J P’s Gusto, one of the nation’s top 3-year-olds, galloped over the Oaklawn surface for the first time Saturday morning and is scheduled to breeze for the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest on either Monday or Tuesday, said his trainer, Joe Petalino.
J P’s Gusto was transferred to Petalino last week after being based with trainer David Hofmans in Southern California. The Southwest is Feb. 21.
KENTUCKY DERBY NEWS: Track all the 3-year-olds on the Triple Crown trail
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mucho Macho Man will sport a new look when he runs Saturday in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds. No blinkers!
Mucho Macho Man launched his 3-year-old campaign by finishing fourth as the favorite in the Grade 3 Holy Bull here earlier this month, racing close to a fast pace before faltering in late stretch. Trainer Kathy Ritvo said she had been contemplating removing the blinkers from Mucho Macho Man even as a 2-year-old and has decided now is the right time to finally make the move.
Racing officials at Fair Grounds are expecting a terrific field for their next big race on the Triple Crown trail, the Risen Star Stakes, with two major hopefuls scheduled to ship in from south Florida to make their 3-year-old debuts in the Grade 2, $300,000 race.
Rogue Romance, third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and Santiva, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, are among the six to eight known prospects for the Risen Star, which will be run Saturday, Feb. 19, at the New Orleans track.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Perfect after four starts in sprints, including a sharp win in an optional claimer on Friday, Bench Points is through with one-turn races for the rest of the winter.
Bench Points won his first start since September in a six-furlong optional claimer on Friday, closing from last in a field of four to beat Da Ruler, the 3-10 favorite. The victory led trainer Tim Yakteen to mention the $250,000 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on March 12 for Bench Points’s next start. The San Felipe Stakes is a key prep for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 9.
Who's hot
Todd Pletcher, who won last year’s Kentucky Derby, is the only trainer to land two horses on the inaugural top 20 of this year’s Derby Watch. Heading his duo is the unbeaten Uncle Mo, last year’s Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old, who is the 7-2 favorite on the current Derby line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper. Otherwise, the wealth is spread, with 18 other trainers represented.
Who's not
Trainer Kelly Breen said his Holy Bull runner-up Sweet Ducky would likely skip the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth here lat Gulfstream Park ater this month to await the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 3.
“Nothing’s definite yet but the last time I spoke to the owners we were thinking about not dancing every dance,” said Breen. “But he’s going to need to step up in the Florida Derby money wise, finish first or second money, just to qualify on graded earnings for the Kentucky Derby.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jaycito, winner of the Grade 1 Norfolk Stakes at Hollywood Park last fall, will make his 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 20, trainer Bob Baffert said Friday.
Baffert had considered the $250,000 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on March 12 for Jaycito’s first start of the year but has pushed the timetable forward.
“He’s ready to go in the San Vicente,” Baffert said.
Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen were born into racing, being the sons of trainers who plied their trade largely in the Southwest. Both operate large stables that encompass several tracks and scores of horses. Both have won multiple Eclipse Awards as champion trainer, both have trained Eclipse Award-winning horses, and both have won Breeders’ Cup races. Both have won Triple Crown races. And, until last year, both had never won the Kentucky Derby.
