ELMONT, N.Y. - Bluegrass Cat, Steppenwolfer, and Jazil - the second-, third-, and co-fourth-place finishers in the Kentucky Derby - will all forego the Preakness Stakes to concentrate on the $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 10.
The trainers of all three horses are based in New York and feel that running their horses back in two weeks at Pimlico is not the best thing to do.
ELMONT, N.Y. - If you're judged by the company you keep, then handicappers will rule that Laptop Computer is the one to beat in Wednesday's $65,000 Romano Gucci Stakes at Belmont Park.
Scrolling down the past performance lines of Laptop Computer, one finds the names Bluegrass Cat, Steppenwolfer, and Jazil - the second-, third-, and co-fourth-place finishers of last Saturday's Kentucky Derby. No names of such caliber show up in the Romano Gucci, run at 6 1/2 furlongs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Nobody left any parting gifts this year. While Kentucky Derby visitors the last few years have left robust pick-six carryovers for everyday players at Churchill Downs to shoot at, that wasn't the case Saturday, when Barbaro ended a pick six worth $114,516 for each $2 winner.
And thus begins the post-Derby segment of the 2006 spring meet at Churchill, which still has more than two months to run. The Stephen Foster Super Saturday program on June 17 will be the high point, but the brand of racing before and after that is worth looking into, too.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Purim was a well-backed horse when he raced last summer on Arlington Million Day in the Grade 1 Secretariat, and based on the appearance he made winning a restricted turf stakes at Arlington on Sunday, Purim is not more than a couple notches below a horse worthy of being considered for the Million itself.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Mr. Pursuit is sharp right now, with two wins in his last three starts. On Saturday he will take a big step up in class in the Grade 3, $300,000 Walmac Lone Star Derby at Lone Star Park.
A 1 1/16-mile race, the Walmac Lone Star Derby had seven probables Monday, including leading contenders Wanna Runner, winner of the $600,000 WinStar Derby; Red Raymond, a stakes winner who was a troubled 10th in the Grade 2, $1 million Arkansas Derby; and Admiral's Arch, winner of the $100,000 Northern Spur Breeders' Cup at Oaklawn Park on April 15.
CALGARY, Alberta - Last Saturday's President's Handicap, the first stakes for 3-year-olds on the trail to the June 17 Alberta Derby, went to Hastings shipper My Guy. My Guy prompted the pace throughout the six-furlong President's and prevailed by a half-length over Teagues Fight, with Bell n' Gone a neck back in third.
The stretch run could be a preview of the upcoming Hoofprint on My Heart, a one-mile Alberta Derby prep slated for May 27 at Stampede Park.
Hallowed Dream won her fourth straight race with an eye-catching score in the Grade 3, $150,000 Yerba Buena Breeders' Cup Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.
Hallowed Dream, under Dennis Carr, looped most of the field in the 1 1/8-mile turf race on the far turn, going from seventh to the lead in a trice. Runner-up Sky Dreams and third-place finisher Dreams Come True chased her home, but Hallowed Dream won by 1 1/4 lengths. Dream Lady, the even-money favorite in the field of 10 fillies and mares, finished sixth.
Mocita exerted her class in the $40,000 Emergency Nurse Stakes at Calder, cruising past leader American Miss entering the stretch and pulling away to win by 3 1/2 lengths under Eddie Castro.
Leona's Knight, at 41-1 the longest shot in the scratch-shortened field of six fillies and mares, rallied for second, with American Miss holding for third.
Owned by David Hutson and trained by Marty Wolfson, Mocita paid $3.40 and covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:47.80.
Edgar Prado, fresh off his first Kentucky Derby victory aboard Barbaro, returned to Belmont Park on Sunday and rode three winners, two for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr., including Oprah Winney in the $110,600 Bouwerie Stakes for 3-year-old New York-bred fillies.
Jockey Martin Pedroza guided Star Parade to the lead in the first furlong of Sunday's $100,000 Hawthorne Handicap at Hollywood Park and used that advantage to give the mare her sixth stakes win.
Star Parade won the Grade 3 Hawthorne by 1 3/4 lengths over Hollywood Story, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.26. It was Star Parade's second stakes win of the year, to go with the Grade 1 Santa Maria Handicap at Santa Anita.