Mon, 03/05/2018 - 12:16

Gulfstream Rainbow 6 jackpot nears $3 million

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.

Mon, 03/05/2018 - 12:00

Queen's Plate winners have big day

Kenny Martin/Coglianese Photos
Holy Helena wins The Very One on Saturday at Gulfstream.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The enduring prestige of the Queen’s Plate got a boost when the last two winners of the Canadian classic, Sir Dudley Digges (2016) and Holy Helena (2017), were victorious within hours of each other Saturday.

Mon, 03/05/2018 - 12:00

Prado aims for 7,000 career-win mark

Barbara D. Livingston
Edgar Prado has ridden Runhappy to victories in the colt's last two races and has the mount Saturday in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

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.

Sun, 03/04/2018 - 17:37

Accelerate among workers for stakes-rich Big Cap card

Barbara D. Livingston
Grade 1 winner McKinzie, under jockey Drayden Van Dyke, works seven furlongs in 1:23.80 on Sunday ahead of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Four candidates for Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap worked Sunday at Santa Anita – Accelerate, Curlin Road, Giant Expectations, and Mubtaahij.

Sun, 03/04/2018 - 16:41

Firenze Fire, Free Drop Billy, Enticed to meet in Gotham Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Free Drop Billy scratched out of Saturday's Fountain of Youth Stakes to run in the Gotham Stakes.

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.

Sun, 03/04/2018 - 14:14

Dream Tree-Midnight Bisou showdown likely in Santa Anita Oaks

Benoit Photo
Midnight Bisou rallied to an easy 2 1/4-length score under Mike Smith in Saturday's Grade 3 Santa Ysabel.

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.

Sun, 03/04/2018 - 11:30

Promises Fulfilled-Strike Power rematch likely in Florida Derby

Leslie Martin/Coglianese Photos
Irad Ortiz Jr. rode five winners on Saturday's card at Gulfstream capped by Promises Fulfilled in the Fountain of Youth.

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.

Sun, 03/04/2018 - 11:07

Brown 'leaning to Blue Grass' for Good Magic's next start

Barbara D. Livingston
Good Magic earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for his third-place finish in the Fountain of Youth.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Good Magic, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, was in good health Sunday morning at the Palm Meadows training center, a day after he emerged from his third-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park “a little tired,” trainer Chad Brown said.

“The horse came out of the race a little tired,” Brown said. “He’s in good order. He scoped clean. Hopefully he got something out of a race it looks like he needed.

Fri, 03/02/2018 - 14:16

Awesome Saturday stepping up in turf mile

Churchill Downs/Coady Photography
Awesome Saturday wins an allowance race at Churchill Downs last June.

The horses who finished fourth, sixth, seventh, 10th, and 12th in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap on Feb. 17 are back in a high-end turf-mile allowance, the feature Sunday at Fair Grounds. That is all well and good, but the most interesting horse in the race is not among that quintet.

Fri, 03/02/2018 - 14:10

Forever Unbridled drills again for Dubai World Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Forever Unbridled wins the Breeders' Cup Distaff on Nov. 3 to secure an Eclipse Award.

Forever Unbridled worked five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Friday at Fair Grounds as she continues her preparations for the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31.

Forever Unbridled, coming off six- and seven-furlong works the last two Fridays, galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.60, trainer Dallas Stewart said.

“She worked great, came out of it great,” Stewart said Friday.