ARCADIA, Calif. – For the second consecutive year, El Potente won the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita by a convincing margin.
Last year, El Potente won the Thunder Road by three lengths in what was intended to be a prep race for the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile in March. El Potente was withdrawn from the Kilroe and did not race again until November.
Seven wins, including five stakes at three different tracks, have given trainer Todd Pletcher much to look forward to moving forward.
The run began with Nearly’s victory in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on Jan. 31 at Gulfstream, continued with stakes wins by Be You and Scalable at Aqueduct last Friday, and concluded with Renegade and Zany taking the Sam F. Davis and Suncoast stakes, respectively, Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.
They only won maiden races in their debuts at Tampa Bay Downs, but expect to hear plenty more from 3-year-olds Emerging Market and Always a Runner throughout the year.
Trainer Chad Brown said he had both horses rated highly among his 2-year-olds during the summer of 2025, but both were delayed getting to the races due to pneumonia.
Talk to Me Jimmy, the 11-length winner of Friday’s $200,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct, will most likely make his next start in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 4, trainer Rudy Rodriguez said Saturday.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Search Party, who remained unbeaten at Oaklawn Park with her Friday win in the Grade 3, $300,000 Martha Washington, will likely make at least one more start at the meet, trainer Mark Casse said Saturday.
The Martha Washington was the first of Oaklawn’s three Kentucky Oaks points races. The series continues with the Grade 3, $750,000 Honeybee on March 1 and the Grade 2, $1 million Fantasy on March 27.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Silent Tactic will likely advance to next month’s Rebel at Oaklawn Park after emerging from his Friday win in the track’s Grade 3, $1 million Southwest Stakes in good order, trainer Mark Casse said on Saturday.
Silent Tactic capped a banner Southwest Day for Casse, who also won the Martha Washington Stakes with Search Party as part of a four-win afternoon. The card was postponed a week because of Winter Storm Fern.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Jeff Mullins has momentum heading into Saturday, when he'll start Grade 1 winner Intrepido in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.
Mullins won with two of three starters Friday, including a runaway by heavily favored Liam Smith ($3.40) in race 6. The colt won the 6 1/2-furlong starter allowance for 3-year-olds by 11 lengths, the largest margin of victory at the winter meet.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The $100,000 Palos Verdes Stakes on Feb. 15, a six-furlong sprint for open company at Santa Anita, may have California-bred representation – but it won’t be from the 2024 Palos Verdes winner.
Big City Lights, a 7-year-old Cal-bred whose seven career wins including five stakes, was nominated to the Palos Verdes. He will miss the race, however, trainer Richard Mandella said Friday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Ramayana was bred to be a stakes filly, and the 3-year-old will get her first stakes chance next month after a solid allowance win Friday in race 3 at Santa Anita.
The last-to-first victory in the turf mile was the second straight by Ramayana ($4.60 second favorite), sired by Uncle Mo and produced by three-time Grade 1 winner Miss Temple City. Richard Mandella trains Ramayana, and Mirco Demuro rode her Friday.
On Friday, Delaware Park released a calendar for the 2026 season that will feature 75 days of live racing approved by the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission. The track will open on Wednesday, May 13, and conclude its season on Saturday, Oct. 17.
In its first week, Delaware will hold two days of racing before gradually expanding its schedule. Racing will typically be held on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday in May and June. A special Friday card will be added on May 29.
