HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Awesome Feather, the undefeated 2-year-old filly Eclipse Award champion, could return to training before the end of the month.
Trainer Chad Brown said Awesome Feather, who was discovered to have a tendon injury shortly after her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and subsequent purchase by Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs, is currently walking under tack at Brown’s barn at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, Fla.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A pair of 6-year-olds who usually do their best work on the lead, Exchanging Kisses and Commandeered, could end up on an early collision course in Wednesday’s $55,000 feature event at Gulfstream Park, a second-level optional claiming race carded at a mile on the grass.
TAMPA, Fla. - Brethren, a half-brother to 2010 Kentucky Deby winner Super Saver, is being pointed for Saturday’s Grade 3, $225,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes for his 2011 debut, according to trainer Todd Pletcher. The Sam Davis will be joined on the Saturday card at Tampa Bay Downs by Grade 3, $125,000 Endeavour Stakes and the $125,000 Florida Oaks.
Unbeaten in two starts, Brethren worked five furlongs Sunday at Palm Meadows in 1:01.00, the fourth-best time of 23 runners who worked that distance. Ramon Dominguez will be aboard on Saturday, Pletcher said.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – When somebody finally writes that book titled “100 Ways to Lose a Horse Race,” Sunday’s Hallandale Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park and trainer Tom Albertrani must be included among the first few chapters.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer John Sadler’s remarkable weekend at Santa Anita continued Sunday when Gladding, making his stakes debut, led from start to finish in the Grade 2, $150,000 San Antonio Stakes for older horses.
The win came on the heels of a Saturday in which Sadler won the Strub Stakes with Twirling Candy and the Las Virgenes Stakes with Zazu.
“This is a good habit,” a beaming Sadler said in the winner’s circle.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Super Espresso was super determined to win on Super Bowl Sunday.
Needing virtually the entire length of Aqueduct’s inner track stretch to do it, Super Espresso, under Junior Alvarado, wore down longshot Diva’s Gold to win the $60,000 Sky Beauty Stakes by a head. It was 7 3/4 lengths back to Electric Gold in third. Lady Durlyn, Vindy City, and Kittylicious completed the order of finish.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Uncle Mo took his first major step on the road to his 3-year-old debut when working a half-mile in 49.60 seconds at Palm Meadows on Sunday. The work was Uncle Mo’s second since arriving in south Florida earlier this winter.
“I thought the work was excellent, it was textbook,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He went out in 25, came home in 24 and 2, and galloped out well. I’m amazed at his fitness level off just one three-eighths breeze. Before this work, I might have felt like I was on a tight schedule. Now, I feel like we’re ahead of schedule.”
Comma to the Top and Positive Response, the two likely favorites for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields, each turned in five-furlong bullet works Sunday in their final preparation for the 1 1/8-mile race.
Grade 1 winner Comma to the Top had a 59.40-second drill that was the best of 28 workers at Hollywood Park.
Golden Gate Fields leading jockey Russell Baze took off his mounts Sunday due to a bruised nerve in his neck. He also took off after riding one race Saturday.
Baze plans to return to action when racing resumes at Golden Gate on Thursday.
The OC Tavern in San Clemente, Calif., the first sports bar to open a satellite wagering operation in California, has averaged $22,238 in handle at the current Santa Anita meeting, through Saturday, according to racing officials.
Mike Merrigan, who owns OC Tavern, said the satellite operation has averaged “about 120 customers a day.”
OC Tavern began taking bets on races in mid-December but launched a more extensive promotion to coincide with the start of the Santa Anita meeting on Dec. 26.
