HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Upstart, the likely favorite for the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, breezed six furlongs Friday in 1:13.40 and continues to thrive at the Palm Meadows training center, according to trainer Rick Violette.
“I thought it was a terrific breeze,” said Violette, adding that it came over a bit of a dry, tiring surface and into a headwind. “He blew a little bit after the work, but he needed it. It was a significant work for him.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Linda Rice has been pleased with the progress that multiple Grade 1 winner Palace has made since returning to her barn, so much so that she nominated him to the Grade 1 Carter, to be run April 4.
On Tuesday, Palace breezed five furlongs in 1:03.11, just his second work of the year. Palace, who won two Grade 1 races at Saratoga last summer, including the Forego, has not run since finishing sixth in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – North Slope, the winner of the Evening Attire Stakes in his last start, worked four furlongs in 49.63 seconds Friday over the Belmont Park training track in preparation for the $100,000 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct on March 22.
North Slope picked up some unexpected company in the work when Vinny Goodtimes, a horse trained by Pat Quick, joined into the breeze. The company may actually have helped North Slope finish the work, according to Art Magnuson, assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Conspicuous by her absence from Sunday’s $100,000 Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct is trainer Michelle Nevin, who has two graded-stakes-winning 3-year-old fillies in her barn who might have looked pretty tough in that spot.
Nevin said Friday that By the Moon, last year’s Grade 1 Frizette winner, is being pointed to the $100,000 Caesar’s Wish Stakes next Saturday at Laurel Park. Meanwhile, Nevin felt the Cicada would have been too quick back for Paulassilverlining, a multiple-stakes-winning sprinter who finished second in the Busher Stakes going long last out.
Unrivaled, a 15-length maiden winner at Parx Racing in his last start, was purchased by the Team Valor stable of Barry Irwin this week and is being pointed to an allowance race Sunday at the Bensalem, Pa., track.
Unrivaled, a 3-year-old, made his first three starts for WinStar Farm, which stands his sire, Super Saver. Unrivaled was dropped into a $30,000 maiden-claiming race at Keeneland in his final start for WinStar, and Waldorf Racing Stables and trainer Marya Montoya won a nine-way shake for him.
CYPRESS, Calif. – Trainer Art Sherman got what he wanted from California Chrome on Friday morning here at Los Alamitos, a brisk, hard workout that Sherman believes will have California Chrome at his best for the Dubai World Cup on March 28.
California Chrome was officially timed in 1:23.80 for seven furlongs under exercise rider Anna Wells, after which Sherman said, “I’m kind of pumped up now.”
“He’s ready for Dubai,” Sherman said. “I was very impressed.”
NEW ORLEANS – Having won three consecutive turf races, the latest being the Allen LaCombe Memorial on March 7, Mizz Money might try dirt in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks on March 28, trainer/co-owner/co-breeder Bernie Flint said.
“I’m thinking,” Flint said. “I don’t know what they’ll have coming in. I’m looking for my options and will see what they are.”
Flint said that Mizz Money, a daughter of Mizzen Mast out of the Grand Slam mare Abbeyville Miss, “works extremely well on the dirt.”
NEW ORLEANS – For trainer Bret Calhoun, this Fair Grounds meet has been about finding ways to win without an abundance of talent in the barn.
“We have a lot of horses with limited ability,” Calhoun said. “We’ve had a meet where we’ve just ground it out. That’s the way a lot of these horses are. They just grind it out. They kind of need a perfect trip to win. ...
“We kind of knew it was going to be a struggle. We’d all like to have faster ones with more ability. It’s a game of peaks and valleys.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Saratoga Snacks, who won a New York-bred allowance race Feb. 12, breezed a sharp half-mile in 48.15 seconds over the Belmont Park training track Thursday.
Gary Sciacca, the owner and trainer of Saratoga Snacks, said he was hopeful of finding another allowance race for Saratoga Snacks before he takes on stakes company. Sciacca did not nominate him to the March 22 Stymie at 1 1/8 miles.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Overprepared, who had mixed results in two stakes races going long this winter, will shorten up to six furlongs in Sunday’s $100,000 Cicada Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.
Overprepared won her debut going six furlongs last October at Belmont before finishing a troubled third in the Smart Halo Stakes at Laurel on Nov. 15. In her first try at two turns, Overprepared won the Busanda Stakes at a mile and 70 yards on Jan. 16. Most recently, however, Overprepared finished fifth, beaten 29 lengths, in the Busher Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.
