HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. stole the show here Saturday, posting six wins on the card, including aboard Great Island in the Suwannee River Stakes.
Sunday’s card was highlighted by Jouster’s victory as the 1-10 favorite in an allowance race under Luis Saez. The win was her second in as many starts on turf, and it came over a course rated good.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The much-needed rain that fell here Saturday afternoon and again Monday morning put a bit of a crimp in Saffie Joseph Jr.’s training plans for Mischevious Alex, although it will not keep the horse from his scheduled start here Saturday in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Brendan Walsh said he hopes to come to a decision soon on a next start for the exciting Godolphin prospect Prevalence, who breezed an easy half-mile in 51.40 seconds early Saturday at the Palm Meadows training center in his first work since a flashy debut last month.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Smiley Sobotka was the biggest disappointment among the favorites in the Sam F. Davis on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs when fading to finish ninth, beaten 22 3/4 lengths, as the 6-1 third choice. The colt was making his first start since finishing second to the well-regarded Keepmeinmind in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs in late November.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After lengthy consideration as to whether to give Fire At Will a shot on the Kentucky Derby trail, trainer Mike Maker has decided to switch the winner of the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf off the grass and run him in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park.
Maker said Fire At Will “went super” when breezing five furlongs early Saturday in 1:01.60 over a fast Gulfstream main track.
“It looked like he handled it well,” said Maker.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said he is inclined to keep Candy Man Rocket and Nova Rags separated as they proceed down the Kentucky Derby trail after the colts finished one-two Saturday in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.
Mott told Tampa publicity Sunday he is likely to run one of his Sam Davis runners back in the March 6 Tampa Bay Derby, the annual marquee race at the Oldsmar, Fla., track, while diverting the other to a different spot.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita and Del Mar have teamed to link their three leading annual Grade 1 dirt races at 1 1/4 miles in a series that will pay a $1 million bonus to the owner of a horse that wins the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita, and Pacific Classic at Del Mar in the same year.
The series, known as the Wild West Bonus, begins with the $400,000 Big Cap on March 6, followed by the $300,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on May 31, and the $750,000 Pacific Classic on Aug. 21.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The Oaklawn meet kicks into high gear this holiday weekend, with the running of the Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback Handicap on Saturday and the anticipated appearance of champions Monomoy Girl and Essential Quality in Monday stakes.
Monomoy Girl is scheduled to launch her season in the Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa, while stablemate Essential Quality will hunt Kentucky Derby points in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest. Those stakes, along with the Razorback, are the first graded offerings of the meet at Oaklawn.
The morning after Hit the Road won Saturday’s Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer Dan Blacker had yet to study the race replay.
“My phone has been blowing up,” Blacker said Sunday. “I haven’t had a chance.
“That’s one of the best parts of the Thoroughbred community. It’s a big family. It’s nice to hear from my friends from around the world.”
In his first start since July, Hit the Road cruised to an impressive win in the $100,500 Thunder Road at a mile on turf, drawing clear by 3 3/4 lengths in the final furlong.
Charlatan, the winner of the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, will be flown to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 20. Charlatan will depart two days after a seven-furlong workout that left trainer Bob Baffert enthusiastic about the colt’s chance in the world’s richest race.
On Sunday at Santa Anita, Charlatan was timed in 1:24.60, the only horse to work at the extended distance.
“He looked incredible,” Baffert said. “I put a serious drill into him. He worked really well.
