LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Twenty-two horses were entered Wednesday morning for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, with just one surprise, the entry of recent maiden winner Tale of Verve.
Otherwise, everything went as planned Wednesday morning, with the 21 other horses entered as expected.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Walk through the main stable gate at Santa Anita, and the first barn on the left quickly catches the eye.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is based there, the exterior walls of the barn adorned with the names of his Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown race winners. Two runners from that stable – American Pharoah and Dortmund – are top contenders for Saturday’s $2 million Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The trainer next door has a horse in the race, too.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bolo holds the distinction of being the only horse in this Kentucky Derby field who has yet to win on dirt. Bolo, the winner of the Eddie Logan Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths on the Santa Anita turf in December, has run creditably on dirt, finishing third to Dortmund in both the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Larry Jones stablemates I’m a Chatterbox and Lovely Maria will be among the wagering favorites Friday in the 141st Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, but it wasn’t always that way.
In fact, when the only Oaks Future Wager pool of the 2015 season was held two months ago, I’m a Chatterbox was 6-1 – the lowest of all the separately listed interests – while Lovely Maria closed at 39-1, making her arguably the best “value” from a futures pool that ran Feb. 27 to March 1.
Sheldon Russell, who fractured ribs and punctured a lung in a Saturday spill at Pimlico, was feeling better and in good spirits on Tuesday, according to his agent, Marty Leonard.
Russell had a tough day Monday, according to Leonard, after doctors had to insert a tube to drain fluid from a lung. But Russell felt good enough Monday evening to get out of bed and walk around his wing of Sinai Hospital, which is located near Pimlico.
Leonard was hopeful that Russell could be released from the hospital in two to three days.
The first stakes races of the Parx season this Saturday have come up strong.
The Parx Derby and the Parx Oaks, both $75,000 races at a mile and 70 yards, are new to the schedule.
The Derby will match Unrivaled, most recently seventh in the Blue Grass Stakes for trainer Marya Montoya and Team Valor International, against Bodhisattva, who won the Federico Tesio at Pimlico on April 18. The seven-horse field also includes the Todd Pletcher-trained Dontbetwithbruno and Bluegrass Singer, the winner of the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park in January.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Phil D’Amato said Big John B, last of eight as the 9-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Last Tycoon Stakes last Saturday at Santa Anita, struggled on a turf course that took light rain that afternoon. He said plans were uncertain for the 6-year-old, who won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap last August.
Big John B was well beaten by Si Sage. When it was obvious that Big John B would have no say in the outcome, jockey Mike Smith did not urge Big John B in the final furlong.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The first race for juveniles in Southern California in 2015 is Thursday’s third race at Santa Anita, a maiden special weight race for California-bred fillies at 4 1/2 furlongs.
Pulpit Rules, by Lucky Pulpit, the sire of 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome, drew the outside post in a field of eight. Trained by Steve Knapp, Pulpit Rules has had three recorded workouts this spring, including a half-mile in 48 seconds last Saturday. The filly races for breeders Albert and Kathleen Mattivi.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The five undercard stakes were drawn Tuesday for Friday’s stakes-laden Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs.
Callback, the Grade 1 Las Virgenes winner, had been considered a Kentucky Oaks prospect earlier this year but was entered in the Grade 3, $200,000 Eight Belles at seven furlongs. After being disqualified from first and placed fourth for interference in the Sunland Park Oaks, she lacked the necessary Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to make the field.
