HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A few days before First Samurai launches his 2006 debut, trainer Frank Brothers and owner Bruce Lunsford will try to pick up a little spending money with Coronado's Vision, who heads a first-level allowance race that serves as the feature race Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.
The feature, a one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies, is the day's ninth race.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Saturday's Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park is the first major two-turn race for 3-year-olds on the road to the meet's marquee event, the $1 million Florida Derby on April 1. Unfortunately, several of the most notable members of the division training in south Florida this winter will be conspicuous by their absence when the race is drawn on Thursday.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Fantastic Spain has had more trainers than wins in his four-season career.
A 6-year-old, won his debut in his lone start for trainer Richard Mandella in June 2003 and had one victory in six starts for trainer Kristin Mulhall in 2004 and 2005.
Wednesday at Santa Anita, Fantastic Spain returns from a nine-month layoff and makes his first start for trainer Neil Drysdale.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - For the first half of 2005, Diane Nelson and Acey Deucey had perfect chemistry and timing. Nelson guided her to four victories from seven starts as a 3-year-old, including a Grade 1 score in the Prioress in July.
Since then, things have gone awry for both horse and rider, albeit at different times. Last summer, Acey Deucey hurt herself in the Grade 1 Test and was unable to make it back to the races until December, and even then she wasn't quite herself.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - This is the eighth year that Churchill Downs has offered parimutuel futures on the Kentucky Derby, and at least one thing has remained constant: The mutuel field is always the favorite in the first of three pools.
Once again, the field, or the "all others" alternative to the 23 separately listed wagering options, was a decisive favorite when Pool 1 of the 2006 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Sunday evening. The field closed as the 3-1 choice and would return $8 for a $2 wager.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Multiple stakes-winning Cause to Believe ($7.40) won the biggest race of his career and may have taken his first step along the Derby trail with a solid victory in the $250,000 Grade 3 on Sunday at Bay Meadows.
Cause to Believe won the fourth stakes of his career, making a strong rail move into the stretch and going past pacesetting Objective. He opened and won by three-quarters of a length as Objective re-rallied late. The winning time for the 1 1/16-mile race was 1:41.81.
