ARCADIA, Calif. – Mucho Gusto, the winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park last month in his 2020 debut, worked six furlongs in a quick 1:11.80 at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Mucho Gusto is scheduled to be flown to Saudi Arabia early Tuesday for the $20 million Saudi Cup at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 29 where he rates as a leading contender in the race at 1 1/8 miles.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Hard Not to Love was a quiet and cool filly in the minutes before Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita. That does not bode well for the opposition in coming months.
Hard Not to Love, a one-eyed filly who has had bouts with anxiety, refused to warm-up before the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at seven furlongs on Dec. 28, standing stubbornly in front of the stands for several minutes before she was coaxed into a jog by jockey Mike Smith and an outrider. Hard Not to Love won the race by 2 1/4 lengths at 11-1.
NEW ORLEANS – Modernist, the horse that shipped to Fair Grounds from Florida to win the second division of the Risen Star Stakes on Saturday, is scheduled to return to New Orleans for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 28. But Fair Grounds-based Mr. Monomoy, who won the first division of the Risen Star, is less certain to make his next start in the Louisiana Derby.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Wicked Trick, who was scratched from Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 General George Stakes after showing signs of colic, was back at his Belmont Park barn Sunday and could return to the races in early March.
Linda Rice, the trainer and part-owner of Wicked Trick, said the gelding showed signs of colic shortly after he arrived at Laurel following a van ride from Belmont on Saturday morning.
“We treated him in Maryland for colic, we shipped him back last night and he hasn’t shown any ill effects this morning,” Rice said Sunday.
NEW ORLEANS – Two more horses at Fair Grounds have tested positive for the prohibited drug levamisole, one of them Silver Dust, who had his victory in the Jan. 18 Louisiana Stakes taken away because of the bad test.
Trainer Bret Calhoun agreed to pay a $1,000 fine and Silver Dust was placed last in the Louisiana after stewards notified Calhoun late afternoon this past Friday of the test result. Had Calhoun not agreed to the penalties, Silver Dust would’ve been scratched from the Mineshaft Stakes here on the Saturday, Feb. 15 card, a race he won.
Tyler Gaffalione will ride 2019 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston in the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 28 at Meydan, trainer Mark Casse said Sunday.
Gaffalione will become the eighth jockey to ride Sir Winston, who has run only 12 times. Joel Rosario was aboard for Sir Winston’s Belmont Stakes victory. Dylan Davis rode Sir Winston to a 2 1/4-length allowance victory at Aqueduct on Jan. 31.
NEW ORLEANS – Midnight Bisou on a wet Sunday morning turned in her final workout before departing Fair Grounds on Monday for Florida, the launching point for her journey Tuesday to Saudi Arabia for the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 29. And if Sunday’s exercise was any guide, Midnight Bisou is more than ready for that trip.
Longtime Maryland trained John J. “Jerry” Robb closed out the Winter Carnival card in style on Saturday at Laurel Park by sending out Stroll Smokin ($5.60) to win a first-level allowance in the ninth-race nightcap. The victory was the 2,000th of Robb’s career.
Stroll Smokin is owned by Robb’s primary owner, the No Guts No Glory Farm of Gina Rosenthal, and was ridden by Robb’s first-string jockey Xavier Perez.
Ed Orr and his wife, Susie, decided to step up their investment in racing when he retired from a professional rodeo career, and the commitment has yielded a serious Kentucky Derby hopeful in Silver Prospector. The horse won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last fall at Churchill Downs and on Monday will be looking to add another Kentucky Derby points race to his résumé in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
