Wed, 02/19/2020 - 10:18

Math Wizard headed back to Florida after return run in Razorback

Barbara D. Livingston
Math Wizard could make his next start in the Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Math Wizard, who was the lone Grade 1 winner on the Monday card at Oaklawn, was to head back home to Gulfstream Park on Wednesday following his eighth-place finish in the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap, said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Math Wizard was making his first start since closing for fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He was beaten six and three-quarter lengths by wire-to-wire winner Warrior’s Charge in the Razorback. 

Tue, 02/18/2020 - 18:52

Jamie Ness wins his 3,000th race; has a career win average of 24 percent

Tom Keyser
Heading into Wednesday's card, Jamie Ness leads the Tampa Bay trainers' standings with 44 wins.

Jamie Ness has been one of the winningest and most consistent trainers in the country for more than a decade, and on Tuesday at Parx Racing he went 2 for 2 to reach the 3,000-win plateau.

Tue, 02/18/2020 - 13:39

Cox 3-year-olds continue down road to Kentucky Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Brad Cox will be bringing Covfefe to Saratoga for the summer.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Horses trained by Brad Cox locked up the second- and third-place spots in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes on Monday at Oaklawn, with Wells Bayou earning 4 Kentucky Derby points for his runner-up finish and Answer In earning 2. 

Silver Prospector moved past Wells Bayou in the later stages for a length win. Wells Bayou was making his stakes debut. He earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96. 

Tue, 02/18/2020 - 12:38

Warrior's Charge likely to stay the course and run in Oaklawn Handicap

Coady Photography
Warrior's Charge earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Razorback on Monday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Warrior’s Charge is likely headed to the Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap on April 18 following his Monday win in the track’s Razorback Handicap, trainer Brad Cox said on Tuesday. 

Warrior’s Charge on Monday set the pace in the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap, engaged in a stretch battle with Bankit, and came out a head winner. He covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:43, the second fastest time in the race’s last 18 runnings, ranking behind Gun Runner’s time of 1:40.97 in 2017. 

Mon, 02/17/2020 - 15:10

Cardenas to miss time with minor hand injury

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Luis Cardenas injured his hand when he was unseated during training hours Sunday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Apprentice jockey Luis Cardenas, who has gotten his career off to a terrific start, will be sidelined for about two weeks after injuring his hand in a Sunday morning training incident at Belmont Park.

Cardenas was working a horse for trainer Phil Serpe when the saddle slipped. Turning into the stretch, Cardenas was unseated. Though he got up fairly quickly, he was taken to a local hospital with hand pain.

P.J. Campo, the agent for Cardenas, said the injury is not serious but doctors told Cardenas to take it easy for a week to 10 days.

Mon, 02/17/2020 - 15:06

Kimmel changes direction, enters Mr. Buff in Haynesfield

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Mr. Buff is coming off a five-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile Jazil Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After initially thinking about stretching Mr. Buff out in distance in the $100,000 Bernardini Stakes going 1 5/16 miles on Feb. 29, trainer John Kimmel instead opted to shorten the New York-bred up in distance and on Monday entered him in Saturday’s $100,000 Haynesfield Stakes for New York breds going a one-turn mile.

In his last seven starts, Mr. Buff has won five stakes going 1 1/8 miles, including the Alex M. Robb by 7 1/2 lengths on Dec. 28, the last time he faced New York-breds. He is coming off a five-length victory in the Jazil Stakes here on Jan. 25.

Mon, 02/17/2020 - 14:26

Endorsed to head west for Big Cap

Barbara D. Livingston
In his lone start this year, Endorsed won an optional-claiming race by two lengths at Gulfstream Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Endorsed, fourth in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga last August, will have his California debut in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 7, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said on Monday.

In his only start since the Travers, Endorsed won an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option by two lengths at 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 11.

“He won an allowance race impressively,” McLaughin said. “He’s a really nice horse that we’ve had some setbacks with, nothing major.”

Mon, 02/17/2020 - 14:20

McKinzie works six furlongs; ships to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday

Julie Wright
McKinzie worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 on Monday. Trainer Bob Baffert timed him galloping out seven furlongs in 1:26.

ARCADIA, Calif. – McKinzie, unraced since a second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November, zoomed six furlongs in 1:11.80 at Santa Anita on Monday in advance of a scheduled start in the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 29.

McKinzie and stablemate Mucho Gusto, the winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25, are scheduled to be flown to Saudi Arabia early Tuesday.

Mon, 02/17/2020 - 14:20

Charlatan gets 105 Beyer in debut victory

Benoit Photo
Charlatan earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure in his Sunday victory.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Bob Baffert was watching the Harlem Globetrotters at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles with his son early Sunday afternoon when his cell phone began buzzing with text messages.

Baffert had planned to attend the basketball game long before he realized the 3-year-old colt Charlatan would make his debut at Santa Anita the same afternoon.

“I knew he was running at 2,” Baffert said. “My phone went off. Everything said ‘wow’ on it. I thought, I hope it’s a good wow.”

Mon, 02/17/2020 - 14:16

If workout any indication, Chance It is ready for Fountain of Youth

Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos
In Reality winner Chance It missed some time due to a temperature.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. can only hope everything goes as well for Chance It a week from Saturday in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth as it did in his final major work for the race here Monday.

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