Rulings by stewards at Oaklawn Park into medication violations by two horses trained by Bob Baffert who won races on May 2 at Oaklawn are expected to be issued next week, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which oversees the state’s racing commission, said Tuesday.
The horses are Charlatan, who won a division of the Arkansas Derby, and the filly Gamine, who won an allowance race that day and most recently won the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park.
Two horses trained by Bob Baffert had split samples confirmed for a medication violation after races at Oaklawn Park on May 2, which his attorney on Monday said was “innocent exposure” from cross-contamination owing to an employee using a pain patch for human use.
The horses are Charlatan, who won a division of the Arkansas Derby, and the filly Gamine, who won an allowance race that day and most recently won the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park.
While Kenny McPeek mulls which race is next for his leading 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver, the 57-year-old trainer is reveling in the flashy debuts turned in last weekend by Hard Strike and Crazy Beautiful. Both 2-year-olds were easy winners in one-mile maiden races over the Ellis Park turf course.
“Very, very encouraging,” McPeek said.
Meanwhile, McPeek was promising a last-minute decision Wednesday morning on whether Swiss Skydiver will be entered in the Blue Grass or Ashland, both to be run Saturday.
Cafe Pharoah, an unbeaten Kentucky-bred colt, will have what is expected to be his final prep race for the Kentucky Derby in Wednesday’s $711,694 Japan Dirt Derby at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo.
Judging from his win in the Grade 3 Unicorn Stakes at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse on June 21, Cafe Pharoah will be a massive favorite in the Japan Dirt Derby, run at 1 1/4 miles.
:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2020: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more
Grade 3, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Los Alamitos, July 4, 2020
(20 Derby qualifying points for a win, 8 for second, 4 for third, 2 for fourth)
Winner: Uncle Chuck, by Uncle Mo
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Luis Saez
Owners: Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman
Beyer Speed Figure: 94
DEL MAR, Calif. – The cancellation of the San Diego County Fair, which traditionally precedes the Del Mar race season and whose dates make for a frenetic turnaround before the meet begins, has afforded both the track and trainers a chance to settle in here far earlier than usual. One of the first to arrive and take advantage of the schedule was Michael McCarthy, who not only is preparing for the meet that begins Friday, but also was able to give some of his stakes runners a pair of works before important out-of-town engagements this week.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Uncle Chuck is being asked to come a long ways in a short amount of time, but on Saturday, “We saw what we needed to go to the next step,” said his trainer, Bob Baffert.
Uncle Chuck, making only the second start of his career after beating maidens last month at Santa Anita, turned back his more experienced stablemate Thousand Words in upper stretch and then drew away in the final furlong to score a four-length victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby going 1 1/8 miles.
Just when Anneau d’Or was rounding back into form, an illness has knocked him out of a scheduled start on Saturday in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby.
Anneau d’Or, runner-up last year in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity, and fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby two months ago, shipped midweek from Golden Gate Fields to Los Alamitos. But on Friday, trainer Blaine Wright suspected the colt would not start in the Los Alamitos Derby.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Dr Post, the Belmont Stakes runner-up, was scheduled to return to the work tab Saturday at Belmont Park, and trainer Todd Pletcher said he is leaning toward running him in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 18 at Monmouth Park.
“Seems like he’s come out of the race well, so this will be the first step toward making a decision,” Pletcher said Friday.
Cezanne, a $3.65 million purchase as a 2-year-old in 2019, is expected to have his next start in an undetermined stakes after winning his first start around two turns in an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option at a mile Thursday at Los Alamitos.
Cezanne is unbeaten in two starts, having also won a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs on June 6 at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Cezanne ($2.20) stalked pacesetter Bronn to the turn and took the lead in early stretch. Prat gave Cezanne a few reminders with his whip in the final furlong.
