tears, Dialed In moved to the forefront of the Kentucky Derby picture when he rallied from last to a gritty head victory over the 68-1 Shackleford in Sunday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Soldat, the 3-2 favorite, finished a tiring fifth.
ARCADIA, Calif.- Grudgingly, Amazombie is gaining respect in California’s sprint division with each start this year.
A 5-year-old gelding, Amazombie won the Sunshine Millions Sprint for California-breds and Florida-breds at 11-1 in January, finished a game second in the Sensational Star Handicap in February, and won his first graded stakes on dirt in Sunday’s $150,000 Potrero Grande Stakes at Santa Anita.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- All About Allie remained perfect in Arkansas-bred company on Sunday, when she won her third such stakes in the $50,000 Downthedustyroad at Oaklawn Park.
The race for fillies and mares was one of two Arkansas-bred stakes on the card, with The Mallard Man taking the $50,000 Arkansas Breeders.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Midnight Visit ($3.60), the lone entrant who had a first-level allowance win on her resume, rallied wide into the stretch under Mike Luzzi and finished determinedly to wear down pacesetter Those Lion Eyes for a half-length score in Sunday’s $60,000 Love Is Eternal overnight stakes at Aqueduct for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Nick Zito and owner Robert LaPenta made it back-to-back victories in the Florida Derby when Dialed In, under Julien Leparoux, rallied from last to nip 60-1 pacesetter Shackleford by a short head. It was 6 3/4 lengths back To Honor and Serve in third.
He was followed in the order of finish by Flashpoint, Soldat, Arch Traveler, Stay Thirsty, and Bowman’s Causeway.
Zito and LaPenta won the Florida Derby last year with Ice Box, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby
