When Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, opens for its 18th Thoroughbred spring meet Thursday night, the track will utilize something it couldn’t for much of the first month of last year’s meet: its turf course.
Four grass races are scheduled for opening night – two more than Lone Star ran last year from the meet’s April 11 opening day through May 9 due to myriad problems with the course.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Almost a year ago, Santa Anita Derby winner California Chrome began to catch trainer Art Sherman’s attention.
California Chrome was ready to start in the first race for juveniles of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting. Going into the race, Sherman gave the colt the sort of mild compliment that a trainer with an unraced juvenile might express.
“He acts like he can run a little bit,” Sherman said last April 23, three days before the colt’s debut in the 4 1/2-furlong race for California-breds.
The 3-year-old Pete’s Slew improved his record to 4 for 4 in non-stakes events last Thursday, rallying five wide to win a six-furlong $80,000 optional claimer. Because the Washington-bred son of Matty G had won at the first allowance condition in his previous start, he ran for an $80,000 tag and went unclaimed.
Pete’s Slew’s only two losses came in stakes, and trainer Tim McCanna said he might give the horse another chance.
“Maybe we’ll try another stakes,” McCanna said. “He knows how to win, and he runs real hard.”
The best-laid plans ... well, you know the rest.
Last week, trainer Billy Morey was hoping that a one-mile allowance race on turf would fill because it would be a perfect prep for Positive Response for the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf April 26.
When the race didn’t fill, Morey went to Plan B, a six-furlong allowance race on the main track last Sunday. Winning wasn’t the most important thing about the race, which was good because Positive Response finished fifth, 9 1/2 lengths behind Valiant Flame, who won in 1:09.70.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Champion Will Take Charge has been focused and impressive in his training all year at Oaklawn Park, and in his final work for the Oaklawn Handicap over the local strip Tuesday, he displayed those attributes once again. Will Take Charge cruised three furlongs in 35.80 seconds to prepare for the Grade 2, $600,000 race Saturday.
LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Legislature on Monday afternoon advanced a proposed constitutional amendment to the November ballot that would allow the state’s racetracks to allow gambling on historical races through Instant Racing terminals.
Bill LR41CA, sponsored by Omaha Senator Scott Lautenbaugh, would alter the language in the state’s constitution to allow wagering on “live or replayed” horseraces. Parimutuel wagering was approved and written into the state’s constitution in the 1930s.
Dale Romans said he is unsure what he will do next with Medal Count, who broke loose Friday with a career-high 94 Beyer Speed Figure in capturing the Transylvania Stakes for him and owner B. Wayne Hughes.
“Mr. Hughes is in Australia, and I haven’t been able to get hold of him,” said Romans. “I’d actually like to run right back in the Blue Grass and try to make the Derby, but I kind of doubt we’ll be doing that. Maybe the American Turf on Derby weekend, or maybe we’ll try for the Preakness and just train him up to it.”
As one person said via Twitter about Stewart Elliott as the veteran jockey piled up win after win on opening weekend, he didn’t come to Keeneland “for the flowers or the coeds.”
Indeed, Elliott was all business, winning with five out of 14 mounts, including a three-bagger on a Saturday card with a crowd of 27,688 in attendance.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Pearl Turn, who gave Will Van Meter his first win as a trainer when she captured an allowance March 14 at Oaklawn, also could be his first graded stakes starter. On Monday, Van Meter was debating whether to run Pearl Turn in the Grade 1, $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap on Friday.
Van Meter, 30, is an Army veteran who holds a degree in equine business administration from the University of Louisville. He also is the son of Dr. Tom Van Meter, a veterinarian and prominent owner and consignor who co-bred 2005 Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly.
