ARCADIA, Calif. – Songbird continues to impress, in her races and workouts. Tuesday morning at Santa Anita, the undefeated filly cruised a graceful six furlongs in her final major drill for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 9.
“She went three-quarters like it was nothing, like she was walking around the shed row,” jockey Mike Smith said. “She would have gone around again.”
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Will Munnings, the winner of the $100,000 Gazebo for 3-year-olds on Saturday at Oaklawn, is a candidate for the $150,000 Bachelor here April 15, trainer Jinks Fires said Monday. The Bachelor also is for 3-year-olds at the six-furlong distance of the Gazebo.
Will Munnings on Saturday sat just off the pace under Jon Court and went on to a 1 3/4-length win.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – American Pioneer’s stock has kept rising since his win in a maiden special weight race on the Rebel Stakes card March 19 at Oaklawn. Following the race, he was made eligible for the Triple Crown, and on Saturday, the lone horse to have defeated him – Dazzling Gem – ran third in the Louisiana Derby. Dazzling Gem beat American Pioneer in their debuts Jan. 18.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Dazzling Gem was traveling back to his Oaklawn base Monday after putting his connections in a “fun” position Saturday by running third in the 1 1/8-mile Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. The horse has a host of options for his next start, trainer Brad Cox said, including the Kentucky Derby after picking up 20 eligibility points for the May 7 classic at Churchill Downs.
“It’s fun to have these decisions in front of you,” said Cox, who trains Dazzling Gem for Arkansas businessman Steve Landers.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The New York-bred Quezon, who came off a 10-month layoff to win a second-level allowance at Gulfstream last Friday, could make her next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct on April 17, trainer Robert Ribaudo said.
“Seven-eighths is a great distance for her,” Ribaudo said. “I know it’s open [company]. We’ll see what she looks like out of this race and see what that looks like.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Brian Lynch said the four-time Grade 1 winner Private Zone is scheduled to return to the work tab this week at Palm Meadows as he prepares for his 7-year-old season.
Private Zone has not raced since finishing fifth of six as the 6-5 favorite in last November’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile. He hinted that he might not be ready to fire his best when he bolted during a workout at Palm Meadows a week before the race.
Private Zone got plenty of time off and has been galloping for several weeks at Palm Meadows.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Brian Lynch has enjoyed a terrific winter at Gulfstream Park, winning 12 races from 50 starters, including a 5-for-5 record in stakes.
Heart to Heart was responsible for two of those stakes wins, taking the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale and Grade 3 Canadian Turf. While Lynch said Heart to Heart would “be the boss” in Saturday’s $200,000 Appleton Stakes, he plans to skip that race and point the horse to the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland on April 15.
OLDSMAR, Fla. - Jorge M. Perez, a 20-year-old apprentice jockey from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, got the first victory of his career in Saturday’s fourth race, steering the 4-year-old gelding Gasparilla Invader ($6) to a front-running neck win over Tai Kai in a maiden $8,000 claiming race. Perez won with his 38th mount, including 28 races at Camarero in Puerto Rico. He had finished second twice and third two more times since coming to Tampa two weeks ago.
Gasparilla Invader, a 4-year-old Montbrook gelding owned and trained by Christos Gatis, won in his 19th start.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The prevailing feeling is that Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby is actually two races in one: Mohaymen vs. Nyquist for first and second, and everyone else against Fellowship for third and the $100,000 and 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points that go with it.
Stanley Gold, who trains the homebred Fellowship for Jacks or Better Farm, is one of the few who do not ascribe to that theory.
