Paddy O’Prado, with three consecutive graded stakes wins to his credit, right now is the best 3-year-old turf horse in the country. Interactif and Workin for Hops, however, aren’t far behind.
Interactif and Workin for Hops, both of whom have finished second to Paddy O’Prado within the last two months and have a Grade 2 victory on their resumes, meet for the first time in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Kent Breeders’ Cup at Delaware Park.
Hidden Recipe will be making his first start at Retama Park in Saturday night’s $100,000 Texas Stallion Stakes for 2-year-olds, but he is quite familiar with the San Antonio-area facility.
“He trained all winter long on that racetrack, so I feel like that will be an advantage,” said Jack Bruner, who trains Hidden Recipe for Tom Durant.
POMONA, Calif. – Dance to My Tune will try to win for the first time in nearly three years Saturday when she starts favored in the Las Madrinas Handicap, the first of two $50,000 stakes at Fairplex Park.
Losing streak? No problem. Only five fillies and mares entered the Las Madrinas (race 3), and Dance to My Tune enters the 1 1/16-mile race as the class of the field.
Rose Catherine puts her undefeated mark in turf sprints on the line Saturday against four opponents – including stablemate West Ocean – in the $200,000 Turf Amazon Handicap at Parx Racing, formerly known as Philadelphia Park.
The Turf Amazon, run at five furlongs, is the supporting feature on a 12-race card that features the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby. Though six were entered for the Turf Amazon, trainer Bret Calhoun said Thursday that Dubai Majesty, beaten a neck in this race last year, will scratch to run in the $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland on Oct. 9.
As well as First Dude has run against some of the best 3-year-olds of his generation, he is still in search of his second career victory. Perhaps it will come in Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing, formerly Philadelphia Park.
Based on his second-place finish in the Preakness, and third-place finishes in the Belmont Stakes, Haskell Invitational, and Travers, First Dude will likely go off favored in the Pennsylvania Derby, the marquee event of a 12-race card that begins at 12:05 p.m. Eastern and includes the $200,000 Turf Amazon for female sprinters.
MIAMI − The volatile south Florida weather and availability of the turf course could go a long way in deciding two of the three races on the undercard of Saturday’s Festival of the Sun Preview program at Calder.
The $65,000 Needles and its filly counterpart, the $65,000 Judy’s Red Shoes, are carded at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, but with heavy rainfall earlier in the week and more rain in the forecast for Saturday, chances are good both races will be decided on the main track.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Local star Dearest Princess could have her hands full when she faces a couple of strong invaders in the $75,000 British Columbia Oaks at Hastings on Saturday. The 1 1/8-mile feature attracted a strong field of nine 3-year-old fillies, all of whom will carry 121 pounds. The Oaks heads a nine-race card that includes three supporting stakes.
BOSSIER CITY, La. – There are two handicapping roads to go down in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby, and both require taking a stance on morning-line favorite Hurricane Ike. He is the controlling speed in the 1 1/8-mile race, but he has never won beyond a mile or at two turns. For those who believe Hurricane Ike can get the trip, the Super Derby is an easy read. But for dissenters, there are several options in the six-horse field Saturday.
MIAMI – Saturday’s Festival of the Sun Preview card at Calder may be missing its two marquee names, but there could be some stars in the making amongst the large fields that will assemble for the $85,000 Brave Raj and Foolish Pleasure Stakes. The one-mile and 70 yard Brave Raj and Foolish Pleasure are two of the five stakes races to be decided on the marathon 13-race program.