Trainer Paul McGee started racing at Fair Grounds in 2004. One more victory and this will mark his most successful New Orleans winter.
McGee, entering this week’s racing action had eight winners from just 25 runners, equaling his previous Fair Grounds top from 2010-11, when it took 47 runners to hit the total. More recently, McGee had one, two, or three Fair Grounds winners at meets between 2014 and 2023.
ARCADIA, Calif. – As trainer Leonard Powell left the winner’s circle following Air Force Red’s win in Saturday’s Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at Santa Anita, he turned toward a track executive to announce short-term plans for his 7-year-old veteran.
“He won’t be running next weekend,” Powell said.
Air Force Red had a rare schedule for a modern Thoroughbred in early March, racing on consecutive weekends. He went from a last-place finish in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 1 to a win in the San Simeon Stakes on the hillside turf course, his third career stakes win.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Kazushi Kimura, champion jockey in Canada from 2021-23, intends to resume riding at Santa Anita on March 21, two months after sustaining an injury in a starting gate incident.
Kimura said Sunday that he is planning a career move in coming months and does not plan to return to Woodbine, near Toronto, in advance of that track’s 2025 opening day on April 26.
Kimura recently bought a home near Santa Anita and will remain in Southern California.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After finishing a troubled and very game second behind odds-on favorite Mindframe in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile, Steal Sunshine will accept an invitation to run in the $1 million Godolphin Mile on the Dubai World Cup undercard on April 5 at Meydan. He will be joined on the long journey from South Florida by Super Chow, recent winner of the Gulfstream Park Sprint, who will compete in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen.
Nic’s Style is rapidly become a barn favorite for Bill Mott.
Nic’s Style won her fourth straight stakes – and notched her seventh win from eight career starts – when she got up late to beat R Disaster by a neck in last Saturday’s Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie.
“She’s just a win machine, isn’t she?” Mott said. “I wish they all had her determination. Every time she just finds a way to get it done.”
Prior to her victory the Hurricane Bertie, Nic’s Style won the Pumpkin Pie at Aqueduct in November and the City of Ocala Stakes and Minaret at Tampa Bay Downs.
Sovereignty, neck winner of the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 1, is virtually certain to make his next start in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29, trainer Bill Mott said Sunday.
“We’re 95 percent sure we’re going to the Florida Derby as long as he’s okay,” Mott said.
There also was the option of waiting a week and running in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass on April 5 at Keeneland.
Dylan Davis, who has enjoyed a super winter riding at Gulfstream Park for the first time in over a decade, will return to New York in April to start riding at Aqueduct, agent Mike Migliore said.
While Davis will be based at Aqueduct, he will ride when needed at Keeneland, including on April 4, opening day of that track’s meet, when he rides La Cara in the Grade 1 Ashland.
Crazy Mason has provided trainer Gregg Sacco with two of his six wins at the Aqueduct winter meet, rallying from last to win in first- and second-level allowance conditions.
On Feb. 21, Crazy Mason was 12 lengths back in a five-horse field when he rallied from last at the eighth pole to win by 2 1/2 lengths, earning a career-best 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I thought we might get a piece. I didn’t expect that,” Sacco said.
Rebel winner Coal Battle emerged from a Wednesday breeze in good order and was scheduled to return to the track Saturday, said trainer Lonnie Briley. The horse went a half-mile in 49.40 seconds.
“He worked that real easy half and he was smiling about it,” Briley said. “He’s doing good, feeling great.”
Briley said he is still determining whether Coal Battle will run back in the Arkansas Derby or await the Kentucky Derby.
Mixto, the upset winner of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar last August, has been invited to the $12 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on April 5, trainer Doug O’Neill said on Friday.
Mixto has started once this year, finishing fourth of 11 in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25. Mixto was beaten 8 1/4 lengths by runaway winner White Abarrio, and was two lengths behind second-place finisher Locked.
Last Saturday, Locked returned to record an easy win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita.
