Under different circumstances, Richard Bracho might be getting more notice this winter at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. But with Julien Leparoux having dominated the Turfway jockey colony to such a lopsided degree - a 22-year-old apprentice, Leparoux led all North American jockeys this year with 108 wins through Thursday night - there has been precious little ink or airtime expended on any other rider.
Pimlico Race Course released its spring stakes schedule Friday with a substantial number of positive changes and adjustments from previous seasons.
The schedule for the 31-day spring meet, which runs April 20 to June 10, consists of 27 stakes worth $4.55 million, with the highlight, as usual, being the Grade 1, $1 million Preakness on May 20. Fourteen of the stakes, including all 10 graded races, will be run Preakness week. Nine stakes are on the Preakness card alone.
Purses for 13 stakes were increased, while only one was decreased. Here are other notable changes:
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - First Samurai is the class and likely the controlling speed of Saturday's $300,000 at Gulfstream Park. That combination would normally make him an unbeatable proposition in the Grade 2 fixture, which serves as the final major local prep for the $1 million Florida Derby on April 1.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Todd Pletcher already has graded stakes winners Flower Alley, Magna Graduate, and Bandini leading his brigade in the handicap division. He hopes to add Harlington to the mix Saturday, when Harlington runs in the Grade 2, $300,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - What a difference a year makes.
Last winter at this time, Silver Train struggled to stay competitive against first-level allowance competition. Saturday, he returns to Gulfstream Park as the reigning Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and heavy favorite to capture the Grade 2, $200,000 Richter Scale Breeders' Cup Sprint Championship Handicap.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Though Honey Ryder is the defending champion of the marathon The Very One Handicap, circumstances dictate that she begin her 5-year-old career in the shorter Honey Fox Handicap. Both Grade 3 turf events have a purse of $100,000 and will be supporting stakes on Saturday's 11-race card at Gulfstream, highlighted by the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Strong Contender, who emerged as a Kentucky Derby candidate with a smashing allowance win here on Feb. 22, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $500,000 Lane's End Stakes at Turfway Park on March 25, trainer John Ward confirmed Thursday.
Ward, who had earlier mentioned March 18 races such as the Rebel at Oaklawn Park or the Gotham at Aqueduct, had several reasons for altering course and choosing the Lane's End. Among the reasons was the new Polytrack that Turfway Park began using last September.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Pat Kelly will be trying to teach an old horse a new trick in Saturday's $65,000 Stymie Handicap at Aqueduct.
Evening Attire, 8, is the class of the field with $2.5 million in career earnings. While he has always been a closer, lately Evening Attire has spotted his competition too much real estate. For the Stymie, Kelly will remove the blinkers from Evening Attire in an effort to get him into the game quicker than usual.
