Discreet Cat's horrendous effort in the Dubai World Cup on Saturday night was compromised by a throat infection, according to his stable, Godolphin Racing.
In suffering the first loss in an otherwise brilliant career, the 4-year-old Discreet Cat was found on Sunday to have run with a mass of inflamed tissue in his throat plus significant swelling of the underlying throat wall.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Saturday's Florida Derby undercard included the return of C P West, who was narrowly beaten by Frosty Secret after being bumped by that rival near midstretch in a seven-furlong entry-level allowance. The final time of the race was just .36 of a second slower than the Aventura Stakes, run over the same distance later on the program.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Northern California racing fans will have two rooting interests Saturday at Santa Anita.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will run Bwana Bull, winner of the California Derby and El Camino Real Derby, in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, and Smokey Stover, who may be America's top sprinter, will venture south to run in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Bwana Bull worked seven furlongs under Russell Baze in 1:26.40 at Bay Meadows on Sunday.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Miss Macy Sue ran to the seven consecutive bullet works she had fired at Oaklawn Park for her season debut, when she overtook True Tails inside the final furlong for a six-length win in the track's $50,000 Carousel Stakes. Wildcat Bettie B, the 3-5 favorite making her first start since October, raced five wide around the turn and finished third, 1 3/4 lengths behind True Tails.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - In a virtual replay of his performance four weeks ago, Scat Daddy capped another five-win day for trainer Todd Pletcher when outgaming Notional to post a 1 1/4-length victory in Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. The win was the sixth on the day for jockey Edgar Prado.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Nearly two months later than expected, Fairbanks won his first stakes at Santa Anita, in Saturday's $107,200 Tokyo City Handicap.
The front-running win, by a convincing 6 3/4 lengths, left Barry Irwin, the managing partner of the Team Valor Stables, optimistic that Fairbanks can develop into a distance specialist this year.
"He wants to run a mile and a quarter," Irwin said.
Last year, a Todd Pletcher-trained mare made her 5-year-old debut with an easy victory in the Grade 3 Next Move Handicap at Aqueduct. Ten months later, that mare, Fleet Indian, was crowned champion.
Could history be ready to repeat itself?
On Saturday, the Pletcher-trained Indian Vale made her 5-year-old debut with a ridiculously easy 5 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3, $104,800 Next Move at Aqueduct. If she remains healthy, there is little doubt Indian Vale could contend for championship honors in the older filly and mare division.
Magg's Choice benefited from a perfect trip, defeating 10 rivals in the $50,000 Royal North Stakes over a sloppy track at Beulah Park.
Trainer Tim Hamm appeared to be holding a strong hand when the entries were drawn, and that was the case on Saturday afternoon as his entry of Magg's Choice and Cruise Liner ran first and second in the Royal North for 3-year-old Ohio-bred Fillies.
The formerly undefeated Lairds Prize, who went off at 5-2, was a well-beaten third.
Half Heaven was the best distance filly or mare at Turfway Park in December. Three months later, nothing has changed. She continued her dominance Saturday, winning the $50,000 Fairway Fun, her third stakes victory in four starts at Turfway over the winter and spring.
Well placed from the start under Miguel Mena, Half Heaven sat third early, as Ella Belle set a slow pace of 24.10 and 48.36 seconds in the 1 1/16-mile race. Down the backstretch and into the final turn, she retreated into fifth position, as My Chickadee made a powerful move to advance into second behind Ella Belle.
Laila's Punch, the 6-5 favorite, was severely tested three times in the stretch run of the $86,400 Smart Halo at Laurel Park, and she never cracked.
Ridden by Jeremy Rose, Laila's Punch could have quit when she was forced five wide turning for home in the six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.