Wed, 04/20/2016 - 15:10

Jose Ortiz staying home for Derby Day

Barbara D. Livingston
Jose Ortiz has amassed 24 wins in the first nine days of Aqueduct's spring meet.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Through the first 110 days of 2016, Jose Ortiz leads the nation in races won (112) and purse money won ($5,260,264), and he’s on an incredible run at the Aqueduct spring meet.

But that wasn’t enough to secure a contending Kentucky Derby mount.

Instead, Ortiz will remain in New York for both Oaks and Derby days and likely will ride a bevy of live runners at Belmont Park on those two days.

Last year, Joe Bravo won five races on Derby Day at Belmont Park, including all three stakes.

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 15:10

Stephen Foster looks right for Effinex

Coady Photography
Effinex wins the Oaklawn Handicap last Saturday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Effinex returned to New York a few days after he won the Oaklawn Park Handicap last Saturday, but he likely will hit the road again for his next start.

Effinex is targeting the Grade 1, $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap on June 18 at Churchill Downs, according to Russell Cohen, who manages the horse for his mother Bernice’s Tri-Bone Stable.

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 15:00

Kaigun, Twilight Eclipse head eight for Elkhorn Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Kaigun (left) will be a prime contender in the 1 1/2-mile Elkhorn.

Kaigun and Twilight Eclipse head a field of eight older horses entered in the $250,000 Elkhorn Stakes, a Grade 2 turf race to be run Saturday at 1 1/2 miles.

From the hedge, this is the Elkhorn lineup: Da Big Hoss, Up With the Birds, A Red Tie Day, Idolo Porteno, Royal Albert Hall, Twilight Eclipse, Kaigun, and St. Albans Boy.

The Elkhorn is the second-to-last of 16 stakes at the Keeneland spring meet. Its sister race, the Grade 3 Bewitch, is the feature for closing day, April 29.

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 14:48

Curalina tagets La Troienne for 4-year-old debut

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Curalina, shown training with Lady Soul at Keeneland on April 8, will make her first start since the Breeders' Cup Distaff in the May 6 La Troienne at Churchill Downs.

Curalina will make her 4-year-old debut in the Grade 1 La Troienne on the May 6 Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill, Todd Pletcher said Wednesday. It will be the first start for Curalina since she was third behind Stopchargingmaria and Stellar Wind in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last fall.

Pletcher said he gave thought to running in the Doubledogdare on Friday at Keeneland.

“She just needed another work or two, so we started thinking the La Troienne,” Pletcher said. “She ran well at Churchill last year” in an easy Derby Day allowance triumph.

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 14:40

Keen Ice out at least 60 days to heal minor fracture

Barbara D. Livingston
Keen Ice will race in blinkers for the first time Saturday in the Dubai World Cup.

Keen Ice, the only horse to defeat American Pharoah last year, has been sidelined from training for a minimum of 60 days because of a small fracture in his left hind cannon bone, it was announced Tuesday via Twitter by Donegal Racing, the partnership that campaigns the 4-year-old colt.

Keen Ice was transferred earlier this month by Donegal from Dale Romans to Todd Pletcher. The colt has been sent to WinStar Farm to recuperate from the injury, which will not require surgery.

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 14:40

Mohaymen gets mojo back

Churchill Downs/Coady Photography
Mohaymen breezes a half-mile in 46.80 seconds at Churchill on Wednesday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Mohaymen, the forgotten horse on the trail to the 142nd Kentucky Derby, gave a reminder that he’s still in the running for the May 7 race when he breezed a half-mile Wednesday at Churchill Downs in a snappy 46.80 seconds.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who was on hand for the work, told Churchill publicity that Mohaymen accomplished just what was needed in his first breeze since a disappointing fourth-place finish in the April 2 Florida Derby. Mohaymen arrived Sunday from his winter base in Florida.

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 14:16

Mountaineer meet opens with $136 winner

The Mountaineer Park meet started with a bang on Saturday when Amanda In Front won the first race by a neck and paid $136.20.

If you didn’t bet Amanda In Front, you may have to wait until next year to cash on her. A 5-year-old mare, Amanda In Front is now 4 for 36. She has won one race a year at Mountaineer since 2013.

After the first weekend of racing, Deshawn Parker is atop the rider standings with 12 wins. Nobody else has won more than three races. Parker is nearing his 5,000th career win and through Tuesday had 4,977 victories.

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 14:16

Impressive debut winners clash

The fifth race at Laurel Park on Friday, a first-level optional sprint for 3-year-olds, matches a pair of promising debut winners, Bobcat and Blu Moon Ace.

Bobcat, trained by Dale Capuano, won a March 19 maiden race by 10 lengths. He was ridden by Jevian Toledo that day but will have Alex Cintron aboard Friday.

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 14:06

Fantastic Style seeks repeat in Great Lady M

Barbara D. Livingston
Fantastic Style will be favored to extend her winning streak to four races in Saturday's Great Lady M. Stakes.

CYPRESS, Calif. – Fantastic Style will be favored to win her fourth consecutive start in Saturday’s $200,000 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos, the richest race of the track’s spring meeting.

Fantastic Style won the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes for fillies and mares in 2015, when the race was run in July. Los Alamitos does not have a July meeting this year.

Fantastic Style won the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita last month in her only start this year.

Wed, 04/20/2016 - 14:00

Freeman unsure which of his 2-year-old colts will run best

CYPRESS, Calif. – The first race for juveniles in Southern California, a $45,000 maiden special weight race for California-breds at Los Alamitos on Friday, drew five runners from three stables.

Trainers Ed Freeman and Patricia Harrington have two colts each, while Patricia’s husband, Mike, starts the filly Alpenhorn.

Freeman runs Eichel, by Ministers Wild Cat, and I’d Be Sad an Blue, by Square Eddie, and said he is unsure what to expect from the 2-year-olds.