HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With bigger fish to fry down the road for Lennilu, including a potential trip to Ascot early this summer, trainer Patrick Biancone was anxious to clear the first hurdle on the comeback trail with his multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old in Sunday’s $125,000 Melody of Colors Stakes.
The talented filly accomplished the mission in popular fashion with a workman-like, three-quarters-of-a-length victory over pacesetting Mystical Belle in the five-furlong turf fixture.
Outfielder is penciled in to join trainer Wesley Ward’s annual raiding party at the renowned Royal Ascot meeting in June in England after a dominant win in the Animal Kingdom for 3-year-old sprinters on Saturday at Turfway.
Ward, who co-owns the colt with Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing and former baseball player Jayson Werth, said he will target the Group 1 Commonwealth for sophomores on June 19.
“He’s really coming into his own,” Ward said. “I think he’s gonna have a big year. Kia, he’s all about Royal Ascot, and I’d like to get Jayson there.”
A thumbs-up from trainer Brad Cox by text on Sunday confirmed Fulleffort emerged in good order from his victory in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on Saturday at Turfway Park, assuring himself a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate with the winner’s share of 100 points.
Fulleffort and Lorelei Lee, who won the Bourbonette Oaks for trainer Mike Maker to earn 50 points toward the Kentucky Oaks, would race on dirt for the first time at Churchill Downs on the first weekend in May.
Average handle per race was up slightly during the recently completed meet at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, which had five fewer racing days than the previous meet, according to an analysis by Daily Racing Form.
The average handle per race rose 2.9 percent, according to the analysis, from $364,638 during the 2024-2025 meet to $375,136 for the most recent meet. Fair Grounds ran 645 races over 71 live racing days during the most recent meet, compared to 682 races over 76 race dates during the 2024-2025 meet.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Full Serrano, winner of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, is part of a field of eight for the Grade 3, $500,000 Oaklawn Mile that will be held on the Arkansas Derby undercard Saturday. First post for the 14-race card is 11:35 a.m. Central.
Full Serrano will be making his first start since finishing third in the Pegasus World Cup won by Skippylongstocking. Antonio Fresu has the mount on Full Serrano from post 5 for trainer John Sadler.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Explora is part of a field of six for the Grade 2, $1 million Fantasy, a Kentucky Oaks points race that will be showcased on Friday’s 12-race card at Oaklawn Park. The Fantasy will be supported by the $250,000 Matron, which drew millionaire Haulin Ice.
Explora won the Grade 3, $750,000 Honeybee at Oaklawn earlier this month. She will start from post 6 in the Fantasy. Trainer Bob Baffert has given the mount to Flavien Prat.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Renegade was one of nine horses entered in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby that runs next Saturday at Oaklawn Park. He will start from post 6 and was installed the 3-2 morning-line favorite following his win in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs.
Entries for the Arkansas Derby were taken on Saturday and the field for the 1 1/8-mile race was drawn in a ceremony broadcast by the FOX Day at the Races program and the simulcast feed from Oaklawn. Entries for the remainder of next Saturday’s card will be taken on Sunday.
East Avenue worked a half-mile Friday morning at Fair Grounds in a swift 46.80 seconds, the fastest of 117 works at the distance. He is set to make his 4-year-old debut March 28 in the $500,000 Oaklawn Mile.
East Avenue, a Grade 1 winner at 2, finished second by a nose in the Blue Grass Stakes last April and won the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill before ending his 3-year-old campaign with a fifth in the West Virginia Derby on Aug. 3.
NEW ORLEANS – It’s 3-year-old season all over the land, especially so this week in the Fair Grounds barn of trainer Cherie DeVaux.
DeVaux, in the lead-up to running Golden Tempo here Saturday in the Louisiana Derby, sent out the fabulously talented Englishman to a ridiculously easy win on the Thursday card at Fair Grounds. On Friday, she worked Reagan’s Honor for the Blue Grass Stakes in two weekends.
