LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Will an individual 3-year-old ever be dominant enough to be favored in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager?
Even in spite of the presence of an unbeaten champion, Uncle Mo, in the lineup of 23 separate betting interests, the probable favorite in the first of three pools in the 2011 Derby futures still appears likely to be the mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option.
PAST PERFORMANCES: Download Pool 1's 23 individual betting interests
NEW ORLEANS – Continuity did not figure strongly into Santiva’s 2-year-old season. Santiva made four starts on three track surfaces and at three venues in 2010. In the span of three months, he was under the care of three different trainers. And through all the minor upheaval, Santiva comes into the 2011 season a legitimate hopeful to move firmly onto the Triple Crown Trail in the Risen Star Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – There appears to be a speed-fest brewing in Thursday’s ninth race at Oaklawn Park, and that might benefit the versatile Put and Take. She is capable of stalking the leaders in the $60,000 optional claiming sprint and draws a supportive post, to the outside of probable pacesetters Lady Giacamo, She’s Gonna Float, and Fast Flight Tonite.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Inherit the Gold awaits the Kings Point on March 12, but Thursday’s $60,000 G’Day Mate overnight stakes still came up tough. Among seven older New York-breds entered are the last two Kings Point winners, Icabad Crane and Wishful Tomcat, and the last two runner-ups, Manteca and Mighty Morris.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Eclipse Award-winning jockey Ramon Dominguez has been lined up to ride Havre de Grace, who is on schedule to make her seasonal debut March 19 in the Grade 3, $100,000 Azeri at Oaklawn Park. The race will be the filly’s first start since finishing third in the Breeder’s Cup Ladies' Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.
Dominguez replaces Jeremy Rose, who had been Havre de Grace’s regular rider last year when she was trained by Tony Dutrow. Since the Breeders’ Cup, the filly has been transferred to trainer Larry Jones.
Saturday’s runners in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby exited the race in good order.
Silver Medallion, the winner, vanned back to his Santa Anita barn Sunday.
“He came out of it great,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I was very pleased with his race. He’s a very nice horse.”
Asmussen and owner Michael Ryan will review “a tremendous amount of options” with the Badge of Silver colt, who scored his first main-track victory after winning the Eddie Logan on the turf at Santa Anita in his previous start.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Joe Petalino has learned two things about J P’s Gusto since the 3-year-old arrived at his Oaklawn Park barn from Southern California last week. The first is that the horse is very territorial.
“He tried to eat us alive when we went to put his blanket on,” joked Petalino.
The second lesson came Monday, and it was much more important. Petalino said J P’s Gusto handled the Oaklawn surface quite well when he breezed six furlongs in an easy 1:15.60. The move was in preparation for Monday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – De Price has never run on grass and never raced beyond seven furlongs. But he does own the highest Beyer Speed Figure of any member of the starting lineup in Thursday’s $51,500 allowance feature at Gulfstream Park, making him a key factor when trying to solve the riddle of the wide-open one-mile turf event.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Joel Rosario is two victories away from the 1,000th win of his career, and may achieve the milestone on Thursday when he has five mounts on an eight-race program.
Rosario, 26, moved to within close range of the mark with six wins from Friday through Sunday, including a three-win day Saturday that featured stakes wins aboard Anthony’s Cross (Robert Lewis Stakes) and Vision in Gold (Santa Maria Stakes). Rosario had two wins on Sunday and finished third with his final mount of the day, Harmonious in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The Factor will be ridden by jockey Martin Garcia when the speedy colt makes his 3-year-old debut in Sunday’s $150,000 San Vicente Stakes, trainer Bob Baffert said late Monday.
Garcia will replace Rafael Bejarano, who was aboard The Factor for a 8 1/4-length victory in a six-furlong maiden race in track-record time of 1:06.98 at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, the colt’s most recent start.
