Fri, 03/02/2018 - 12:06

Saez to serve three days for riding infraction

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Luis Saez, the leading jockey at the championship meet, will serve a three-day suspension next week stemming from a riding infraction in the first race here Wednesday, when his mount, Our Independence, was disqualified from second to fifth for interference in midstretch. Saez will sit out Wednesday through Friday before returning to the saddle Saturday.

Saez entered Friday action with 103 wins, well ahead of runner-up Tyler Gaffalione (67) and third-place Irad Ortiz Jr. (66). Saez was the leading rider at the 2016-17 championship meet with 102 wins.

Fri, 03/02/2018 - 12:06

Desormeaux high on Ayacara ahead of San Felipe

Barbara D. Livingston
Ayacara, shown training last month, was second in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ayacara closed with interest to finish second in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Feb. 3 in his 3-year-old debut. Next for Ayacara is the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes next Saturday, a key prep for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7.

Ayacara will be a longshot in the race, expected to include the Grade 1 winners Bolt d’Oro and McKinzie. But Ayacara belongs in the race, according to trainer Keith Desormeaux.

Fri, 03/02/2018 - 12:00

Salty wins return, targets La Troienne

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Salty returns from a five-month layoff to win a second-level allowance at Gulfstream on Thursday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Salty, who was competitive with the best 3-year-old fillies of 2017, likely will be pointed to the Grade 1 La Troienne on the May 4 Kentucky Oaks undercard after a successful return to action Thursday at Gulfstream. Mark Casse trains the Quality Road filly for Gary Barber and partners.

“I’d like to have something in between,” Casse said Friday morning. “Gary and I will have that conversation later on. She’s already a Grade 2 winner, and obviously the goal this year is to make her a Grade 1 winner.”

Fri, 03/02/2018 - 10:40

Cloud Computing working with an eye on the Westchester

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Last year’s Triple Crown was won by three different horses, with Todd Pletcher trainees Always Dreaming (Derby) and Tapwrit (Belmont) bookending the Preakness win by Cloud Computing.

All three are on the comeback trail. Cloud Computing, trained by Chad Brown, has had a couple of three-furlong works at Palm Meadows on consecutive Sundays, and Brown said he is targeting the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester Stakes at Belmont on May 5 as Cloud Computing’s ideal return spot.

Fri, 03/02/2018 - 10:20

Economic Model penciled in for Carter Handicap

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Economic Model paid $12.20 in winning the Hal's Hope at Gulfstream on Saturday.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Economic Model, winner of the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 24, could move into Grade 1 company for his next start, which might come in the $400,000 Carter Handicap on April 7 at Aqueduct, trainer Chad Brown said.

“I think I might cut him back to something at seven furlongs, maybe try the Carter,” Brown said at the Palm Meadows training center. “That’s option number one right now. But I don’t know for certain yet.”

Thu, 03/01/2018 - 15:46

Quezon to end career in Correction Stakes

Chelsea Durand/NYRA
New York-bred stakes winner Quezon will be retired after a start in the Correction Stakes on March 17.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Quezon, a multiple New York-bred stakes-winning mare, will make the final start of her career in the $100,000 Correction Stakes at Aqueduct on March 17, trainer Robert Ribaudo said Thursday.

After being forced to scratch out of the Barbara Fritchie at Laurel due to an equine herpesvirus situation at Belmont Park, Quezon was being considered for the Heavenly Prize on March 10 or the Correction. Ribaudo prefers the six furlongs of the Correction to the mile of the Heavenly Prize, which is expected to draw Highway Star and Divine Miss Grey.

Thu, 03/01/2018 - 15:40

Eye-catching maiden winner Westerdale pointing to Wood Memorial

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Westerdale, a 14 3/4-length maiden winner at Aqueduct on Sunday, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 7, trainer Tom Morley said Thursday.

Morley, who is part owner of Westerdale, has always been high on this son of Flat Out. He finished third in his two starts at 2, including in a race won by Mask when both debuted at Belmont last Oct. 20. Mask came back to win the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream in January.

“He was a bit too keen in the race,” Morley said.

Thu, 03/01/2018 - 15:36

Hollendorfer to send Afleet Ascent, not Kanthaka, for Gotham

Benoit Photo
Afleet Ascent (right) was most recently second in the Baffle Stakes on turf at Santa Anita.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is changing plans with his 3-year-olds, opting to keep Kanthaka in Southern California for the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe at Santa Anita and deciding to ship Afleet Ascent to New York for the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. Both races are March 10.

Thu, 03/01/2018 - 14:06

Chilean Group 1 winner Full of Life nears U.S. debut

Benoit and Associates
Heck Yeah, ridden by Mike Smith runs his record to 3 for 3 with this victory in the California Cup Derby.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Full of Life, the winner of the Group 1 El Derby and four other group stakes in Chile in 2016 and 2017, likely will make his U.S. debut this month for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

Thu, 03/01/2018 - 14:06

Miss Sunset possible for Santa Monica, Madison stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa
Miss Sunset and jockey Mike Smith win the Spring Fever Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Miss Sunset beat California-breds in the $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes for female sprinters at Santa Anita last Sunday, her seventh stakes win. Chances are Miss Sunset will race in a graded stakes in early spring.

On Thursday, trainer Jeff Bonde said he is considering two seven-furlong races for Miss Sunset – the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita on March 24 or the Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland on April 7.

In either race, Miss Sunset will face a stern test.

“You can’t hide,” he said.