ARCADIA, Calif. – Ginobili won a maiden special weight race on the Pacific Classic program at Del Mar last August in the manner of a 2-year-old with immense promise.
That still holds true, despite two losses in stakes last summer and fall. After a late autumn rest, Ginobili is approaching a key test in Sunday’s Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita.
ARCADIA, Calif. – United won his first stakes in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Marcos at Santa Anita, a performance that has trainer Richard Mandella planning a trip to Dubai on March 28 for the $6 million Sheema Classic.
United has run well in recent world-class races, having finished second at 51-1 to eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar in the Breeders’ Cup Turf here in November. The BC Turf is run at 1 1/2 miles, the same distance as the Sheema Classic, which annually draws runners from Europe and Asia and horses based in Dubai through the winter.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Midcourt ran so well from the front to win Saturday’s Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita that trainer John Shirreffs is already expecting another peak performance in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 7.
The $600,000 Big Cap is run at 1 1/4 miles, a new distance for Midcourt.
“No reason to worry,” Shirreffs said Sunday morning.
At least six challengers are expected for heavily favored Independence Hall when entries are drawn Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs for the Sam F. Davis Stakes.
The Grade 3, $250,000 Sam Davis will be run Saturday at Tampa in Oldsmar, Fla., as the lone qualifying event of the weekend toward the May 2 Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/16-mile Davis is one of just three 17-point races (10-4-2-1) left on the Derby trail, with all others carrying higher values.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Tiz the Law wasn’t the only 3-year-old to turn heads with a graded stakes victory on Saturday at Gulfstream. An hour earlier, Mischevious Alex drew off to a seven-length triumph in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes, winning with something left after being geared down during the closing stages by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. His final time of 1:22.83 was nearly two seconds faster than the undefeated filly Tonalist’s Shape covered the same distance capturing the Grade 3 Forward Gal earlier on the card, earning him a lifetime-best 93 Beyer Figure for his performance.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Barclay Tagg was packing the car and heading off to Ocala shortly after training hours on Sunday, but not before relaying the news that Tiz the Law came out of his impressive three-length victory over Ete Indien in Saturday’s Grade 3 Holy Bull in good order.
“He scoped clean after the race, ate up last night, and his legs are good,” said Tagg.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Storm the Court, the champion 2-year-old male of 2019, was pronounced fit and ready for his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 9 after a five-furlong workout at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Storm the Court was timed in 1:01.20, continuing a steady pattern of workouts since Dec. 22 in advance of the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Max Player, the 3 1/4-length winner of Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes, will most likely make his next start in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 4, meaning he’ll have one more chance to earn enough qualifying points to make the May 2 Kentucky Derby.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Sir Winston, the 2019 Belmont Stakes winner, made a successful 4-year-old debut, rallying from last to win an allowance race Friday at Aqueduct and put himself back in play to run in the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 28.
In his first dirt race and just second start since he upset the Belmont Stakes last June, Sir Winston was content to sit last of seven through the opening six furlongs. Under Dylan Davis, he was seven lengths behind pacesetting Leitone, who ran an opening half-mile in 48.33 seconds.
Lone Star Park has added the $300,000 Texas Derby to its stakes schedule for 2020, the Dallas area track announced Friday. The mile and a sixteenth race will be run May 25 and the new Memorial Day feature will share a card with the $100,000 Lone Star Park Turf Stakes.
Lone Star will have a total of 12 stakes worth $1.4 million this meet, an increase of $300,000 from a year ago and the richest stakes calendar at the track since 2011, according to a press release.
The Lone Star season runs from April 16 through July 19.
