Om, the winner of two derbies on turf earlier this year and the third-place finisher in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar last Saturday, could make one more start this year. Trainer Dan Hendricks said he is considering running Om in the $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile for 3-year-olds on turf on Dec. 26.
“That kind of money is nothing to sneeze at,” Hendricks said.
On Monday, Bob Baffert said he has three races at Santa Anita under consideration as a possible next start for Dortmund, who Baffert said came out of his victory Saturday in the Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar in excellent condition.
Baffert is contemplating whether to turn back Dortmund to seven furlongs for the Grade 1, $300,000 Malibu Stakes on opening day Dec. 26 or to keep him around two turns in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual on Jan. 9 at 1 1/16 miles or even to wait for the Grade 2, $500,000 San Antonio at 1 1/8 miles Feb. 6. The Native Diver was at 1 1/8 miles.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The focus of racing fans nationwide will turn toward south Florida for the next four months, beginning Saturday with the opening of the 2015-16 Gulfstream Park winter session.
Many of the country’s top horses, trainers, and jockeys will converge on Gulfstream once again this winter for a 90-day meet. The stakes schedule offers a track-record $11.6 million in purses and will, as usual, be anchored by a 3-year-old program that culminates with the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 2.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Effinex, winner of Friday’s Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs, returned to Belmont Park early Sunday morning and that’s likely where he will stay this winter, trainer Jimmy Jerkens said.
Though Jerkens sends most of his better horses to Palm Meadows in south Florida for the winter, Effinex will likely get a break before returning for a 5-year-old campaign. This year, he made his seasonal debut in a second-level allowance race over Aqueduct’s inner track before making his next seven starts in graded stakes.
Tom Amoss has taken down more than his share of Fair Grounds training titles, but the biggest prize at Amoss’s home track, the $1 million Louisiana Derby, so far has eluded him. While early-season 3-year-olds aren’t the major focus of Amoss’s operation, he has two 2-year-olds about to turn 3 who might have a chance to give Amoss another shot in the Louisiana Derby in about four months.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Junior Alvarado’s primary goal for this winter is to stay sound.
Each of the last two winters, Alvarado has missed significant time due to injury. With a top-flight Kentucky Derby contender in Mohaymen to look forward to in 2016, Alvarado hopes that both he and his horse remain healthy.
“The main thing is to try to stay sound,” Alvarado said, referring as much to himself as Mohaymen. “Sometimes, it’s just a matter of being lucky. So far, so good. I feel my best right now.”
Four months of winter racing at Turfway Park gets started Thursday evening when the northern Kentucky track runs a nine-race card with big fields from start to finish.
“We were swamped with stall applications, so hopefully that’s a sign we’ll have these big numbers all winter,” said Tyler Picklesimer, now in his third year as Turfway racing secretary. “It’s what fans want.”
Besides the stakes run at Churchill this weekend, there were some notable performances in overnight races, including three winners that helped Steve Asmussen extend his own record for the most training titles at the Louisville track.
Union Jackson and Wrath of Ruthie won first-level allowances, and a well-bet first-timer, Royal Obsession, looked terrific in a maiden score. They contributed to Asmussen’s win total of 13, marking the 17th time he has won or tied for leading trainer here.
