LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The permanent lights that now tower above the Churchill Downs landscape are hard to miss. It might be reasonably argued that, at best, the lights are just a minor alteration to the history-rich aesthetics of this 135-year-old track, or, at worst, obtrusive and unsightly.
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DRF Past Performances
Highland Games took advantage of a hot pace as he sat back and powered past the field to capture Monday's $28,000 Coyote Handicap at Turf Paradise.
Owned by the Sandra Hall Trust and trained by Lyman Rollins, Highland Games, a 7-year-old gelded son of Game Plan, was coming off a series of strong efforts, including being placed in three stakes in recent months. This 6 1/2-furlong event, however proved to be his domain.
Trainer Michael Matz remains on the fence regarding Lentenor's status for Saturday's Grade 1 Florida Derby, although he said he was pleased with the way Barbaro's younger brother worked on Monday morning over the main track at Palm Meadows.
Matz had jockey Alan Garcia break Lentenor off several lengths behind a trio of stablemates. Lentenor circled and ran by his three workmates to complete five furlongs in 1:00, covering his final quarter in 24.00 seconds before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13. The drill was the fastest of 36 at the distance on Monday's tab.
Trainer Bruce Levine on Monday was still coping with the disappointment of leaving the Kentucky Derby trail with Buddy's Saint, who was diagnosed with a chip in his right front ankle following a Sunday workout at Gulfstream Park.
Buddy's Saint, who won the Remsen last year but who finished second-to-last with a horrible trip in the Fountain of Youth, was attempting to make the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 3. Levine didn't like the way the horse looked and ordered an X-ray, which revealed the chip.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Reports of You and I Forever's retirement were premature.
In the winner's circle on Saturday, trainer Marty Wolfson intimated that You and I Forever's victory in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap might have been the last start of his racing career. But on Sunday, Wolfson said the horse would now remain in his barn and be pointed for the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on May 31.
NEW ORLEANS - Stakes flew furiously forth Saturday, with a series of Kentucky Derby preps mixed with Zenyatta's win in the Santa Margarita Invitational and Rachel Alexandra's loss in the New Orleans Ladies. Sunday morning began slowly and predictably. Zenyatta's camp reveled in her 15th victory without a loss, while at Fair Grounds, Rachel Alexandra's disappointed handlers made tentative plans for her move Monday morning to Oaklawn Park. But by early afternoon the landscape had been remade.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - While the locally based horses weren't fortunate enough to win any of the three graded races at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, they certainly made their presence felt.
In the Grade 3, $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby, Schoolyard Dreams ran a winning race, and while he lost by a nose to Odysseus, there were many fans who left the grounds Saturday evening swearing he had, indeed, won the biggest race of the meeting.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Trainer John Shirreffs won the Kentucky Derby five years ago with Giacomo, but hardly anyone remembers. Shirreffs has been too busy cornering the older female division in the last two years.
Shirreffs, after all, is best known as the trainer of the undefeated Zenyatta as well as Zardana, who upset 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds last Saturday.