Sun, 05/17/2015 - 14:53

Distinctiv Passion targets Los Angeles Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Distinctiv Passion, ridden by Edwin Maldonado, scores a front-running victory over a wet-fast main track in the Joe Hernandez.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Distinctiv Passion is working diligently to rebound from a poor performance in Dubai in March.

The four-time stakes winner could only finish 13th of 16 in the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint at five furlongs on turf at Meydan Racecourse on March 28, his first trip away from California. Since returning to Santa Anita, Distinctiv Passion has worked so well that trainer Jeff Bonde is planning a start in the $100,000 Los Angeles Stakes on May 25.

“He’s been a very sharp horse,” Bonde said.

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 14:40

Stop the presses: A Gold-trained juvenile loses

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Good Genes, a full brother to champion Awesome Feather, ran second in his debut on Friday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Stanley Gold found himself in unfamiliar territory after Friday’s second race – not in the winner’s circle. The Gold-trained Good Genes finished second behind runaway winner Moment Is Right in the maiden special weight dash for 2-year-olds.

The loss was the first for Gold in the four 2-year-old races here this spring. What made the setback all the more surprising is that Good Genes was the best bred of the four babies he’s started so far. Good Genes is a son of Awesome of Course and a full brother to Eclipse champion Awesome Feather.

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 14:01

Rohrbach off to fast start

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Chris Rohrbach may eventually find that this game is not that easy. But it sure seemed that way after Rohrbach won with the first horse he saddled, Sylviasgivenangel, here May 3.

Rohrbach claimed Sylviasgivenangel for $6,250 in his own name April 11. He wasted little time putting the 4-year-old filly back in the entries, switching her to turf against $12,500 claimers three weeks later, and he was rewarded with a 2 1/4-length victory.

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 13:11

Warren’s Veneda might go to New York for Phipps

Shigeki Kikkawa
Warren's Veneda is under consideration for the June 6 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Warren’s Veneda, third as a heavy favorite in the Grade 1 Vanity Stakes at Santa Anita on May 9, has resumed training and could start in the $1 million Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park on June 6.

Warren’s Veneda won three consecutive stakes for fillies and mares on dirt from January to mid-March, including the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational in March, before losing the four-runner Vanity Stakes by a length and a head as the 1-9 favorite.

Trainer Craig Lewis said that Warren’s Veneda passed medical tests conducted in the days after the loss.

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 13:06

Big Macher headed to Royal Ascot for Diamond Jubilee

Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club
Big Macher will run on turf in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee in England on June 20.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Big Macher, the former maiden claimer who won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar last summer, will have his next start in the $827,715 Diamond Jubilee Stakes for turf sprinters at Royal Ascot in England on June 20.

Earlier this week, Big Macher was sent from California trainer Richard Baltas to Wesley Ward in Kentucky. Ward is preparing a team of runners for the five-day Royal Ascot meeting from June 16-20, leading owners Tom Mansor and Brendan Bakir to temporarily switch trainers.

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 13:01

Keen Ice works, points to Belmont Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Keen Ice will point toward the June 6 Belmont Stakes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Keen Ice, seventh in the Kentucky Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 on Friday at Churchill Downs in preparation for the Belmont Stakes on June 6.

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 12:56

Hall of Fame jockey Romero has stomach tumor

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hall of Fame jockey Randy Romero, troubled by a number of physical ailments during and after his riding career, is facing more health problems. On Wednesday, during medical tests required to be placed on a waiting list for a liver and kidney transplant, doctors found a tumor in his stomach.

“It’s as big as a marble, and I’m going to have surgery soon,” he said Friday. “They are going to try to laser or go in and dig it out. They don’t know if it is cancerous or not. But if it’s cancerous, I’m going to be off the list. I’m going to be in trouble.”

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 12:15

Don't Leave Me pointing to Selene Stakes

Coady Photography
Don't Leave Me wins the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks on March 21 at Turfway Park.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Malcolm Pierce will be well represented in both stakes next weekend at Woodbine, with Deceptive Vision and Overheard in the Nassau and Don’t Leave Me in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes next Sunday, May 24.

Don’t Leave Me returned from a six-month layoff to capture the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks on March 21 at Turfway Park.

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 12:11

Frosted works toward possible Belmont Stakes start

Barbara D. Livingston
Frosted's 2-length win in the Wood Memorial earned him a spot in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.

Frosted, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds Friday morning over the Belmont Park main track.

Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Vesce caught Frosted’s first quarter in 24.40 seconds, his final quarter in 23.40 seconds and caught him galloping out five furlongs in 1:01.80.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said that Frosted is under serious consideration for the June 6 Belmont Stakes.

“He worked great, on his own, galloped out well,” McLaughlin said. “We’ll do it again next Friday, weather permitting.”

Fri, 05/15/2015 - 11:40

Deceptive Vision training well for Nassau Stakes

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Deceptive Vision wins the Doubledogdare on April 17 at Keeneland.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Deceptive Vision, the winner of the Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes on dirt at Keeneland in her first start of the year April 17, is on target for a return to turf in the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine next Saturday, trainer Malcolm Pierce said.

Pierce said Deceptive Vision has come out of the Doubledogdare Stakes well and has been training forwardly ahead of the Nassau.

“She’s good,” he said. “She had a very good work on the training track [May 9]. She deserves a chance at this race.”