Mon, 01/07/2019 - 14:56

Kathryn the Wise eyes Barbara Fritchie

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Kathryn the Wise trounced fellow New York-breds in the La Verdad Stakes on Jan. 5, her first win since May 2017.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Coming off her monster 10 3/4-length victory against New York-breds in Saturday’s $100,000 La Verdad Stakes at Aqueduct, Kathryn the Wise is likely to make her next start against open company in the Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel Park on Feb. 16, trainer Chad Brown said Monday.

Mon, 01/07/2019 - 14:10

Delta sees handle spike on rare afternoon card

Delta Downs put on a special afternoon program last Thursday, Jan. 3, and betting on the 10-race card from all sources was more than $2.5 million, a meet high, according to the track’s director of racing, Chris Warren.

Delta made the call to switch to the afternoon post eight days in advance, after Warren noticed there were few tracks putting on daytime cards a few days removed from the New Year’s holiday. He received commission approval for the switch. The decision for the daytime post was made prior to entries being taken for Jan. 3.

Mon, 01/07/2019 - 12:46

Romans hopes for more after 2,000th victory

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Trainer Dale Romans

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Dale Romans celebrated a milestone Saturday when Caroline Lois gave him the 2,000th victory of his training career. But Romans hopes that will just be the tip of the iceberg for him during the Gulfstream Park Championship meeting.

The Romans stable appears loaded and primed for another big winter with such promising 3-year-olds stabled locally as Admire, Blue Steel, and Come On Gerry, along with a number of already established older stars including Mr Freeze, Hollywood Star, and Coach Rocks. Most of them breezed here Sunday and Monday.

Mon, 01/07/2019 - 12:36

Thomas has two for Wednesday feature

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jonathan Thomas figures to be in the thick of Wednesday’s $52,000 optional claiming feature at Gulfstream Park when he sends out Dominance and Escapade, two of the leading candidates in the five-furlong turf dash.

Both had modest two-race win streaks snapped in their previous start, with Dominance finishing fifth in the Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and Escapade taking second, beaten a neck, under allowance conditions at Gulfstream Park West in his 2018 finale.

Mon, 01/07/2019 - 12:36

Catholic Boy getting time off until February

Debra A. Roma
Catholic Boy, who earned a career-high 104 Beyer Speed Figure with his Travers win, returns to training in February.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Catholic Boy may be temporarily out of sight, but he’s obviously not out of mind after the versatile two-time Grade 1 winner was named last Saturday as one of three finalists for an Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old division for 2018.

Catholic Boy, who won both the Belmont Derby on turf and the Travers on dirt at 3, was given some well-deserved time off at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Fla., following his 13th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Mon, 01/07/2019 - 12:26

Six Shooter targeting Smarty Jones

Coady Photography
Six Shooter is pointing for the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn off his win in the Big Drama Stakes at Delta.

Six Shooter and jockey Tommy Pompell were gutsy winners of the $75,000 Big Drama on Saturday night at Delta Downs, slipping through a seam along the rail en route to a 1 1/4-length victory in the stakes for 3-year-olds.

“Tommy said I owed him riding boots – he scraped his on the rail,” joked Paul Holthus, who trains Six Shooter.

Holthus said Monday that Six Shooter is now a candidate for the $150,000 Smarty Jones for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn. The one-mile race will be run on the opening-day card Jan. 25.

Mon, 01/07/2019 - 11:50

Nolo Contesto looks worthy of start in Robert Lewis Stakes

Benoit Photo
Nolo Contesto won a maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds at a mile last Friday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Nolo Contesto, the winner of a maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds at a mile last Friday at Santa Anita, may run next in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 2.

Nolo Contesto, sent off at 8-5, finished a half-length in front of even-money favorite Omaha Beach after the two dueled through the stretch. Nolo Contesto ran a mile in 1:37.49, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 80.

Mon, 01/07/2019 - 11:40

Bellafina targets Santa Anita Oaks

Shigeki Kikkawa
Bellafina’s victory in the Santa Ynez was her fourth graded-stakes win and points her toward the Santa Anita Oaks.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bellafina’s easy win in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday has put her on a path toward the Santa Anita Oaks.

The win, her fourth in a graded stakes, helped soften the disappointment of a fourth-place finish as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2, her only loss in five stakes starts.

Mon, 01/07/2019 - 11:20

Bravo planning to winter at Oaklawn Park

Barbara D. Livingston
Joe Bravo plans to be based at Oaklawn Park this winter for the meet that opens Jan. 25.

Jockey Joe Bravo, a winner of more than 5,000 races, plans to winter at the Oaklawn Park meet, which opens on Jan. 25, according to his agent, Tony King.

Bravo is currently based at Fair Grounds.

King said Bravo has stakes engagements at Fair Grounds on Jan. 19. He also said the rider is scheduled to team with True Timber in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park.

True Timber is coming off a runner-up finish to Patternrecognition in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile. Bravo was aboard for Calumet Farm and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

Sun, 01/06/2019 - 17:44

Givemeaminit looks like formidable sprinter in win

Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography
Givemeaminit and jockey Corey Lanerie win the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint last month.

It was only a Louisiana-bred second-level allowance race, but the manner of Givemeaminit’s victory on Saturday at Fair Grounds makes trainer Dallas Stewart wonder if he’s found Givemeaminit’s hole card.