ARCADIA, Calif. - What difference is a new racetrack for Neat, the 4-year-old colt expected to be the lone shipper in Saturday’s Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf at Santa Anita?
Last year, Neat started seven times at six different tracks, winning four stakes for 3-year-olds on turf. The assignment on Saturday will be more difficult, as the $300,000 Kilroe will mark Neat’s career debut against older horses and his first start in a Grade 1.
Neat will be ready, trainer Rob Atras said on Sunday.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Fresh off a dominating win in Saturday’s Grade 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia, Straight No Chaser will be sent to Dubai this week in preparation for the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint at Meydan Racecourse on April 5.
A trip to Meydan for the $2 million Golden Shaheen may suit Straight No Chaser more than the track in Saudi Arabia for the $2 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint, trainer Dan Blacker said in a phone interview on Sunday.
Blacker described the dirt surface in Saudi Arabia as a “deep track,” and expects a quicker surface at Meydan.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Kopion, the outstanding winner of two graded stakes for female sprinters at Santa Anita this winter, will miss an expected start in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares on March 8 because of illness.
Trainer Richard Mandella said on Sunday that Kopion spiked a temperature of 102 degrees over the weekend. Kopion was scheduled to have a workout on Monday.
“It’s going around,” Mandella said of a barn area illness.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Three of the top 14 3-year-olds on Daily Racing Form’s latest Derby Watch list, Burnham Square (third), Sovereignty (sixth), and River Thames (14th), are among the eight horses entered for Saturday’s $400,000 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park.
Hoosier Philly is gearing up for her next start following a close third-place finish in last month’s Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston. She was beaten just three-quarters of a length after contesting the pace and equaled her best career Beyer Speed Figure, an 89.
Trainer Tom Amoss said last week that Hoosier Philly has a couple of options for her next start. She has been working at her base of Fair Grounds.
Caldera, who fought to the wire when second by a nose in the $400,000 Sunland Derby, could be headed next to the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Wednesday.
Caldera was making his stakes debut in the Sunland Derby and was just edged by the Southern California-based Getaway Car. Caldera raced in fifth in the early stages, engaged leader Getaway Car at the top of the stretch, and the pair battled to the wire. Caldera earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 91.
Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., has canceled live racing for Saturday, but remains on schedule to conduct the Rebel Day card on Sunday, track president Lou Cella said. He said Oaklawn also is scheduled to race Monday.
Oaklawn has had to cancel training from Wednesday through Friday after a winter storm system brought freezing temperatures that dropped dangerously cold in the overnight hours. Officials had hoped to open for training Friday afternoon, but now the intention is to reopen for training in the afternoon hours Saturday.
First Resort, the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway Park, will scratch from that race due to soreness, trainer Eoin Harty said Friday.
The Battaglia, a Kentucky Derby points race, was to be First Resort’s 3-year-old debut. He ended his 2-year-old campaign with a victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs last Nov. 30.
Harty said First Resort worked on Monday at Turfway Park but when Harty sent him back out to the track on Wednesday, “he seemed a little short behind,” Harty said.
Gaming, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding 2-year-olds of 2024 but only eighth of nine in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 25, had his first workout in more than a month at Santa Anita on Friday.
Gaming worked five furlongs in a quick 59.40 seconds. “He looked good,” trainer Bob Baffert said.
Stronghold, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby last April, is in the midst of a brief vacation after finishing 10th of 11 in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25, and could resume racing in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile at Saratoga in June.
Trainer Phil D’Amato said on Friday that Stronghold remains at his Santa Anita stable.
“He’s never had a true break where we’ve turned him out,” D’Amato said. “We’re going to try to do that in-house with him at Santa Anita. We want to give him an extended break.”
