HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Oaklawn president Charles Cella might have a horse for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby after Dryfly turned in an impressive performance to win the on Monday.
The one-mile race was the first of three preps to the Arkansas Derby, which will be run on April 10.
Feeling the effects of a down economy and and lower in-state handle figures, Turf Paradise will cut the purses of six upcoming stakes.
Four $50,000 stakes will be reduced to $25,000: the Mesa, Turf Paradise, and Sun City handicaps and the Arizona Oaks. The $100,000 Phoenix Gold will be trimmed to $75,000 and the $100,000 Turf Paradise Derby will be reduced to $50,000.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Deputy Daney transferred his excellent speed and undefeated form from Philadelphia Park to Aqueduct on Monday, rolling to a 1 1/4-length victory in the for 3-year-old sprinters. Red Bengal finished second, 5 3/4 lengths ahead of Mia's Angel.
Citizen's Arrest, the 3-5 favorite, faded to fourth after dueling for the early lead. Love Who finished last.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - If Rachel Alexandra and the now unretired Zenyatta ever want to show up for a race against the boys on Aqueduct's inner track, Todd Pletcher wants in.
Pletcher is the trainer of Understatement, who earned a 115 Beyer Speed Figure winning last Saturday's Evening Attire Stakes. It was the third victory in as many inner-track starts for Understatement, a 5-year-old son of Distorted Humor owned by Paul Pompa Jr.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Santa Anita canceled Monday's racing program, citing the synthetic track's inability to drain properly after a day of rain, and track officials acknowledged for the first time that they are considering a return to a dirt track later this year.
"There have been discussions knowing we're going to have to replace this racetrack after this meet," track president Ron Charles said. "The options are out there to return to dirt."
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - For some of the horses in Saturday's Grade 3 Holy Bull, the race is simply a starting point. It's a spot to work out the cobwebs from a brief winter hiatus and a springboard to more important races, such as the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Florida Derby later in the meet.
But for Litigation Risk, the one-mile Holy Bull is an important test. It is a chance to prove he belongs with the top 3-year-olds wintering in Florida and deserves a chance to continue on the Kentucky Derby trail in the months to come.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Horses trained by Kathleen O'Connell and Dale Bennett came down the stretch head and head in Saturday's fifth race, and fans should expect to see that scenario often this meeting. The two trainers, who got their early education in the rough-and-tumble world of Detroit racing, figure to be right in the thick of things in the battle for leading trainer.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The focus was on Papa Clem at Santa Anita on Saturday, and the attention made trainer Gary Stute a little uncomfortable.
The colt was the 3-2 favorite in the at Santa Anita, only the second time in his career he was the public choice. When Papa Clem won the Grade 2 race for 4-year-olds, just his third career win, it provided a sense of relief to Stute, who said he wasn't used to saddling the favorite.
"It's a lot more pressure," he said. "You better win."
Glory Be Mine continued her dominance among New Mexico-bred fillies Saturday at Sunland Park, when she won her fifth straight race in the $125,000 La Senora. She led throughout to win the six-furlong stakes by 4 1/2 lengths over King's Water Lily.
Glory Be Mine ($3.80) set fractions of 21.94 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.18 for the half-mile before covering the distance in 1:11.13. Martin Bourdieu was aboard for trainer Todd Fincher.
