OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The third race last Saturday at Aqueduct did produce a 3-year-old with a future. It just wasn’t the one who was so highly touted going in.
War Stopper, a son of Declaration of War, rolled to a front-running, four-length victory in the one-mile race. He covered the distance in 1:37.54 – a solid time for this track – and earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. War Stopper was making his fourth start for owner Mike Salerno and trainer Rudy Rodriguez.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The promising 3-year-old prospect Premier Star will be the focus of attention in Wednesday’s seventh race, the first of two $51,000 optional-claiming races on the card. Premier Star rallied to a 1 3/4-length victory over the highly regarded Caracaro to win his debut here five weeks ago. Caracaro flattered the effort by coming back to win his maiden in dominant fashion Saturday, earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Violent City earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure as a four-length debut winner over the highly touted Palm Springs in a six-furlong maiden race here Saturday. The 3-year-old Violence colt is trained by Ian Wilkes for the Lothenbach Stables of Minnesota businessman Bob Lothenbach.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Although she was among the original invitees to the Pegasus World Cup Turf on Jan. 25, Starship Jubilee will run instead this weekend as the biggest name Saturday among the four Sunshine Millions races at Gulfstream.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While several of his best horses are nearing their 2020 debuts, trainer Kenny McPeek has shelved his top Kentucky Derby hope after Fighting Seabee recently suffered a minor injury in training at the Summerfield training center.
“He was marginal for the Derby anyway, but you never know how they might develop,” McPeek said. “He’ll be out at least 60 days.”
Fighting Seabee was seventh at 9-1 in the Nov. 30 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs in his final start at 2 after finishing second in the Street Sense.
Todd Pletcher has used Tampa Bay Downs as a critical testing ground in recent years for some promising young horses. Shipping across the Florida peninsula from his winter base of Palm Beach Downs in Delray Beach, Pletcher won maiden or first-level allowances the past three years with four horses that wound up running a few months later in the Kentucky Derby – Always Dreaming (the 2017 winner), Vino Rosso, Magnum Moon, and Spinoff.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The multiple Grade 1 winner Spiced Perfection and the graded stakes winners Mo Forza and Texas Wedge are scheduled to start at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25 for trainer Peter Miller.
Spiced Perfection was withdrawn from Saturday’s Grade 3 La Canada Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in favor of the Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes at seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park later this month. Miller said on Saturday that the owners of Spiced Perfection – Adam Wachtel, Peter Deutsch, and Len Schleifer – want to keep the 5-year-old mare in one-turn races.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Smiling Shirlee was second or third in three consecutive stakes for California-bred 2-year-old fillies in the final five months of 2019. For the start of her 2020 campaign, Smiling Shirlee will be given a different assignment – her turf debut in Saturday’s $200,000 California Cup Oaks for 3-year-old statebred fillies at a mile at Santa Anita.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Joel Rosario, the leading rider at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, will ride in Saudi Arabia on Friday and Saturday, according to his agent, Ron Anderson.
Rosario, who was to turn 35 on Tuesday, is scheduled to return to Santa Anita for Sunday’s program, Anderson said. There is also racing at Santa Anita on Monday, Jan. 20.
Through Sunday, Rosario led all riders with 15 wins, four more than Abel Cedillo. Rosario had three wins on Sunday, including on Mother Mother in the $81,700 Kalookan Queen Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Storm the Court, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November, was moments from starting a five-furlong solo workout at Santa Anita on Sunday when trainer Peter Eurton described his strategy for the exercise.
Storm the Court was scheduled to work alone, leaving Eurton without expectations for a quick time in the build-up to the colt’s scheduled 2020 debut in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 9.
“It’s hard to get real serious until you put them in company,” he said.
