There is a significant name missing from the entries this meet at Louisiana Downs: Morris Nicks.
The 71-year-old, who won the local training title in 2011, retired in March. But he’s still following racing closely, particularly the career of champion Caledonia Road, who is scheduled to run Saturday at Belmont Park in the Grade 1 Acorn.
Nicks’s son Ralph trains Caledonia Road. It was during the Louisiana Downs meet a year ago that Ralph called his father about Caledonia Road.
Trainer Jorge Navarro has plenty of lucrative options for X Y Jet’s first start back since his frustrating, second-place finish behind Mind Your Biscuits earlier this spring in the Dubai Golden Shaheen. But his choice to launch the second half of the speedster’s 2018 campaign is the Grade 3, $250,000 Smile Sprint on June 30 at Gulfstream Park.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Niigon’s Eclipse became a graded stakes winner in her first attempt for owner-breeder Chiefswood Stable by taking the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes in gate-to-wire fashion May 27 at Woodbine. Trainer Rachel Halden said Niigon’s Eclipse will make her next start during Canada Day weekend, but she does have a few options.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The final local preps for the 159th running of the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 30 are Saturday at Woodbine, and the contenders for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks and $125,000 Plate Trial Stakes are putting in final preparations.
In addition to the Oaks and the Plate Trial, Woodbine’s condition book for Saturday also features two allowance races that could attract several Queen’s Plate nominees.
The $50,000 Light Hearted Stakes at Delaware Park on Wednesday is the local prep for next month’s Grade 3 Delaware Oaks and gives interested parties an opportunity to get their fillies a race over the track.
The Light Hearted will be run at one mile and 70 yards, while the $300,000 Delaware Oaks on July 7 will be at 1 1/16 miles.
A field of eight was entered for the Light Hearted, but Larry Jones said via text that Hold Her Tight would not be making the trip to Delaware and would race in the $65,000 Panthers at Prairie Meadows on Thursday.
Triple Crown hero American Pharoah was a once-in-a-lifetime horse. But most horse people are quick to tell you that horses are the best teachers, and American Pharoah also proved a learning experience for the team that is now on the brink of a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment – for the second time – with unbeaten Justify.
“We learned a lot from Pharoah,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “The great horses, they’ll really teach you a lot.”
ELMONT, N.Y. – Catholic Boy and Analyze It, the 1-2 finishers in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes, are expected to meet again in next month’s Grade 1, $1.2 million Belmont Derby at 1 1/4-miles.
Seemingly defeated in midstretch of the Pennine Ridge here on Saturday, Catholic Boy altered course and came back in deep stretch to edge Analyze It by a neck.
It was Catholic Boy’s first start on turf since he finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He began his career with two wins on turf.
A mid-week stakes and an allowance race that serves as a prep for the Grade 3 Smile Sprint highlight a nine-race Wednesday program, kicking off a rare five-day race week during Gulfstream Park’s spring-summer meet.
The card also includes a Rainbow 6 carryover of nearly $297,000.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bob Baffert’s work is mostly done. The Hall of Fame trainer sent out Triple Crown hopeful Justify for the colt’s final pre-race breeze Monday morning at Churchill Downs and now will look to jockey Mike Smith and the racing gods to see what awaits Saturday in the 150th Belmont Stakes.
“If it’s meant to be, it’s going to happen,” Baffert told a media throng after Justify went five furlongs in 1:01.40. “Right now, all we can do is prepare.”
ARCADIA, Calif. – The multiple stakes winner Blackjackcat has been sent to the farm of owners Al and Sandee Kirkwood in Washington after a series of disappointing performances in turf stakes this year, trainer Mark Glatt said.
Third in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar, Blackjackcat most recently was seventh in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 28, finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind race winner Hunt. Blackjackcat also was fifth in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes in February and fourth in the Grade 3 American Stakes in April.
