NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Al Stall has managed to come up with promising 3-year-olds for three levels of dirt-route racing here Saturday.
Trafalgar, winner of two straight, makes his stakes debut in the Lecomte, while Underhill’s Tab runs in a first-level allowance race and Peaceful Waters tries for the third time to clear the maiden ranks.
NEW ORLEANS – One year ago at Fair Grounds, Clairiere, a debut route winner the fall before at Churchill Downs, skipped the Silverbulletday Stakes in January, then won the Rachel Alexandra Stakes in February. Clairiere, by Curlin, went on during 2021 to become a Grade 1 winner, earn about $1.2 million, and finish a tough-luck fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Strong Tide is becoming a marathon runner of note. He turned in one of the biggest races of his career in a 1 3/16-mile race last out at Oaklawn Park and it could set him up for a start at 1 1/2 miles in the Grade 3, $200,000 John B. Connally Turf Cup on Jan. 30 at Sam Houston Race Park.
Chasing Time could soon be chasing after some qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.
The impressive allowance winner is being considered for a start in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest on Jan. 29 at Oaklawn Park, trainer Steve Asmussen said Tuesday. The 1 1/16-mile race doles out Kentucky Derby points on a scale of 10-4-2-1.
California Cup Oaks winner Rose Dawson might have passed last week’s mile turf race.
“I had two options,” trainer Phil D’Amato noted, referring to an allowance on dirt and the Oaks on turf. “Pedigree-wise and the way she traveled and the way she was training” were reasons D’Amato chose the turf stake for the Grazen filly.
The other reason was Flavien Prat.
“When [Prat’s agent Brad Pegram] told me he was open for the race, it was a no-brainer,” D’Amato said.
Regarding the fastest horse on the grounds, Flightline’s next start is unannounced. Santa Anita executives have met with Sadler to discuss how to ensure the undefeated colt stays home. Discussions are preliminary. Referring to Sadler, one official said, “The ball is in his court.”
Next-start options for Flightline include the Grade 2, $200,000 San Carlos at seven furlongs on March 5 at Santa Anita or the $500,000 Essex Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on March 19 at Oaklawn Park. Flightline’s main objective is the Grade 1 Met Mile, typically run on the Belmont Stakes card.
ARCADIA, Calif. – They say a good horse can come from anywhere. If so, then an unheralded gray who began her career on an obscure half-mile Canadian bullring could turn out to be something special this winter at Santa Anita.
Gracelund Gray charged out of her stall Monday morning like she wanted to run again, less than 24 hours after her dramatic California debut in an allowance turf sprint.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who through Monday was second in the jockey standings at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, has launched an appeal of a recent three-day suspension for careless riding, according to his agent Ron Anderson.
Velazquez was cited for “failing to maintain a straight course through the stretch” on Con On the Run in the first race on Jan. 14, according to a ruling published on Saturday by track stewards Luis Jauregui, Will Meyers, and Kim Sawyer.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Brian Lynch is eyeing the Feb. 5 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park for his Kentucky Derby hopeful Classic Causeway, who breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 early Wednesday at the Palm Meadows training center. It was the third work for the Giant’s Causeway colt since he was second as the 7-5 favorite behind Smile Happy in the Nov. 27 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs.
“There are other races we could go for, but right now the Holy Bull is on the radar for him,” said Lynch. “This latest work was really good and has us where we want to be.”
