Santa Anita Derby hopefuls Bad Read Sanchez and One Lucky Dane had workouts at Santa Anita on Sunday.
The $1 million Santa Anita Derby has a probable field of six, and Bad Read Sanchez and One Lucky Dane are considered outsiders compared with Dortmund and Prospect Park, the first two finishers of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 7. Dortmund is unbeaten in five starts, while Prospect Park made his stakes debut in the San Felipe.
Two horses pointing to the Grade 1 Carter and two 3-year-olds pointing to the Grade 3 Bay Shore on next weekend's Wood Memorial card turned in their final prerace works Saturday in New York.
The two favorites for the Grade 1 Wood, Daredevil and El Kabeir, are expected to work Sunday at Belmont Park.
The Big Beast and Dads Caps, who could be the top two choices in the seven-furlong, $400,000 Carter, worked five furlongs over the inner track Saturday.
Dortmund and Prospect Park had their final workouts Saturday for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
Dortmund, considered a top prospect for the Triple Crown, worked six furlongs in 1:11.60. Earlier in the morning, Prospect Park worked five furlongs in 1:01.20.
Dortmund, trained by Bob Baffert, worked in company with a stablemate, who took an early lead.
“I sent a horse out there in front of him as a target,” Baffert said.
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – On Saturday afternoon, Todd Pletcher was scheduled to run 11 horses at Gulfstream Park. On Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs – his winter headquarters about 40 miles northwest of Gulfstream – Pletcher worked 29 horses, including top 3-year-olds Carpe Diem and Far From Over.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park moves into its most important stretch of racing next Saturday, April 4, with the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy Stakes. The feature for 3-year-old fillies opens the annual Racing Festival of the South.
Oaklawn will put on nine major stakes over its final five dates as part of the festival, which was introduced in 1974. There are five graded races during that period, including the only two Grade 1 races held in the Southwest, for total stakes purses of $3.3 million. The series closes with the Arkansas Derby on the final card of the season, April 11.
Turfway’s winter-spring meet wraps up Sunday with a nine-race card to close out a largely successful season. The track raised its modest purses twice, and its Polytrack synthetic surface withstood a harsh winter.
Albin Jimenez dominated the rider standings, entering Friday’s card with 45 winners, well ahead of Rodney Prescott and Perry Ouzts, who were tied in second with 27 winners apiece.
A week removed from opening day Friday, the Keeneland barn area is beginning to fill up, and horses are prepping for upcoming races with breezes over the Keeneland dirt track. Fifty-four horses recorded works Friday at Keeneland, with horses from the stables of trainers Wesley Ward, Ian Wilkes, and Nick Zito particularly active.
Texas Red remains in light training with Keith Desormeaux after a persistent foot issue ended any hope of a start in a Triple Crown race for the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November.
Desormeaux said on Friday that Texas Red is exercising a few days a week, a schedule that could be increased in April. Desormeaux said he does not have any race goals in mind for Texas Red, who has not raced since finishing second in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs Feb. 1.
Trainer Bob Baffert has yet another promising older horse in his stable in Five Palms, who returned from a 15-month layoff to win a second-level optional $62,500 claimer at seven furlongs Thursday at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Martin Garcia, Five Palms won by 4 1/2 lengths over Raised a Secret in 1:22.29, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 90. Five Palms has won 3 of 4 career starts for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman.
“Most importantly, he still has it,” Baffert said. “He never needed surgery. He just needed time. So far, he looks good.”
Wise Dan, the 2012 and 2013 Horse of the Year, is making progress after a compression fracture to his right front cannon bone was diagnosed last fall, but he has not yet healed enough to resume jogging or galloping, according to trainer Charlie LoPresti.
An 8-year-old gelding, Wise Dan has been tack walking this month at LoPresti’s Keeneland stable in an effort to stimulate blood flow and promote healing, per the recommendation of veterinarian Larry Bramlage.
