ARCADIA, Calif. - The likelihood of a maximum field of 14 in Saturday's $1 million Santa Anita Handicap is a delight to trainer John Shirreffs and jockey Mike Smith, the team behind top contender Tiago.
Third in the Breeders' Cup Classic in October, which had a field of 12, Tiago needs an honest pace to aid his closing style.
"When horses come from off the pace, they need a little help up front," Shirreffs said.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Garrett Gomez and Ventura, the millionaire mare, have become an exclusive team in the last year.
Gomez is the only jockey to ride Ventura in North America. They are on a two-race winning streak in seven-furlong sprints for females on the main track at Santa Anita - the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint last October and the Grade 1 Santa Monica Handicap on Jan 31.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A lot of high expectations and lofty dreams were either tempered or quashed within a span of just over 90 seconds here Saturday. That was the time it took for Quality Road to dominate nine other 3-year-olds in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes.
Among Quality Road's victims were four members of last week's Derby Watch: Beethoven, Capt. Candyman Can, This Ones for Phil, and Notonthesamepage, three of whom are now ruled out as candidates for the Grade 1 Florida Derby here on March 28 and all but off the Derby trail altogether.
Under patient handling by leading rider Alejandro Medellin, Oro Blanco overcame a wide trip early before outdueling favored One for Jim down the stretch to capture Sunday's $50,000 Island Fashion Stakes at Sunland Park. Lady Hi Teck finished a distant third followed by Winter Mist. Previously unbeaten Cherry One suffered her first career defeat in four starts and reported home sixth in the one-mile event for 3-year-old fillies.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Jeff Mullins's success in the Baldwin Stakes shows no signs of abating.
Sunday at Santa Anita, Mullins won the Baldwin for the third time in the last seven years with Battle of Hastings ($17.60). Ridden by Tyler Baze, Battle of Hastings closed from fifth in a field of seven to win the Grade 3 race for 3-year-olds by 1 1/4 lengths over 7-5 favorite Flashmans Papers. Luckiest Man, an 11-1 outsider, finished third.
Battle of Hastings ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:11.86.
Stonehouse and Alina were dominant front-running winners of Saturday night's pair of $75,000 route stakes at Delta Downs. Both races were run at 1 1/16 miles, with Stonehouse cruising by 5 1/2 lengths in the Gulf Coast Classic and Alina winning off by 5 1/4 in the Goddess.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Justwhistledixie accomplished what her stablemate Taqarub could not just 24 hours earlier - ship down from New York and stretch out to a mile to win a Grade 2 stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Justwhistledixie ($7.40) rallied from off the pace before edging away to a convincing 3 3/4-length triumph over Casanova Move in Sunday's $150,000 Davona Dale Stakes. Her stablemate Taqarub beat only one horse the previous afternoon when finishing a disappointing ninth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.
ARCADIA, Calif. - In the weeks leading up to the Grade 3, $200,000 Sham Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, The Pamplemousse trained like he was about to do something special, and he ran to his works, romping to an easy six-length victory over the invading Take the Points.
The Pamplemousse ($3), the heavy favorite, led every step of the 1 1/8 miles under jockey Alex Solis. He set fractions of 23.08 seconds, 46.51 seconds, 1:10.29, and 1:35.09 through one mile en route to a final time of 1:47.86 on Pro-Ride.
Scorewithcater punched his ticket for the $800,000 Sunland Park Derby on March 29 by winning the $100,000 Borderland Derby by a neck on Saturday at Sunland Park. Mine That Bird, last year's Canadian champion 2-year-old, finished a game second, followed by 15-1 longshot Smokin' Legend another 4 1/4 lengths behind. Tiz Believing, Dumar, Hornung, and Hoya completed the order of finish, while Infernal and Lefty Who were late scratches.