ARCADIA, Calif. – Sunday morning on the backstretch at Santa Anita, jockey Brice Blanc ran into jockey and exercise rider Sophia Barandela, who asked how his weekend was going.
“I was in San Francisco yesterday and I ride a couple today,” Blanc said.
Blanc is plain guilty of underselling his weekend.
Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, Blanc won that track’s richest race aboard Evening Sun in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile, a $254,050 race on turf.
GEORGETOWN, Ky. – The paved road on which visitors make their entrance bisects paddocks that this time of year – having been fed by rain in preceding months – are a shade of green that make your eyes hurt. Inside those prominent paddocks are horses who won major stakes and millions of dollars. There are many horses like that here at Old Friends Farm, many too who weren’t famous at all.
The FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for 2-year-olds sired by accredited stallions in Florida will begin with the $100,000 Dr. Fager and the $100,000 Desert Vixen for fillies on Aug. 6. Both races are at six furlongs.
They next two races in the series are at seven furlongs on Sept. 3, with the $200,000 Affirmed and $200,000 Susan’s Girl for fillies leading up to the $400,000 In Reality and $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies. The 1 1/16-mile In Reality and My Dear Girl will be held Oct. 1.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was heartbreak on Kentucky Derby entry morning for the one-eyed New York-bred gelding Un Ojo, who was not entered for Saturday's classic after emerging from his final work with a bruised hoof.
Trainer Ricky Courville characterized the issue as a minor one with terrible timing.
"He'll live to fight another day," said Courville, who would have been saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The undefeated 4-year-old Flightline worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 at Santa Anita on Sunday, continuing preparation for his first start since late December in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont Park on June 11.
Flightline was exercised by trainer John Sadler’s assistant, the former jockey Juan Leyva. The workout was the fourth for Flightline, and first at five furlongs, since he returned to serious training following a brief rest in late winter when he was diagnosed with a strained hock.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Stilleto Boy and Express Train were first and second in Saturday’s Grade 2 Californian Stakes for older horses at Santa Anita. They may not meet again until the summer at Del Mar.
On Sunday, trainer Ed Moger Jr. said Stilleto Boy is scheduled to start in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on May 30, while trainer John Shirreffs said Express Train is unlikely to run in that $400,000 race.
Stilleto Boy led throughout the four-runner Californian to win by 2 1/4 lengths over Express Train, who emerged from the race tired.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Epicenter, the Louisiana Derby winner, worked five furlongs in 1:01.21, according to Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch, on Sunday morning at Churchill Downs in his final drill for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
Epicenter worked in company with Alejandro, a well-bred (Curlin-Rachel's Valentina) 4-year-old who owns one win and four seconds in nine starts. He was inside Alejandro throughout. Epicenter was keen early and was never asked for any effort whatsoever, appearing as if he's sitting on go for the Derby. The track was still wet from rain Saturday night.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Seems like all you hear about Kentucky Derby-wise a week out from the race is Zandon this, Zandon that. Okay, fair enough. Zandon won the Blue Grass Stakes with aplomb and has since trained with verve, culminating in an excellent Friday workout, his final Derby breeze.
This might be a good time to page back through our information-buzzing brains and try to recall a colt named Epicenter. Remember him?
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The undefeated Kathleen O., the potential favorite for next Friday’s $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks, had her first workout over the Churchill Downs main track Saturday morning, breezing a half-mile in 48.05 seconds, though she never did get by her workmate, the 3-year-old colt Smokin' T.
Kathleen O. was one of six prospective Oaks candidates – but certainly the most high profile one – to put in a work Saturday morning, six days out from the race that figures to draw a full field of 14.
