Bench Points, third in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes in his graded stakes debut on March 12, is expected to return in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9, trainer Tim Yakteen said.
In the San Felipe over 1 1/16 miles, Bench Points closed from eighth to finish nine lengths behind Premier Pegasus, who finished 7 3/4 lengths clear of runner-up Jaycito. For Bench Points, the champion California-bred 2-year-old colt of 2010, the San Felipe was his first loss in five starts.
The field for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby on March 27 was beginning to come together on Friday, with Astrology and Supreme Ruler committing to the 1 1/8-mile race and Nacho Saint and Ruler On Ice settled in after shipping from New York.
The Sunland Derby is the richest race of the meet and part of a program of six stakes worth a cumulative $1.4 million. There were 224 nominations to the race. Other stakes on the Sunland Derby card will include the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks and the $100,000 Harry Henson.
Premier Pegasus rocketed to the top of the Santa Anita Derby rankings list after an authoritative triumph March 12 in the Grade 2 San Felipe. Stretching out following a sharp third-place comeback behind The Factor and Sway Away in a seven-furlong sprint, Premier Pegasus went long for the first time and drew off by 7 3/4 lengths in the 1 1/16-mile race. His time was 1:41.23; he earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
A full gate of 12 looks like a good possibility when the Grade 3, $500,000 Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes is run next Saturday, March 26, at Turfway Park.
Racing officials with the Florence, Ky., track are counting at least 11 3-year-olds as likely for the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race, with another half-dozen or so possible for when entries are drawn Wednesday evening.
The top contenders in what appears to a wide-open field include Preachintothedevil, King Congie, Crimson China, Positive Response, Decisive Moment, Rescind the Trade, and Thirtyfirststreet.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. -- Monzon, the 3-year-old who won the Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct on New Year’s Day, is being pointed to the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 16, trainer Ignacio Correas IV said Friday.
After winning the Count Fleet, Monzon ran in the Sam. F. Davis Stakes, in which he finished fifth, beaten 7 3/4 lengths by Brethren. Correas said the horse came out of that race “a little tired.”
“Physically, he’s 100 percent,” Correas said. “Maybe it wasn’t the race, it was the trip.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – Dips might be fun when riding a roller coaster, but when it comes to getting on a swaybacked racehorse, sometimes it’s not much of a joy ride.
“I’ve ridden a couple that were so bad it felt like you were sitting down in a bucket,” jockey Garrett Gomez said. “They’re not a lot of fun to ride. You feel like you’re going uphill.”
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – If The Factor shows the same brilliance routing that he has sprinting in the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel at Oaklawn, he’ll emerge as one of the flashiest prospects on the road to the Kentucky Derby. If he fails to carry his speed, he could be exiting the Louisville-bound freeway Saturday.
