HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - J P’s Gusto arrived at his new base of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., in the early evening hours Wednesday after a full day of travel from Southern California. One of the nation’s top 3-year-olds, he has been transferred from trainer David Hofmans to trainer Joe Petalino and is scheduled to run Feb. 21 in the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn.
KENTUCKY DERBY NEWS: Track all the 3-year-olds on the Triple Crown trail
Richard Maturi will be at Turf Paradise Feb. 18-20 to sign copies of his book "Triple Crown Winner: The Earl Sande Saga." Maturi has spent the past few years traveling to numerous racetracks in the U.S. and Canada to tell the story about Sande.
The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission on Wednesday assigned Delaware Park 106 racing dates for the 2011 calendar year, serving to break a logjam in negotiations between the track and its horsemen, according to the commission’s executive director.
Delaware and its horsemen had an existing agreement to run 116 live race dates in 2011, but the two groups began negotiating over a new arrangement this winter when the track asked the horsemen for permission to run fewer live racing days in response to horse shortages affecting racetracks nationwide.
A field of eight, led by Hal’s Hope winner Soaring Empire and Sunshine Millions Classic winner Tackleberry, was drawn for Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship.
Soaring Empire drew the rail while Tackleberry will break from post 7 in the seven-furlong Gulfstream Sprint. The remainder of the field consists of the Marty Wolfson-trained duo of Gaucho and Coffee Boy, Mannington, Caixa Eletronica, Mad for Smarty, and Guam Typhoon.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Rumor won so impressively in her debut Dec. 31 that just about every trainer and jockey agent who might have had to run against her in a first-level allowance for fillies has avoided her, the result being that female races for which she was eligible have not been carded. So when a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds came up on Friday at Santa Anita, trainer Richard Mandella decided to stop waiting around.
STICKNEY, Ill. – Almost two feet of snow fell around Chicago last week. The wind chill factor Wednesday morning was about 15-below zero. Believe it or not, it’s time for the Chicago racing season to get underway, with Hawthorne Race Course launching its winter-spring meeting – emphasis, winter – on Friday.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The Factor, who set a track record for six furlongs of 1:06.98 on Dec. 26, had his first workout since that race at Hollywood Park on Tuesday and is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes over seven furlongs on Feb. 20.
Officially, The Factor worked a half-mile in 48.20 seconds, but trainer Bob Baffert said the workout was six furlongs in 1:11.80.
“He’ll have one more work on Monday,” Baffert said. “If he works well, he can make” the San Vicente.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Ten Devils faces a potentially career-altering race in Saturday’s $250,000 Robert Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.
After racing on turf in his first three starts, Ten Devils makes his debut on the main track in the Grade 2 Lewis, a key prep for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9.
“I’ll see whether he handles it,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “He’s got plenty of races underneath him. It’s time to find out.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mucho Macho Man, who finished fourth as the favorite in the Grade 3 Holy Bull in his 3-year-old debut, could make his next start in the Feb. 19 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, trainer Kathy Ritvo said on Wednesday.
Mucho Macho Man, who weakened late after forcing a fast pace in the one-mile Holy Bull, closed out his 2-year-old campaign finishing second behind To Honor and Serve in both the Nashua and Remsen.
