LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field occupied its customary spot as the favorite after the first full day of betting into the fourth and final pool in the 2014 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which began a three-day run Thursday at noon Eastern.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field occupied its customary spot as the favorite after the opening hours of betting into the fourth and final pool in the 2014 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which began a three-day run Thursday at noon Eastern.
As of 4:30 p.m., and with $22,660 in the win pool, the field, the 24th or “all others option,” was the 6-1 favorite, followed by California Chrome (9-1), Social Inclusion (9-1), Constitution (10-1), Cairo Prince (13-1), Hoppertunity (16-1), Intense Holiday (16-1), and Samraat (16-1). Another $9,634 had been bet in exactas.
NEW ORLEANS – Intense Holiday and Albano, separated by a nose at the end of last month’s Risen Star Stakes, renew their battle for New Orleans on Saturday at the Fair Grounds in the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby, a race whose level of importance was raised by a horse who’s not even here.
Saturday is the biggest day of the year at both Gulfstream and Fair Grounds, with the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby and the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby the respective features at the two tracks. Gulfstream has six other graded stakes on its card, and Fair Grounds has three. Unfortunately, weather might be a factor in both places. After another rainy forecast for New Orleans for Friday, there is still a chance for Saturday morning rain there. And there is a 50 percent chance of Saturday afternoon thunderstorms at Gulfstream.
There isn’t much marathon racing for horses in the United States anymore, but there are more and more marathon days of racing, with two of the richest and longest on Saturday: A 14-race card at Gulfstream, beginning at noon Eastern and ending with the Florida Derby at 6:48 p.m., and a 13-race card at Fair Grounds that starts at 12:30 p.m. Central and features the Louisiana Derby at 6:10 p.m., ending with a maiden-claiming race at 7:20.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Cairo Prince was a Grade 2 winner and a nose short of being perfect at 2, and he solidified his position near the top of everyone’s list of leading Kentucky Derby candidates early this winter with a defining victory in the Grade 2 Holy Bull. But for all his imposing credentials, Cairo Prince will enter Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby not only idle the last nine weeks but in need of another big performance to earn the necessary qualifying points to guarantee a berth in the Kentucky Derby lineup.
NEW ORLEANS – Louies Flower won three straight races at Remington Park last year, then headed to Oaklawn Park, where he was purposely kept out of the Smarty Jones Stakes in January to await the Southwest Stakes on Feb. 17. His trainer, Bret Calhoun, now thinks that was a major mistake and believes that Louies Flower, who ran last in the Southwest, can improve when he starts in the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Ami’s Holiday, who is 10-1 on a winter-book line for the $1 million Queen’s Plate, likely will launch his 3-year-old season next month at Keeneland, trainer Josie Carroll said Wednesday. The winner of last year’s Grade 3 Grey on Polytrack at Woodbine, the horse breezed six furlongs in 1:14.80 at Oaklawn on March 20. He last raced Dec. 8 and was third as the favorite in the $134,000 Display at Woodbine.
Horses competing in Aqueduct’s upcoming $1 million Wood Memorial on April 5 will be subject to out-of-competition blood testing for banned substances, be required on the grounds by April 2, and are subject to 24-hour monitoring at their trainers’ own barns and stalls on the grounds, the New York State Gaming Commission announced.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Strong Mandate has had a couple of eventful mornings this week at Oaklawn Park but remains on course for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 12 despite a less-than-ideal workout Wednesday.
Strong Mandate breezed a half-mile in 54 seconds soon after the track opened, then lost his exercise rider, Alberto Rodriguez, galloping out after the wire. Strong Mandate was caught by an outrider without incident and came back fine, as did Rodriguez, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said later in the morning.
