INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Calder Race Course is fairly far south of Cape Canaveral, but this fall, it has been a launching pad for 2-year-old success. Awesome Feather came out of Calder and won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, likely securing a year-end championship. Gourmet Dinner made his first four starts at Calder, then last month won the Delta Downs Jackpot.
It has been quite a year for the 3-year-old Stately Victor. A handful of disappointing races were intermingled with a couple of eye-poppers, most notably his 40-1 upset in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes in April.
The latest appearance by Stately Victor resulted in a dismal 10th-place finish in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap, but trainer Mike Maker is hoping a return to Polytrack and a sizable dip in class will help the colt end the year on a positive note as the likely favorite Saturday in the $50,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
Even though trainer Steve Specht admits that Saturday’s $75,000 Pacific Heights at Golden Gate Fields is more or less a Sunshine Millions prep race for Antares World, the 3-year-old filly will be a heavy favorite against her five older rivals in the 1 1/8-mile turf event.
Rain may force Golden Gate officials to switch the race from turf to the Tapeta main track, and that could actually work in favor of Antares World, because her primary rivals, Catsalot and I Can Hear, are both winless on synthetic surfaces.
Steady Warrior, with two stakes wins already to his credit after just four lifetime starts, tries to close out his 2-year-old campaign by adding another added-money triumph to his r é sum é in Saturday’s $50,000 Maryland Juvenile Championship, the closing-day feature at Laurel Park.
The 7 1/2-furlong, one-turn race, restricted to Maryland-breds, drew a field of six, four of whom have only a maiden victory to their credit.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The start of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26 will have a similar theme for trainer John Sadler as the Del Mar meeting last summer. Horses named Candy are expected to lead the stable.
Sadler starts Del Mar Derby winner Twirling Candy in the $250,000 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on Dec. 26. On the same day, Sidney’s Candy, the winner of the La Jolla Handicap in August, will run in the $100,000 Sir Beaufort Stakes for 3-year-olds going a mile on turf.
Churchill Downs canceled simulcast wagering for Thursday and Turfway Park canceled its Thursday night card due to winter weather conditions in Kentucky.
Traveling in the area has been made difficult by an overnight mix of freezing rain and snow.
Weather permitting, Churchill is scheduled to reopen for simulcast wagering Friday at 11:30 a.m.
Turfway will be open for simulcast betting Thursday and hopes to resume live racing Friday evening. First post is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Eastern.
Chris McCarron won more than 7,000 races in his Hall of Fame riding career, so it takes quite a bit to impress him. But after seeing what Cory Orm did in winning the fourth race last Saturday at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., McCarron was calling friends all over the country to tell them about it.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Shine Upon, who has won all four of her starts at Aqueduct while shuttling between the barns of Jimmy Jerkens and Mike Hushion, makes the drive for five in Friday’s $60,000 Jena Jena overnight stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at a mile and 70 yards.
A trip to Dubai could be on the horizon for Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Chamberlain Bridge. He resumed galloping at Fair Grounds on Wednesday, with the goal of making the $60,000 Colonel Power at the track on Feb. 19. From there, Chamberlain Bridge might ship overseas for the Group 2, $1 million Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Race Course.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Mel Stute won the 2,000th race of his career at Hollywood Park last Saturday, a win that caught him by surprise since he was unaware of the looming milestone.
The 83-year-old trainer was still glowing from the achievement Wednesday, largely because he is not sure when his next winner will arrive.
Stute has just five horses in his Santa Anita barn and plans to sell the horses owned by his wife, Annabelle, at Barretts in Pomona, Calif., in January. He will be left with just a few horses owned in partnership.
