ELMONT, N.Y. – With Hard Love’s victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Woodhaven Stakes at 1 1/16 miles under his belt, trainer Jonathan Thomas is looking forward to stretching the 3-year-old out in distance in races like the Pennine Ridge at 1 1/8 miles on May 29 and the $1 million Belmont Derby going 1 1/4 miles on July 10.

“He’s supposed to improve fitness-wise,” Thomas said. “I think he’s going to relish another furlong or two more.”

In 2018, Thomas won both the Pennine Ridge and Belmont Derby with Catholic Boy. That colt also won the Grade 1 Travers on dirt.

ELMONT, N.Y. – When Bubbles On Ice took Sunday’s $100,000 Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct, it was the first stakes win of the year for trainer Christophe Clement.

He hopes he won’t have to wait quite as long for his second. Clement will have runners in both of the opening weekend turf stakes at the Belmont Park spring/summer meet with Therapist in Saturday’s $100,000 Elusive Quality at seven furlongs and She’s My Type in Sunday’s $100,000 License Fee going six furlongs.

ELMONT, N.Y. – A year ago at this time, New York was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic with virtually all businesses at a standstill. New York racing was a month into a shutdown that had no definitive end date. Coming off the cancellation of the Aqueduct spring meet, no one knew when racing would resume and some horsemen wondered whether they might have to relocate.

Philip Antonacci registered the first victory of his training career Saturday, sending out Advanced Strategy to capture a one-mile allowance race on the turf. Advanced Strategy is owned by his father Frank’s Lindy Farms, which is best known in the Standardbred community for having been the owner or breeder of five Hambletonian winners.

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Lake Lio won the first 2-year-old race of the local season in very impressive fashion Friday, leading throughout to register a 3 1/2-length victory for trainer Jena Antonucci.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Soothsay, winner of the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3, is staying in California this spring and will not start in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs

Trainer Richard Mandella cautioned that Soothsay was not a definite runner for the Kentucky Oaks immediately after the Santa Anita Oaks, and said Sunday that the unbeaten filly will be pointed to the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on May 30 at Santa Anita.

“She’s coming back to where she was,” Mandella said Sunday. “To get her completely back and ship her is too much.”

Art Collector is back in steady training in the quiet environs of the Skylight training center just east of Louisville. Owner-breeder Bruce Lunsford said the 4-year-old Bernardini colt will soon have his first breeze for trainer Tommy Drury, with a return to the races perhaps coming toward the end of the Churchill spring meet.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has regained the mount on Malathaat, one of the likely favorites for the April 30 Kentucky Oaks, after missing the ride on the unbeaten filly in the April 3 Ashland Stakes.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Monomoy Girl emerged from her runner-up finish in the Apple Blossom Handicap in fine fashion, trainer Brad Cox said Monday. She was beaten a nose after a hoof-to-hoof battle with Letruska, giving that one six pounds while earning the same Beyer Speed Figure, a 102.

“Monomoy Girl came out of the race good,” Cox said. “She’s shipping to Churchill Downs.” 

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The 2021 Woodbine meet was postponed from its scheduled April 17 opening due to a province-wide stay-at-home order declared by the Ontario government that was recently extended from May 6 to May 20. It is a potentially dire situation for the largest track in Canada, which could see its horse population shrink as horses leave for the United States due to the uncertainty regarding when the meet will begin.