The 4-year-old Nysos and 5-year-olds Fort Bragg and Speed Boat Beach, all stakes winners, are nearing comebacks for trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert declined to state race goals for the trio on Sunday morning, but did say, “I’ll have some nice horses this spring.”
Nysos, unbeaten in three starts by a combined 26 3/4 lengths in 2023 and early last year, worked five furlongs in 1:02.40 at Santa Anita on Saturday, his fifth workout in as many weeks.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer John Sadler will be after his first stakes win since early November when Alpha Bella starts in Saturday’s Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.
Alpha Bella was withdrawn from the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes on turf at Santa Anita last Saturday. A 5-year-old, Alpha Bella worked a half-mile in 47 seconds on Sunday for the $300,000 Beholder Mile.
“She looked beautiful,” Sadler said. “She’s run well on both surfaces and we wanted to look at both races.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While Todd Pletcher’s 3-year-olds still have more to prove to make it to the Kentucky Derby, the Hall of Fame trainer will undoubtedly have a major impact in this year’s older dirt male division.
The performances Saturday by Locked in the Santa Anita Handicap and Mindframe in the Gulfstream Park Mile served as reminders as to just how much talent these 4-year-olds possess.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After watching Sovereignty and River Thames finish first and second, respectively, just a neck apart, in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, it’s only natural for everyone to be clamoring for a rematch later this month in the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby. As of Sunday, however, neither camp was ready to commit to the prestigious Kentucky Derby prep just yet.
Flood Zone, the 3 1/4-length winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, was expected to return to trainer Brad Cox’s stable at Payson Park in Florida this week while his connections map out his next start.
ARCADIA, Calif. – For a trainer who spent Saturday afternoon trekking to the Santa Anita winner’s circle three times after graded stakes and four times overall, both personal bests, Michael McCarthy had a typical morning overseeing his stable on Sunday.
Thorpedo Anna, the reigning Horse of the Year, will launch her 4-year-old season from the rail Saturday as part of a field of seven fillies and mares for the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri at Oaklawn Park.
Post positions for the 1 1/16-mile race were drawn Sunday. The race will go as the 10th on an 11-race program that begins at 12:30 p.m. Central. The approximate post time for the Azeri is 5:25 p.m.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Justique, who won the $150,000 Carousel last weekend at Oaklawn, will likely make her next start in the $650,000 Madison at Keeneland, according to her trainer, Cherie DeVaux.
In the Carousel, Justique closed from last for a half-length win. She covered the six furlongs for fillies and mares in a sharp 1:09.96.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Thorpedo Anna, the reigning Horse of the Year, remains on schedule to make her 4-year-old debut in the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri on March 8 at Oaklawn, trainer Kenny McPeek said. She has been prepping for the 1 1/16-mile stakes at Fair Grounds.
“She’s got one more work here and then she’ll come up,” McPeek said Thursday.
Brian Hernandez Jr. has the mount on Thorpedo Anna, who is coming off a win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – First Mission indicated he could be sitting on a significant 5-year-old campaign last weekend, when he was just edged in the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park in his first start since August.
First Mission came rolling through the stretch to be part of a three-way photo, with Alexander Helios coming out the winner from between horses and Banishing finishing second along the rail. First Mission was beaten a neck, and all three horses earned Beyer Speed Figures of 102.
