OZONE PARK, N.Y. – He needed a new rider. He bobbled at the start. He was behind horses for the first time. He was wide throughout.
None of those obstacles mattered to El Kabeir, who made a solid 3-year-old debut Saturday, running away from the pacesetting tandem of Ostrolenka and Nasa in the stretch and drawing clear to a 4 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 Jerome Stakes in a chilled rain at Aqueduct.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - El Kabeir completed preparations for his 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 3 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct by working a half-mile with a strong six-furlong gallop-out Sunday morning at Belmont Park.
Following a few morning showers and breezing after the second renovation break, El Kabeir breezed a half-mile in 48.46 seconds with a final quarter in 23.47. El Kabeir then proceeded to gallop out five furlongs in 1:00.92 and six furlongs in 1:13.03 under exercise rider Simon Harris.
ARCADIA, Calif. – One season after California Chrome emerged from the winter preps at Santa Anita to capture both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, it appears the current crop of locally based runners for the 2015 Kentucky Derby is both strong and deep.
At Santa Anita right now, you could walk through the stable area and encounter the likes of American Pharoah, Dortmund, and Texas Red, who among them won the Del Mar Futurity, FrontRunner Stakes, Los Alamitos Futurity, and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
CYPRESS, Calif. - Dortmund remained unbeaten and prevailed in both his stakes debut and his first start around two turns in the Grade 1, $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity on Saturday, but it wasn’t easy, for both Firing Line and Mr. Z made him work for it in one of the most dramatic and exciting races of the year.
Eagle, who finished a close, closing third in the Nov. 29 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill, had his first work since shipping to New Orleans when he went an easy half-mile last Friday. Trainer Neil Howard said he is pointing Eagle to the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes here at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17.
“He’s been on a little bit of a busman’s holiday, because once we get rolling in January there won’t be much time for rest,” Howard said. “Right now we’re pointing for the Lecomte. That should give us some direction about how to proceed.”
The Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse will be moved to a date four weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby and its purse will be raised to $1 million for the 2015 running, the track announced late on Friday.
Grade 2, $400,000 Remsen Stakes, 1 1/8 miles, Aqueduct, Nov. 29, 2014
(10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)
Winner: Leave the Light On
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Owner: Klaravich Stables Inc. and William Lawrence
Beyer Speed Figure: 90
Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita, Nov. 1, 2014
(10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)
Winner: Texas Red
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
Owner: Erich Brehm, Wayne Detmar, Lee Michaels, Keith Desormeaux, et al
Beyer Speed Figure: 104
Grade 3, $156,300 Grey Stakes, 1 1/16 miles (Polytrack), Woodbine, Oct. 5, 2014
(10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)
Winner: International Star
Trainer: Mike Maker
Jockey: Rafael Hernandez
Owner: Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Beyer Speed Figure: 66
Grade 1, $300,000 FrontRunner Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita, Sept. 27, 2014
(10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)
Winner: American Pharoah
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Owner: Zayat Stables, LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 101
