Turns out trainer Al Stall and owners Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider will have an undefeated 3-year-old in the Louisiana Derby after all. No, it’s not Bind, impressive winner of his career debut on Feb. 19. Stall said Saturday that Left, a two-turn allowance-race winner on Feb. 26 at Fair Grounds, was being pointed to the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 26.
KENTUCKY DERBY NEWS: Track all the 3-year-olds on the Triple Crown trail
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – J P’s Gusto breezed six furlongs in 1:13.60 at Oaklawn Park on Saturday morning in preparation for the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel Stakes on March 19. He is expected to be part of a large field for the 1 1/16-mile race, which is a stepping-stone in the Arkansas Derby.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Kentucky Derby prospects Mucho Macho Man and Rogue Romance, first and third finishers two weeks ago in the Grade 2 Risen Star, turned in easy workouts over their home base at Gulfstream Park on Saturday morning.
Mucho Macho Man looked very strong, cruising a half-mile in 48.58 seconds while going easily from start to finish. He galloped out five-eighths in 1:01.86.
Rogue Romance was also in hand breezing four furlongs in 48.78 and galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.90 for trainer Ken McPeek.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Dean Reeves, principal owner of Kentucky Derby hopeful Mucho Macho Man, presented injured jockey Eibar Coa a check for $18,000 Thursday night at Memorial East Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. The sum is the equivalent to the winning rider’s share for Mucho Macho Man’s recent victory in the Grade 2 Risen Star at the Fair Grounds.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Albergatti will make his stakes debut in the $250,000 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita next Saturday, a key prep to the $1 million Santa Anita Derby next month.
For Albergatti, who is trained by Steve Asmussen for Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stable and Natrona Racing, the Grade 2 San Felipe will be the gray colt’s first start around two turns and first start against winners.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. –Trainer Nick Zito always says “you’ve got to play the cards that are dealt you” when it comes to the Kentucky Derby – even if the cards say the best play would be the unorthodox one of running his top Derby prospect Dialed In against older horses in Sunday’s fourth race at Gulfstream Park.
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. − Though no horse entered in Saturday’s $250,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct is any more accomplished than his, trainer Graham Motion believes he will learn a lot more about Toby’s Corner when he runs against eight opponents in the Grade 3 stakes for 3-year-olds.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The $60,000 Mountain Valley for 3-year-olds at six furlongs at Oaklawn Park on Saturday is expected to be a springboard to longer distances for undefeated stakes winners Glint and Smoke It Right. But that is not the case for Trubs, who has been there, done that.
“Right now, we’re going to keep him around one turn,” said Al Stall Jr., who trains Trubs for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.
Mr. Commons ran himself into the Santa Anita Derby picture with a good allowance win Feb. 28. The pace of the mile race was slow (47.02 seconds for a half-mile), which subsequently led to a slow final time (1:34.84). As a result, the number was soft - 89 Beyer.
