McCraken had his first workout since his latest victory when breezing a half-mile in company in 48.80 seconds Monday at his winter base at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, Fla.
With regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr. in from New Orleans, McCraken worked alongside his Ian Wilkes-trained stablemate Fifth Title, a 4-year-old maiden.
“I got him galloping out in 1:12 flat, then another eighth in 13 and 1,” said Wilkes. “I’m very pleased with the horse. All’s good.”
OLDSMAR, Fla. – It was anything but a lazy Sunday for No Dozing, who turned in a bullet workout at Tampa Bay Downs to remain under consideration for the Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby here on March 11. No Dozing breezed half a mile in 47.80 seconds, the fastest of 62 works at the distance here that morning, as he tries to bounce back from a disappointing 3-year-old debut.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A field of up to 10 3-year-olds is taking shape for the second of three major Kentucky Derby preps to be run this winter at Gulfstream Park, the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth on Saturday.
Conquest Mo Money remained undefeated in three career starts Sunday, when he captured the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby by two lengths over Irap. It was another two lengths back in third to Oh So Regal.
The Mine That Bird Derby served as the local prep for next month’s Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby. The race was one of three stakes on the card. Mopotism became a stakes winner in the $75,000 Island Fashion and Forest Mouse won the 12th stakes race of his career in the $75,000 Curribot Handicap.
Untrapped, the Risen Star runner-up, is headed to Oaklawn Park for the Rebel Stakes on March 18, but the third- and fourth-place Risen Star finishers, Local Hero and Guest Suite, are likely runners in the Louisiana Derby, trainers Steve Asmussen and Neil Howard said Sunday.
Mo Town, who was fifth as the favorite in the Risen Star, flies back to trainer Tony Dutrow's base at Payson Park on Tuesday.
NEW ORLEANS -- Girvin came out of the Risen Star Stakes as well as he went into it, according to trainer Joe Sharp. Making just his third start and racing around two turns on dirt for the first time, Girvin won the Risen Star on Saturday at Fair Grounds by two lengths over Untrapped. If all goes well with the colt, Girvin will make his next start April 1 in the $1 million Louisiana Derby,
The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed Sunday as a lukewarm choice in Pool 3 of the 2017 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, while Unique Bella was a heavy favorite in the lone futures pool for the 2017 Kentucky Oaks.
Made You Look, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf, will make his dirt debut in this Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday.
“The horse has trained really well on dirt, he’s got a dirt pedigree, at some point we wanted to test it,” said Pletcher, who trains Made You Look for Let’s Go Stable and Three Chimneys Farm. “He’s doing real well at the moment. Now’s the time. There are no real easy spots. We figured since he’s here, we’ll stay home and give it a try.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Practical Joke turned in his final prep for this Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sunday morning at the Palm Meadows Training Center, where he breezed an easy half-mile in 48.19 seconds in company with stablemate Shagaf.
According to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Vesce, Practical Joke went his opening quarter-mile in 24.80, galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.60, and pulled up three-quarters of a mile in 1:14.
If your inclination is to take Girvin’s upset of Saturday’s Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds lightly because it’s still early on the road to the Kentucky Derby, you might want to reassess.
Yes, it may still feel like we’re early on the Derby trail, but it’s actually later than you think. We are now in penultimate Derby prep territory. The Risen Star is the local springboard to the Louisiana Derby on April 1, which comes five weeks before the Kentucky Derby. And, notably, the Risen Star was the first U.S. race this year to offer 50 Derby points to the winner.
