HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Nobody held a hotter hand last weekend at Gulfstream than trainer John Kimmel, who sent out a trio of winners from four starters, all going a mile on turf: Mega Fortune ($85.80) and Jerome Avenue ($40.20), both in maiden-special races, and Miss Munnings ($9) in a first-level allowance.
“It’s a good thing, because we were getting kind of parched over here,” Kimmel said with a laugh. “It’s kind of been like the weather in California – drought or flood.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Like most everyone else, George Weaver would rather be lucky than good. If not for the fickleness of South Florida weather, nobody would yet know how good Point of Honor is on the dirt – and Weaver surely wouldn’t be one race from having a live contender for the Kentucky Oaks.
“Luck plays a big part in a lot of things we do in this game,” Weaver said Monday, less than 48 hours after Point of Honor became an Oaks consideration by dominating the Suncoast Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.
NEW ORLEANS – Bob Baffert said in a text message Sunday that the two horses he entered in stakes races Saturday at Fair Grounds weren’t shipping here from California.
Both horses drew poor outside posts in their respective races, the filly Chasing Yesterday post 10 for the Grade 2, $200,000 Rachel Alexandra and the colt Kingly post 13 for the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes.
NEW ORLEANS – On balance, Saturday turned out all right for the trainer Mark Casse.
Early in the morning, Casse watched Lecomte Stakes-winner War of Will turn in a sharp half-mile work for his engagement here Feb. 16 in the Risen Star Stakes. Tot that up in the “good thing” column.
A few hours later, the Fair Grounds racing office drew the Feb. 16 card and War of Will landed post 14, a dreadful draw, for the Risen Star. Not so good
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said Inspector Lynley likely will be steered toward the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile in April at Keeneland after winning the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes for the second time Saturday.
McGaughey said Monday he was unsure whether the 6-year-old horse will have an interim start.
Inspector Lynley got a terrific ride from Jose Ortiz on Saturday in replicating his half-length victory in the 2017 Tampa Bay. He was eighth in the Maker’s 46 in his subsequent start that year.
Inspector Lynley earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 101 on Saturday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Paradise Woods will be ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario when the two-time Grade 1 winner makes her debut for trainer John Shirreffs in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita.
Paradise Woods was previously trained by Richard Mandella and was transferred to Shirreffs late last year. Owned by Marty and Pam Wygod and Steve Sarkowsky, Paradise Woods has worked quickly in recent weeks, including six furlongs in 1:10.80 last Friday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Platinum Warrior, the winner of the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita last Saturday, is expected to start on the Dubai World Cup program on March 30 at Meydan.
Three races are under consideration, trainer John Sadler said: the Dubai Turf at 1 1/8 miles and Sheema Classic at 1 1/2 miles, both Group 1, $6 million races, and the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at two miles. Sadler said Platinum Warrior is most likely to run in one of the $6 million races, pending discussions between Sadler and owner Yuesheng Zhang of China and his European-based racing advisors.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Mario Gutierrez, who has won the Kentucky Derby twice, has switched agents, replacing Tom Knust with Matt Nakatani.
Nakatani, the son of jockey Corey Nakatani, said the change is effective immediately. Through Sunday, Gutierrez had 5 wins from 68 mounts at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. Gutierrez rode Listing to a win in the California Cup Turf Sprint on Jan. 26.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Apprentice jockey Jean Diaz Jr. won a race on Saturday and a race Sunday at Santa Anita in his first week of riding in California.
The 18-year-old Diaz relocated from Puerto Rico earlier this month and recorded the fifth and sixth wins of his career last weekend. He won Saturday’s sixth race on Hero for Hire ($26) and Sunday’s fifth race on turf on Swirling ($3.40).
Sunday’s fifth race was the subject of an inquiry into the stretch run when Swirling drifted to the inside. The stewards did not change the order of finish.
