ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Mark Glatt will have the busiest day of his career on Wednesday at Santa Anita when he has runners in six of the eight races.
"I think that's a personal high," Glatt said.
Glatt, 30, has starters in all but the second and sixth races, and has several contenders throughout the day. His runners range from claiming sprinters to a contender in the day's richest race, a $56,000 allowance/optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - New York-based trainer Robert Klesaris was eager to see how his horses would fit in his first season at Oaklawn Park. The answer came quickly. Klesaris won three races from seven starters on opening weekend, and also had four runners claimed out of his 12-horse stable.
The fast start places Klesaris second in the standings, behind two-time defending leading trainer Cole Norman, who was 5-for-19 over the three-day opening weekend at Oaklawn.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Can the late-running Chindi be as productive this year as he was last season when he won three races as an 8-year-old? It's very possible. The gelding is working unusually strongly for his 9-year-old debut, which is scheduled for Wednesday at Oaklawn Park.
Chindi will meet seven others in a $60,000 optional claiming race at six furlongs, including fellow stakes winners Cowboy Stuff and That Tat. None were entered for the claiming price, and the purse is $37,000.
ALBANY, Calif. - Will the third time be a charm as trainer Lonnie Arterburn tries to get Classic La back to the races?
Classic La is one of six 4-year-olds entered in Wednesday's Golden Gate Fields feature, a six-furlong $25,000 claimer.
Classic La won his debut last Feb. 9, beating Danzhound, who will be one of his rivals Wednesday. He was second in his next start in a $32,000 starter allowance race but was pulled up quickly in his third start on April 24.
"He had an injury and had to be freshened," Arterburn said.
Cypress Cove made a huge sweeping move in the final turn and went on to beat 37-1 longshot Zarro by 2 1/4 lengths in the $80,000 .
Ridden by Shane Seller, Cypress Cove ($4.40), part of an entry owned by Keith Plaisance, rallied from eighth in a field of 12 horses.
Cypress Cove, a Kentucky-bred by West by West, now has won 2 of 5 career starts for trainer Edward Johnston. He finished the one-mile distance in 1:40.62.
Ebony Breeze overcame the outside post position in the 11-filly $50,000 Gasparilla Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
Stretching out to seven furlongs in the Gasparilla for trainer Bill Mott, Ebony Breeze paid $3.60 as the favorite, winning by 1 3/4 lengths after a stretch battle with the second-place finisher, Crimson and Roses. Splasha was third, another 1 3/4 lengths back.
The final time was 1:25.01 over a fast track.
ARCADIA, Calif. - At the pace of a stakes win per month, Congaree is quickly ascending to the top of the nation's handicap division.
In late November, Congaree won the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct and followed with a convincing win in the San Pasqual Handicap at Santa Anita on Jan. 4.
In a race run during a depression-era dust storm, Ciento dueled his arch rival Star Smasher into submission at the sixteenth pole and drew off by 3 1/4 lengths to win the $125,000-added and take a 2-1 advantage in their battle for division honors at this meet.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - House Party unexpectedly lost contact with her field during the early stages of Sunday's $100,000 then finished full of run to post a 1 1-2 length victory over even money favorite Chimichurri in the six furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park.
