HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gunnevera has always been a hard horse to motivate in his works. Until recently, that is.
Gunnevera worked five furlongs last Saturday morning in 59.40 seconds at Gulfstream Park West with Luis Saez aboard. The work came on the heels of a 58.60 clocking for the same distance one week earlier. Gunnevera is preparing for the Dubai World Cup on March 31.
Todd Pletcher will be seeking to continue his domination of the premier race at Tampa Bay Downs when he sends over Vino Rosso from his Atlantic Coast base for the Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby, to be run Saturday for the 38th time as part of the annual Festival Day.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It had been a long time between graded stakes wins for trainer Kathy Ritvo, and her last one – the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Dean and Patti Reeves’s Mucho Macho Man – was obviously a tough act to follow. But with all the hard work and patience she has invested in Classic Rock over the past year, his impressive three-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint had to be nearly as satisfying for the Ritvo-Reeves team.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gulfstream officials had considered dispersing the Rainbow 6 this coming weekend as the jackpot continues to spiral toward the $3 million mark, but Tim Ritvo of track owner The Stronach Group said Sunday they most likely will just let it ride until one of the final days of the championship meet.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Business has slowed considerably for Edgar Prado in recent years, but the 51-year-old jockey still has milestones he intends to reach. Prado broke an extended slump at Gulfstream Park last Friday by winning a four-horse race on a 2-5 favorite, Sara’s Day, and entered this week with a 1-for-49 record at the championship meet.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Led by Grade 1 winners Firenze Fire and Free Drop Billy and Grade 2 winner Enticed, a field of at least 10 3-year-olds is expected to be entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The absence of the undefeated Dream Tree from Saturday’s Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita may have done more to enhance her rivalry with race winner Midnight Bisou than if she had competed.
Last fall, Dream Tree beat Midnight Bisou by a nose in two starts: a maiden race here in October and the minor Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar. Since then, both fillies have stayed apart and won two stakes.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The top two finishers in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park emerged from their efforts in good shape and appear headed for a rematch in the March 31 Florida Derby.
Promises Fulfilled and Strike Power ran one-two for all but perhaps the first few steps of the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Derby prep Saturday, while the odds-on favorite, Good Magic, chased them home in third.
