Wed, 04/08/2015 - 15:01

Frosted heads to Florida for Derby training

Barbara D. Livingston
Frosted's Derby Watch odds dropped from 30-1 to 15-1 after this score in the Wood Memorial.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Before he heads to Kentucky, Frosted is going to his old south Florida home.

Frosted, the winner of last Saturday’s Grade 1, $985,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, was to be flown to south Florida on Wednesday and will prepare for the May 2 Kentucky Derby at the Palm Meadows training center, where he has been based the last four months.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 14:51

American Pharoah faces seven in Arkansas Derby

Coady Photography
American Pharoah has been installed as the 1-2 favorite for the Arkansas Derby.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The champion American Pharoah arrived Wednesday at Oaklawn Park and not long afterward drew post 6 in a field of eight for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby. He was installed as the 1-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s race following his dominant win in last month’s Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 14:36

Lexington fails to attract serious Derby contenders

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Divining Rod, trained by Arnaud Delacour, comes from the same owners of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – One side effect of the Blue Grass Stakes being moved one week farther out from the Kentucky Derby was supposed to be a positive move for the Lexington Stakes.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 13:31

Castellano, Pletcher win titles

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The 2014-15 championship meet officially ended Sunday with Javier Castellano once again running away with the jockeys’ title and Todd Pletcher continuing his amazing streak with his 12th consecutive training crown.

Luis Saez was easily second-best in the jockey standings, with Paco Lopez, Edgard Zayas, and John Velazquez rounding out the top five. Jorge Navarro, Mike Maker, Chad Brown, and Wesley Ward finished second through fifth behind Pletcher in the trainer standings.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 13:21

Spirit Rules set for graded stakes debut in Kona Gold

Benoit & Associates
Spirit Rules and jockey Iggy Puglisi go past San Onofre to win the California Cup Sprint.

CYPRESS, Calif. – He’s a 6-year-old stakes winner with earnings of $327,238, and yet Spirit Rules still has something to prove when he makes his graded stakes debut in Saturday’s $200,000 Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita.

“I want to find out if he fits,” trainer Paul Aguirre said Wednesday at Los Alamitos. “If he doesn’t, we’ll find a plan.”

Owned by a partnership, Spirit Rules won the California Cup Sprint for statebreds at six furlongs Jan. 24 and finished in a dead heat for third in the Sensational Star Stakes for statebreds on the hillside turf course Feb. 21.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 13:16

Bayern eyes Churchill Downs Stakes on Derby undercard

Barbara D. Livingston
Bayern, shown training in February at Santa Anita, will likely make his first start of 2015 in either the Churchill Downs Stakes or Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Bayern, unraced since winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in November, will have his 2015 debut at Churchill Downs the first weekend of May, most likely in the $500,000 Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 2.

On Wednesday, trainer Bob Baffert said Bayern will start in either the Churchill Downs Stakes at seven furlongs or the $400,000 Alysheba Stakes at 1 1/16 miles May 1 on the undercard of the Kentucky Oaks. He said he is leaning toward the Churchill Downs Stakes.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 13:11

California Chrome to resume training this weekend

Barbara D. Livingston
California Chrome is scheduled to resume training this weekend in Newmarket, England.

CYPRESS, Calif. – California Chrome, second in the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 28, is scheduled to resume training this weekend in Newmarket, England, in advance of a spring campaign in that country.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 12:35

Conquest Two Step euthanized following surgery complications

Benoit & Associates
Conquest Two Step, shown after winning the Palos Verdes Stakes on Jan. 31 at Santa Anita, was euthanized Monday after suffering complications following surgery.

Conquest Two Step, the winner of the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 31, was euthanized Monday after suffering complications following surgery for an injured left hind leg, trainer Mark Casse said Wednesday.

Conquest Two Step was diagnosed with a condylar fracture after a workout at Santa Anita last Saturday. He underwent surgery Monday but reinjured the leg while recovering from anesthesia, Casse said.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 12:31

Mr. Jordan’s next start under consideration

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Mr. Jordan ended his 2-year-old season with this win in the Cool Air. He suffered the first defeat of his career in the Tamarac Stakes here March 27.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said on Wednesday that Mr. Jordan came out of his second-place finish in the Tamarac Stakes here March 27 in good order and that he’s considering several options for his next start. Competitive Edge remained unbeaten with an 8 1/4-length victory in the Tamarac.

Wed, 04/08/2015 - 12:06

Private Zone targeting ambitious schedule

Barbara D. Livingston
Private Zone, who worked a half-mile at Gulfstream Park West on Wednesday, has the Churchill Downs Stakes, Met Mile, and possibly the Whitney on his agenda.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Private Zone worked a half-mile in 47.21 seconds and galloped out five-eighths in 59.73 on Wednesday at Gulfstream Park West with jockey Carlos H. Marquez Jr. aboard.

Private Zone galloped to the pole in company but worked solo and without blinkers, which he wears when racing. Private Zone posted splits of 11.52 and 23.12 to the quarter pole and was in hand finishing into a mild headwind before galloping out strongly into the turn over a loose and cuppy racetrack.