HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Cryptograph has picked the right time to come to hand. Immature as a 2-year-old, he has blossomed at 3 and will be seeking his fourth straight win Saturday when he makes his stakes debut in the $200,000 Rebel at Oaklawn Park.
The 1 1/16-mile race is the first leg of a $5 million bonus series sponsored by Oaklawn. A horse who wins the Rebel, the $1 million Arkansas Derby, and the Kentucky Derby would receive the bonus from Oaklawn president Charles Cella.
Last year Strength Within and Aristocat were Kentucky Derby hopefuls. Now they are simply trying the clear the two-other-than allowance condition.
The two 4-year-olds highlight Thursday's featured eighth race at Gulfstream Park, an optional claiming race for allowance horses or $50,000 claimers at a mile and 70 yards.
This will not be the first time the two have faced each other. A little over a year ago, they raced in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, with Aristocat finishing second behind Region of Merit, two lengths in front of fifth-place Strength Within.
ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Greg Gilchrist liked Callmelauryn from the first time he saw her at a yearling sale in Washington.
She has lived up to his expectations and will be seeking her third straight victory in Thursday's Golden Gate Fields feature, a 1 1/16-mile first-level allowance race on the turf for 3-year-old fillies.
Callmelauryn got her maiden victory in her turf debut, then won a starter allowance race on the dirt by nine lengths, pulling away in the stretch without being asked.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bob Baffert calls him "Zorro." For sure, jockey Javier Santiago is leaving his mark. The 26-year-old native of Puerto Rico arrived in this country just six weeks ago, and already has won the Louisiana Derby and San Felipe Stakes, two of the biggest prep races for the Kentucky Derby.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bear Fan has spent the winter in Florida, but the California-bred filly returned to her home state and then went to Maryland in search of stakes success in recent months. She will be on the move again, as her main goal this spring is a race in Kentucky, the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Veteran New York rider Richard Migliore has won his share of important stakes, but none as big as Saturday's Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park aboard Friends Lake.
The Grade 1 Florida Derby was Migliore's first win in a $1 million race, and it came the day before his 40th birthday.
Migliore celebrated his birthday by winning Sunday's Grade 3 Next Move Handicap at Aqueduct aboard the favorite, Smok'n Frolic.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Two of the top contenders for this Saturday's $200,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, Smarty Jones and Mr. Jester, turned in different kinds of works last Saturday.
The Rebel is the first leg of the $5 million Centennial Bonus series, and there were eight probables as of Monday. Any horse who wins the Rebel, the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 10, and the Kentucky Derby would receive a $5 million bonus from Oaklawn.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - If owner Bruce Lunsford gets his wish, the undefeated Madcap Escapade will make her next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 3. It could be a showdown between this year's sensation and Halfbridled, last year's 2-year-old filly champion, who suffered her first defeat in Saturday's Santa Anita Oaks.
Lunsford stopped by trainer Frank Brothers's Gulfstream Park barn Sunday morning, about 16 hours after Mad Escapade's authoritative 4 3/4-length score in the Grade 2 Stonerside Forward Gal Stakes.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - It didn't take long for the post-Florida Derby blues to set in at Gulfstream Park.
The racing office struggled to put together Wednesday's nine-race card. Aside from a pair of maiden turf events for 3-year-olds and the presence of the undefeated Brazilian-bred Nopex in the only allowance race of the day, the card is unappealing.