Mon, 04/01/2024 - 10:30

Machado, Foster claim riding, training titles at Turfway

Coady Photography
Jockey Luan Machado's 62 wins were easily enough to take Turfway's riding title at their recent winter-spring meet.

Jockey Luan Machado and trainer Eric Foster secured their respective titles during the Turfway Park winter-spring meeting that concluded March 30.

From January through March, Machado, who is represented by agent Cory Prewitt, won 62 races, easily outdistancing Gerardo Corrales with 37 wins. Machado swept the leading rider titles this season at Turfway, as he also secured the holiday meet title in November-December. This was his fourth leading rider title at Turfway, where the native of Brazil began riding in 2018.

Sun, 03/31/2024 - 18:53

Thorpedo Anna headed to Churchill for Kentucky Oaks

Coady Photography
Thorpedo Anna, with Brian Hernandez Jr. riding, wins the Grade 2 Fantasy by four lengths.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Thorpedo Anna emerged from her dominant win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park in good order and is now bound for the Kentucky Oaks, trainer Kenny McPeek said Sunday.

Thorpedo Anna picked up 100 points for the Churchill Downs race for her win and is sitting third on the list for the Kentucky Oaks field with 105 total points. The Beyer Speed Figure of 91 that she earned for her Fantasy victory ranks among the top 10 numbers put up by a 3-year-old filly so far in 2024.

Sun, 03/31/2024 - 17:29

Plans undecided for Arkansas Derby winner Muth

Coady Photography
Muth, with Juan Hernandez riding, wins the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby by two lengths, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday that Southern California-based Muth handled a number of new variables with aplomb winning Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park – save one.

“The only thing he didn’t handle was the flowers,” Baffert said of the blanket of gardenias. “When they went to put the flowers on, he didn’t want any part of that. I told them to bring them back home. We’re going to school him in the flowers.”

Sun, 03/31/2024 - 17:06

Pletcher optimistic Fierceness has more in the tank after Florida Derby romp

Barbara D. Livingston
Fierceness, with John Velazquez up, wins the Grade 1 Florida Derby by 13 1/2 lengths, earning a 110 Beyer Speed Figure.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday that Fierceness came out of his record-setting 13 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby in good order while continuing to marvel at the scope of the reigning juvenile champion male’s performance, which more than made amends for his disappointing third-place finish in the Grade 3 Holy Bull eight weeks earlier.

Sun, 03/31/2024 - 16:17

Santiago Gonzalez set to return to saddle after spill

Santiago Gonzalez is booked to ride two of the nine races Thursday at Santa Anita, less than a week after he was dramatically unseated when his mount appeared to slip in a turf race.

Gonzalez was briefly hospitalized last Friday for precautionary tests and was released hours later, according to his agent, Mike Ciani.

Gonzalez was racing just behind the leaders on the turn when his mount, She’s a Joker, lost her footing. She’s a Joker unseated Gonzalez who fell heavily. The filly was walked off the track and was unhurt, trainer Peter Miller said in a text message Sunday.

Sun, 03/31/2024 - 16:13

Godolphin Mile winner Two Rivers Over proves bargain claim

Dubai Racing Club
Two Rivers Over wins the Group 2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan by three-quarters of a length.

Two River Over’s upset win in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai on Saturday capped a remarkable nine-month span that began when the gelding was claimed for a mere $30,000 at Ellis Park last June.

Long before Two Rivers Over won the $1 million Godolphin Mile, the claim had turned into a profitable investment for co-owners Todd Cady and Ty Leatherman. In four starts last year after being claimed, Two Rivers Over earned $252,500, including a payday of $176,400 for a win in the $300,000 Zia Park Derby in New Mexico last November.

Sun, 03/31/2024 - 14:11

Kertez, McKulick eye stakes in New York

Barbara D. Livingston
Kertez (No. 2), winner of the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes, will be pointed to the Grade 2 Man o’ War on May 11 at Aqueduct.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Kertez, winner of the Grade 2 Pan American, and McKulick, winner of the Grade 3 Orchid Stakes, will both likely make their next starts at Aqueduct in May, their trainers indicated.

Christophe Clement, trainer of Kertez and Pan Am third-place finisher Tawny Port, said both will be aimed at the Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War on May 11. Trainer Chad Brown said McKulick will likely target the Grade 3, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay at Aqueduct on May 3.

Sun, 03/31/2024 - 14:09

Power Squeeze continues to prove bettors wrong

Barbara D. Livingston
Power Squeeze scores an 11-1 upset in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Power Squeeze doesn’t get a lot of respect at the windows, but all she seems to do is win.

Following her 11-1 upset in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks, Power Squeeze will bring a four-race winning streak to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks on May 3. Since winning a one-mile maiden race last October at Delaware Park, Power Squeeze has won the Cash Run at Gulfstream and the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay before her one-length victory over odds-on favorite Ways and Means in the Gulfstream Oaks.

Fri, 03/29/2024 - 15:01

Los Alamitos cancels Saturday evening card

Los Alamitos has canceled its Saturday evening program of Quarter Horses and lower-level Thoroughbreds because of a forecast of extensive rain.

The decision was announced on Friday, a day after Santa Anita canceled racing on Saturday and Sunday for the same reason.

Los Alamitos did not have a Sunday program scheduled because of Easter.

Saturday’s eight-race program included five 220-yard maiden races for 2-year-olds that were designed as prep races for time trials for the Robert Adair Kindergarten Fuuturity on April 21. The final will be run in May.

Fri, 03/29/2024 - 14:46

Mc Vay will try to win Santa Anita Derby as a maiden

Barbara D. Livingston
Trainer John Shirreffs will go for his fourth Santa Anita Derby title next Saturday with Mc Vay.

Trainer John Shirreffs has won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby three times since 2007, and has a potential for a fourth if Mc Vay scores an upset in the $750,000 race on April 6.

A win by Mc Vay would be unique, a victory by a maiden in California’s leading race for 3-year-olds.

Mc Vay, owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable, was a well-beaten third in his last start, the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on March 3.