Tue, 04/04/2023 - 12:53

Rocket Can still under consideration for Kentucky Derby

Barbara D. Livingston
Rocket Can won the Holy Bull before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth and fourth in the Arkansas Derby.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Rocket Can is being considered for a start in the Kentucky Derby, but no firm plans have been made for the horse, trainer Bill Mott said Tuesday.  

Rocket Can shipped to Oaklawn Park from Florida for last Saturday's Arkansas Derby and finished fourth as the favorite. He now has 60 points for the Kentucky Derby, which ranks seventh.  

“He’s making the trip to Churchill Downs tonight,” Mott said. “That doesn’t mean we’re running in the Derby. We’ll be there in case we decided to do that.  

Mon, 04/03/2023 - 13:30

Loveberry plans to ride Keeneland and Churchill meets

Jareth Loveberry won the Arlington riding title in 2020 and 2021 and the Hawthorne title in spring of 2022.
Barbara Livingston
Jareth Loveberry won the Arlington riding title in 2020 and 2021 and the Hawthorne title in spring of 2022.

Jareth Loveberry, leading rider during 2020 and 2021 at Arlington and leading rider during Hawthorne’s spring meet in 2022, has moved his tack to Kentucky. Loveberry confirmed he’ll be taking mounts at the upcoming Keeneland meet and plans to go on to Churchill Downs.

Mon, 04/03/2023 - 13:30

Two Emmys ready for action again after pre-race scratch

Coady Photography
Two Emmys was scratched while warming up for the March 25 Muniz Memorial at Fair Grounds.

Two Emmys, scratched by Fair Grounds stewards on the advice of the track veterinarian during his warm-up for the $300,000 Muniz Memorial on March 25, is just fine, trainer and majority owner Hugh Robertson reported Sunday.

In fact, Two Emmys was fine getting saddled before the Muniz and fine when he got back to Robertson’s Fair Grounds barn after being scratched lame.

Mon, 04/03/2023 - 13:25

Debut winner Clearly Unhinged has questions to answer in Santa Anita Oaks

Clearly Unhinged goes right from this maiden victory in February to the Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday.
Benoit Photo
Clearly Unhinged goes right from this maiden victory in February to the Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Two months after an impressive maiden race win in her lone start, Clearly Unhinged runs in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.

The $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks will be a learning experience for the filly and her intrigued trainer, Michael McCarthy.

Will Clearly Unhinged set the pace the way she did in the maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs? Can she handle a two-turn race against more experienced fillies so early in her career?

Mon, 04/03/2023 - 13:05

Pletcher, Brown each have two for the Gazelle

Shidabhuti wins the Busher at AQU March 4 2023
Barbara Livingston
Shidabhuti wins the Busher at Aqueduct in early March. She is unbeaten in three starts for Chad Brown.

Trainers Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown are expected to run two horses apiece in the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles.

Pletcher will send out Gambling Girl and Frosty O Toole while Brown counters with Occult and Shidabhuti. Gambling Girl, a New York-bred, finished second to Occult in the Busanda Stakes on Jan. 14 and then was fourth in the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn on Feb. 25. Frosty O Toole was a recent private purchase by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners following a pair of wins at Tampa Bay Downs for owner-trainer Mike Dini.

Mon, 04/03/2023 - 13:05

Carter pits streaking Repo Rocks against sharp last-out winner White Abarrio

Repo Rocks wins the Stymie at AQU Feb 25 2023
Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Repo Rocks, winner of the Stymie and Toboggan in his last two starts, will face White Abarrio in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap.

Repo Rocks, a winner of four straight races, and White Abarrio, the 2022 Florida Derby winner who won an allowance last out, head a field of at least eight runners expected for Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct.

Repo Rocks, based at Parx with trainer Jamie Ness, has successfully shipped to Aqueduct twice with dominant victories in the Grade 3 Toboggan and the listed Stymie. He completed preparations for the Carter on Monday, when he worked a half-mile in 47.05 seconds at Parx. It was his third consecutive bullet move.

Mon, 04/03/2023 - 12:55

Rice, Broman decide to run Arctic Arrogance in Wood rather than Bay Shore

Barbara D. Livingston
Arctic Arrogance has finished second in the Withers, Jerome, and Remsen in his most recent three starts.

After some consideration about cutting Arctic Arrogance back in distance, trainer Linda Rice and owner Chester Broman have decided to keep the New York-bred 3-year-old routing and will run him in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct rather than the Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore going seven furlongs.

“We discussed it that even though the Bay Shore would be an easier spot to win, we can keep the door open to the [Kentucky] Derby and gather up some points and maybe even win the Wood,” Rice said.

Mon, 04/03/2023 - 12:20

Powerhouse stables arriving at Keeneland; Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride entire meet

Barbara D. Livingston
Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapit Trice will tune up for the Kentucky Derby in Saturday’s $1 million Blue Grass Stakes.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – All the temporary stands that dominated the Keeneland landscape last fall for the Breeders’ Cup are long gone. Trees are blooming instead of leaves falling. Clockers are getting busier by the day as the stable area starts to refill.

Sun, 04/02/2023 - 17:02

National Treasure, One in Vermillion likely to join Santa Anita Derby field

Emily Shields
National Treasure is a possible starter for the Santa Anita Derby, says trainer Tim Yakteen.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby next Saturday added two starters on Sunday with the inclusion of a well-regarded contender in National Treasure and the longshot One in Vermillion, their trainers said Sunday.

National Treasure, third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland in November, is more likely to start in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby than Saturday’s Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Trainer Tim Yakteen allowed that there is “small chance” National Treasure could be shipped to Kentucky.

Sat, 04/01/2023 - 19:00

Forte closes as 5-2 favorite in final pool of Kentucky Derby Future Wager

Barbara D. Livingston
Forte wins the Grade 1 Florida Derby and will head to Churchill Downs as the Kentucky Derby favorite.

The sixth and final pool in the 2023 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Saturday evening with Forte as a 5-2 favorite – and that was before the champion colt closed with a flourish to win the Florida Derby.

In a twist on the usual format used by Churchill Downs wherein all or most Derby preps are run before a futures pool closes, wagering into Pool 6 was cut off at 6 p.m. Eastern Saturday – or about 45 minutes before the Florida Derby was run at Gulfstream Park. The Arkansas Derby also was run Saturday after Pool 6 was closed.