LEXINGTON, Ky. - No, Josie Carroll isn't monitoring every move that Rachel Alexandra makes, but she does have more than a passing interest in where the superstar filly shows up next.
That's because Carroll intends to have Careless Jewel make her 4-year-old debut at Churchill Downs on the April 30 Kentucky Oaks undercard in the Grade 2, $400,000 La Troienne Stakes, a race often mentioned as a possible next start for Rachel Alexandra.
Game on Dude, the newly acquired Bob Baffert colt, was supposed to run in the Lexington but had "some mucus and a little lung infection" earlier this week and was not entered, said Baffert.
"It's pretty minor, so we still might be able to get him to the Derby Trial" on April 24 at Churchill Downs, said Baffert.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - This is more than their Kentucky Derby. For the friends and family members still reeling from the untimely death of trainer Alan Seewald, a victory Saturday by Uptowncharlybrown in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland would be something beyond this world.
"I don't think I have ever wanted to win a race so hard in my life," said Linda White, the longtime assistant to Seewald, who died unexpectedly Monday at age 62 at his home in Middletown, N.J.
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Check the Label notched the first stakes victory of her career for breeder-owner Brereton C. Jones when she drew clear Thursday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland.
Trained by Graham Motion, Check the Label got a terrific off-the-pace trip under Julien Leparoux in prevailing by three-quarters of a length over Bay to Bay. The winner returned $11.20 as second choice in a field of eight 3-year-old turf fillies.
"She was nice and relaxed and gave me a very nice kick," said Leparoux.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - On April 15, 2009, Eye of the Leopard finished eighth when making the first start of his career at Keeneland.
Four starts and less than 10 weeks later, Eye of the Leopard prevailed as the favorite in the $1 million Queen's Plate, the 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds that will be renewed this year on July 4.
"It was extraordinary, for a horse to make it like that," said Mark Frostad, who trains the homebred Eye of the Leopard for Sam-Son Farm.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Tim Ice returned to the scene of his greatest successes Thursday when he arrived at Belmont Park with seven of his horses who had wintered at Oaklawn Park. Unfortunately, none of those horses was named Summer Bird.
Ice trained Summer Bird to the 3-year-old championship by virtue of the colt's victories in the Belmont Stakes, the Travers at Saratoga, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont. Summer Bird was the first horse to win all three races in the same year since Easy Goer in 1989.
ARCADIA, Calif. - With a proven commodity in Mr Gruff and an experimental project in Canonize, trainer Ron Ellis has a formidable duo in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Simeon Handicap at Santa Anita.
Mr. Gruff has excelled in turf sprints, winning four of his last five starts in hillside turf sprints, including the 2009 San Simeon Handicap. Canonize has won three of five starts in his career and will be making his stakes debut and first start on turf.
"Either one is capable of winning," Ellis said.
Live racing returns to Pimlico for six weeks starting Saturday with a fan-friendly program that features a ceremony honoring former general manager Chick Lang, who died last month; the $70,000 Henry Clark Stakes; and a concert by country music star Steve Azar during an extended break between the fifth and sixth races.
Most of the action, however, will be crammed into a two-day period in conjunction with the 135th running of the Preakness. All but three of the 18 stakes worth a collective $2.4 million at the 20-day meet will be contested on Preakness weekend.
WHO'S HOT
Clifford Sise Jr. clicked twice Thursday, including a win aboard Warren's Gus in one of the first two-furlong races of the meet for 2-year-olds. A son of Doc Gus, Warren's Gus bounced right out of the gate, surged to the lead, and not only won clear (1 1/4 lengths) but did something else you almost never see in such a short race - he won geared down. His time of 21.62 seconds was only marginally faster than what Leon Ayala did for trainer Oscar Garcia did 20 minutes later, but again, Warren's Gus really wasn't asked to run the final 50 yards.