HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Powhatan County’s stock has risen steadily this winter, even though the son of Fusaichi Pegasus hasn’t raced since Labor Day. It’s hard to believe but true for one good reason: Powhatan County finished second to Soldat in his 2-year-old finale.
It’s a performance that looks increasingly better as Soldat continues to climb the rankings this winter in the 3-year-old division.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – It’s not often that a $15,000 maiden-claiming sprint is won with a Beyer Speed Figure of 83, but that’s the lofty number Juleean Victoria put up in her career debut last month at Oaklawn Park. Following the race, there wasn’t a dry eye in the winner’s circle.
“She’s named after a daughter of one my partners that passed away,” said Ron Moquett, who co-owns and trains Juleean Victoria. “She had heart disease.”
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Bob Baffert will have four starters in Saturday’s $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap and admits he will need that many runners to have a chance to beat Twirling Candy in California’s premier winter race for older horses.
Tuesday, Baffert worked three of his hopefuls at Santa Anita – First Dude, Game On Dude and Tweebster. Spurrier worked at Hollywood Park on Sunday.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though it doesn’t officially arrive for more than two weeks, it will feel a lot like spring in New York this week. Post time at Aqueduct reverts back to 1 p.m. as racing resumes Wednesday, when fields will be drawn for Saturday’s four stakes, highlighted by the Grade 3 Gotham, at $250,000 the richest and most significant race of the year so far.
The 1 1/16-mile Gotham will be the focal point of a card also featuring a trio of six-furlong stakes – the Grade 3, $150,000 Tom Fool, the $65,000 Fred “Cappy” Capossela, and the $65,000 Broadway.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Two leading contenders for Saturday’s $300,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf – Caracortado and Jeranimo – had their final workouts Monday.
Caracortado, who won the Sunshine Millions Turf on Jan. 29, worked a half-mile on turf in 48.60 seconds at Santa Anita, while Jeranimo, winner of the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes on Dec. 27, worked a half-mile in 48.40 at Hollywood Park.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Turbulent Descent’s lone career defeat in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita last month has not dimmed trainer Mike Puype’s outlook on the 3-year-old filly’s campaign. He expects her to start a new winning streak in Saturday’s $250,000 Santa Anita Oaks.
“I don’t think she gave me a bad one the other day,” he said. “I think she just got tired. She’ll do better in this race for sure.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Twirling Candy will be a strong favorite to win Saturday’s $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap, but the number of opponents he will face was unclear Monday. The field could number 11, and Bob Baffert will have a big say in how many rivals Twirling Candy will face.
Baffert has four horses nominated to the race, with First Dude and Spurrier exepcted to start. Game on Dude and Tweebster could also run, but as of Monday Baffert had yet to decide.
“I could start from four to three to two to one,” he said.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Soldat came out of his two-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in good order and that he’s pointing him to the Transylvania at Keeneland. McLaughlin, of course, was joking about Soldat, who is headed to the Florida Derby.
Trainer Steve Standridge said Fountain of Youth runner-up Gourmet Dinner also came out of the race in excellent shape and that he’s leaning toward the Santa Anita Derby for his horse’s next start. Standridge wasn’t kidding.
OLDSMAR. Fla. – Two of the better races for older horses at the Tampa Bay Downs meet were a mile and 40-yard optional claiming route on the main track Jan. 16 and an allowance race on the turf at 1 1/16 miles that was run on Feb. 25. The one thing they had in common was Union Bowman won both.
In the January race, Union Bowman was coming off a three-plus-month layoff against six rivals who included four stakes winners. Despite being sent off at 29-1, Union Bowman ran like the chalk, stalking the pace and then wearing down Forestry Type for a hard-earned head victory.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While drawing post 1 in the 1 1/8-mile Fountain of Youth was perfect for his Soldat, drawing the rail with Crossbow in the seven-furlong Hutcheson was not what trainer Kiaran McLaughlin was looking for. As a result, McLaughlin opted to scratch Crossbow from the Hutcheson and wait for another day.
“The race shape was just wrong for him,” McLaughlin said. “He’s never been behind horses, and the way they ran the Hutcheson, with the pace as fast as it was, I was really glad he was back at the barn eating his afternoon dinner when the race was run.”
