Sat, 02/15/2014 - 14:37

Fair Grounds: Rise Up sizzles in prep for Risen Star

Coady Photography
Rise Up, winner of the Delta Downs Jackpot, returned to Tom Amoss’s Fair Grounds barn on Tuesday after a one-month rest in Florida.

Tom Amoss put several stakes horses through timed workouts Saturday morning at Fair Grounds, including Risen Star hopeful Rise Up, who whizzed through a half-mile in a near-bullet 47.40 seconds.

Other prominent Amoss workers included Mylute, whose half-mile in 49.20 seconds was his first published racetrack work since he went to the sidelines following the Jim Dandy Stakes last July; and Delaunay, who went a half-mile in 48.60, his first drill since he won the Gaudin Stakes last month at Fair Grounds in his first race in about five months.

Sat, 02/15/2014 - 14:27

Santa Anita: Mandella mulls giving Setsuko one more shot at Big Cap

Shigeki Kikkawa
Setsuko finished last in the Grade 3 Native Diver on Dec. 14, his only start of 2013.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Setsuko is 7 and winless in three starts in the last two years. One of those losses was a second to Ron the Greek in the 2012 Santa Anita Handicap, a performance that has trainer Richard Mandella thinking of another Big Cap start in the $750,000 race on March 8.

Setsuko was fifth in an optional claimer Jan. 1, but emerged from the race with an illness. His training in recent weeks has given Mandella hope that the Big Cap is a reasonable goal.

“His last race wasn’t very good, but he was a little sick coming out of it,” Mandella said. “He’s coming along.”

Sat, 02/15/2014 - 11:32

Gulfstream Park notes: Cairo Prince gets back to work

Barbara D. Livingston
Cairo Prince earned a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure for his 5 3/4-length victory Saturday in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Cairo Prince had his first workout since his 5 3/4-length romp in the Holy Bull when going an easy half-mile Saturday in 48.60 seconds over a fast track at the Palm Meadows training center.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said he was very happy with how Cairo Prince proceeded through the breeze, which came on a bright, brisk morning at a little before 9 a.m. Eastern and with exercise rider Rob Massey aboard.

Sat, 02/15/2014 - 11:27

Gulfstream Park: Mucho Macho Man will skip World Cup and point to Santa Anita Handicap

Tom Keyser
Mucho Macho Man worked a sharp five furlongs at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The connections of Mucho Macho Man said Saturday that the reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic champion will return to the scene of his finest hour to make his next start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 8.

The announcement that Mucho Macho Man would decline an invitation to compete in the $10 million Dubai World Cup and instead go back to Santa Anita came several hours after Mucho Macho Man turned in a sensational 58.16-second work at Gulfstream Park that morning.

Fri, 02/14/2014 - 16:06

Santa Anita: Macha impresses in win over Eblouissante

Macha outfinished Eblouissante to score a mild upset in Thursday’s second race. The win helped trainer Jerry Hollendorfer stay tied with Bob Baffert for first in the trainer’s standings with 20 victories through the first 31 days of the meeting.

Macha ($8.20) closed from last in a field of five to beat 3-5 Eblouissante by 1 1/4 lengths in the race over 1 1/16 miles. Eblouissante, a half-sister to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, led by a length at the eighth pole, but could not sustain her advantage.

Fri, 02/14/2014 - 15:24

Santa Anita notes: Bayern could step up to San Felipe next

Shigeki Kikkawa
Bayern wins an allowance race by 15 lengths, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bayern could make his stakes debut in the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes on March 8 after a 15-length win in an allowance race Thursday at Santa Anita.

Trainer Bob Baffert said Friday that he will make a final decision on Bayern’s participation in the San Felipe in coming weeks.

“I’ll either run in the San Felipe, or skip it and wait for the Santa Anita Derby,” Baffert said. “He’s happy. He looked good after the race.”

The Grade 2 San Felipe is run over 1 1/16 miles and is a prep race for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby over 1 1/8 miles April 5.

Fri, 02/14/2014 - 15:03

Fair Grounds notes: Rachel Alexandra field coming up tough

Tom Keyser
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Ria Antonia will start in the Rachel Alexandra on Feb. 22 at Fair Grounds.

Fair Grounds stakes coordinator Scott Jones said he’s excited by the fillies headed toward the Rachel Alexandra, the final local stakes prep for the Fair Grounds Oaks.

Ria Antonia, trained by Jeremiah Englehart, and Streaming, being considered for the race by trainer Bob Baffert, are Grade 1 winners. Ria Antonia was placed first in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies after the disqualification of She's a Tiger. Streaming won the Hollywood Starlet and was second in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes at Santa Anita.

Fri, 02/14/2014 - 14:59

Fair Grounds notes: Hall inductees named

Barbara D. Livingston
Kentucky Oaks and Fair Grounds Oaks winner Proud Spell will be inducted into the Fair Grounds Hall of Fame on March 12.

Retired trainer Larry Robideaux, trainer Bret Calhoun, and Proud Spell, who pulled off a Fair Grounds Oaks/Kentucky Oaks double in 2008, have been elected to the Fair Grounds Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held on March 12.

Robideaux won the Fair Grounds Oaks in 1972 with My Charmer, who gained fame as the dam of Seattle Slew. Calhoun, who has ranked among the leading trainers at the Fair Grounds for several years, won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint with Chamberlain Bridge and the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint with Dubai Majesty in 2010.

Fri, 02/14/2014 - 14:56

Aqueduct: Schivarelli gets two-turn test in allowance feature

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Schivarelli will stretch out to a mile for his second career start.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Eddie Kenneally thinks he has a nice 3-year-old in Schivarelli, but what he is less sure of is how far the son of Montbrook wants to run.

After overcoming a bumping incident at the start to win his debut going six furlongs, Schivarelli will experiment around two turns when he runs in a $67,000 first-level allowance race going a mile Sunday at Aqueduct.

A field of six was entered for the featured event on a 10-race program at Aqueduct that includes two races brought back from Friday’s canceled card.

Fri, 02/14/2014 - 14:09

Fair Grounds notes: Talamo will make return visit to ride at New Orleans track

Barbara D. Livingston
Joe Talamo will return to his home state to ride at Fair Grounds on Feb. 22.

NEW ORLEANS – Having landed the mount on Ria Antonia for the Rachel Alexandra, Joe Talamo will be riding at Fair Grounds for the first time since winning the riding title as an apprentice seven years ago.

The Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra for 3-year-old fillies will be among five stakes, four of them graded, on Feb. 22. That day’s feature will be the Grade 2 Risen Star, the final local stakes prep for the Louisiana Derby.