Tue, 02/12/2019 - 16:41

Warrior’s Club eyeing Razorback

Coady Photography
Warrior's Club went off at 23-1 and paid $48.80 to win the Commonwealth at Keeneland on Saturday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Warrior’s Club is being debated for a start in the Grade 3, $500,000 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. The 1 1/16-mile race will be run Monday.

Warrior’s Club last raced Nov. 3 and finished eighth to champion Roy H in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Last year was a big one for Warrior's Club, who won his most prestigious race, the Grade 3 Commonwealth at seven furlongs at Keeneland. The $250,000 renewal April 6 is a spring objective for the horse, Lukas said.

Tue, 02/12/2019 - 16:37

Bravazo makes plans for Dubai World Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Bravazo (above) is one of two sons of Awesome Again entered in Saturday's Pegasus World Cup.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Bravazo remains on target for the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 30, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said, as workout and shipping plans are coming together in preparation for the overseas trip.

Bravazo, an earner of $2 million bred and owned by Calumet Farm, is coming off a fourth-place finish in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. He will be flown back to Florida next month and on March 18 is scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale for Dubai.

Tue, 02/12/2019 - 15:15

Uncontested not sneaking up on foes in General George

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Uncontested comes into the Grade 3 General George off a dominant victory in an optional-claiming sprint.

In December, a rookie trainer with three wins to her credit shipped a horse from the Thoroughbred Training Center outside Lexington, Ky., to Laurel Park for his first start in nine months. Dismissed at 16-1 against six opponents in a high-level optional-claiming sprint, Uncontested lived up to his name by blasting to a daylight lead and cruising to a one-sided, six-length victory.

Mon, 02/11/2019 - 15:20

Gray Attempt's heart lands him in Southwest Stakes

Coady Photography
Gray Attempt works five furlongs in 1:00.20 at Oaklawn Park on Sunday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Heart.

It’s one of those intangibles that sets a racehorse apart: It never reveals itself on a yearling catalog page, but rather shows up on the track, in the heat of battle.

Dwight Pruett is genuinely delighted to have a horse with heart in Gray Attempt. He purchased the colt as a yearling for $50,000 in July 2017 at a Fasig-Tipton auction in Kentucky and on Monday the horse will be shooting for his third straight stakes win when he starts as one of the top choices in the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

Mon, 02/11/2019 - 15:16

Mind Control remains on track for Gotham

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Mind Control has had four works since winning the Jerome on Jan 1.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Still smarting over Joevia’s narrow defeat to Haikal in Saturday’s $150,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes, trainer Gregg Sacco turned his attention to next month’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes where he is planning to run the Grade 1 winner Mind Control.

On Monday, Mind Control worked a half-mile in 49.36 seconds over the Belmont Park training track. He went his first quarter in 24.87 seconds and his second quarter in 24.49 under exercise rider Hector Hernandez.

It was his fourth work since he won the Jerome on New Year’s Day.

Mon, 02/11/2019 - 15:10

Rice, Rosenblum could see fitting reunion in Broadway

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Startwithsilver romped in last year’s Broadway Stakes for the owner-trainer team of Sheila Rosenblum and Linda Rice. The mare is entered to defend her title on Saturday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The band is getting back together.

After confirming a break-up last fall, owner Sheila Rosenblum and trainer Linda Rice are reuniting, at least with a couple of horses.

On Sunday, Rice entered Holiday Disguise and Startwithsilver in Saturday’s $100,000 Broadway Stakes at Aqueduct. Both of those mares had been transferred last fall by Rosenblum to Jonathan Thomas and show workouts at Bridlewood Farm in Florida where Thomas trains. But last month, Rosenblum reached out to Rice to see if she would take these two horses as well as some others back.

Mon, 02/11/2019 - 14:40

Heartwood has options after King Cotton win

Coady Photography
Heartwood wins the King Cotton Stakes on Saturday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Heartwood, who won the $100,000 King Cotton on Saturday at Oaklawn, is one of the senior members of trainer James Chapman’s stable – and he’s just turned 5.

“We’ve got 25 babies coming up,” Chapman said of the 2-year-olds in his stable.

Heartwood has been teaching them the ropes. He won his third stakes Saturday when fought for a half-length win in the King Cotton. Heartwood was always prominent, covered six furlongs in 1:09.99, and earned a Beyer Figure of 94.

Mon, 02/11/2019 - 14:36

Heavy Roller likely to start in Essex Handicap next

Coady Photography
Heavy Roller is likely to start in the Essex Handicap on March 16 at Oaklawn.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Heavy Roller has put himself in the running for a stakes start after he defeated three Grade 3 winners in the Sunday allowance feature at Oaklawn. Heavy Roller closed from next to last in the slop and endless rain and won off by seven lengths at 12-1.

Heavy Roller earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 99 in the mile race.

Mon, 02/11/2019 - 14:30

Pletcher eyeing stakes for Outshine, Orra Moor

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher sent the 3-year-olds Outshine and Orra Moor out to impressive allowance victories on Sunday.

Outshine, idle since a fifth-place finish in the Tremont Stakes last spring at Aqueduct, returned to post a two-length victory going seven furlongs against a strong field of entry-level optional-claiming rivals in Sunday’s main event. The son of Malibu Moon received an 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mon, 02/11/2019 - 14:20

Former MLB player Napoli enjoying new turn as horse owner

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Former MLB player and new horse owner Mike Napoli with Queen’s Bird, his first winner, on Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Former Major League Baseball player turned horse owner Mike Napoli got his new career off to a pretty good beginning here over the weekend, winning with just his second starter, Queen’s Bird, who went wire to wire in Sunday’s fourth race.