Tue, 04/13/2021 - 19:18

Gaffalione gets call on Clairiere for Kentucky Oaks

Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges Jr.
Clairiere (1) returned $6.60 with the victory in the Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds on Saturday.

Round 4 of the battle between Clairiere and Travel Column in the Kentucky Oaks on April 30 will feature a new jockey for Clairiere, with trainer Steve Asmussen reporting on Tuesday night that Tyler Gaffalione had picked up the mount.

Mon, 04/12/2021 - 16:04

Golden Gate Fields tickets for sale online

Tickets for the reopened Golden Gate Fields went on sale Monday for limited seating for the next two weeks of racing, including Gold Rush Weekend on April 24-25.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.goldengatefields.com/events/tickets. Tickets cost $15, which includes admission, a reserved seat and program. No walk-up sales are allowed.

Mon, 04/12/2021 - 14:16

Calhoun's goal is to get By My Standards a Grade 1 victory

Coady Photography
By My Standards beats Rushie by a nose in the Oaklawn Mile. By My Standards is scheduled to ship to his summer base at Churchill Downs.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Bret Calhoun on Monday was just starting to look over options for a spring-summer campaign for By My Standards, who went over $2 million in earnings Saturday with his nose victory in the $400,000 Oaklawn Mile.

The race was the horse’s first start since November. Calhoun said the multiple Grade 2 winner was to travel Monday to Kentucky.

“Nice comeback race for him, for sure,” said Calhoun.

Mon, 04/12/2021 - 14:00

Asmussen trying to turn two pieces of silver into Oaklawn Handicap gold

Barbara D. Livingston
Silver State takes the Essex Handicap by a neck. He has won four races in a row since returning from a seven-month layoff.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Silver State has emerged as one of the top older horses this meet at Oaklawn Park and on Saturday will be seeking his fifth straight win when he chases after the track’s richest offering for his division, the Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap.

Silver State has won his last four races in a streak that includes the $150,000 Fifth Season on Jan. 23 and the $500,000 Essex on March 13, both route races at Oaklawn. His current run started in an October allowance at Keeneland, with all of the wins coming under Ricardo Santana Jr.

Mon, 04/12/2021 - 13:06

With brother Irad away, Jose Ortiz takes over lead in jockey race

Barbara D. Livingston
Jose Ortiz plans to join the Churchill Downs jockey colony when the meet begins May 16.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jose Ortiz took advantage of his brother Irad’s absence last week to ride 10 winners, including five on Sunday, and vault to the top of the Aqueduct standings in the abbreviated 11-day meet. Jose leads Irad, 16-12, heading into the final four days of the spring session.

Both riders will be here to complete the meet.

“You want to win every meet that you can, but Irad wasn’t here this week and I’m sure he’ll come back and be competitive next week,” Jose Ortiz told NYRA publicity following his fifth win Sunday.

Mon, 04/12/2021 - 13:06

Mott pencils in Allaire duPont Distaff for Horologist

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Horologist wins the Top Flight on Saturday at Aqueduct in her first start of the year.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Horologist, who returned from a five-month layoff to win Saturday’s $100,000 Top Flight Invitational at Aqueduct, could make her next start in the Grade 3, $150,000 Allaire duPont Distaff at Pimlico on May 14, trainer Bill Mott said Monday.

“I haven’t connected with all the connections yet, but that’s a good spot timing-wise,” Mott said.

Mon, 04/12/2021 - 13:06

Atras looking at Kentucky Oaks for Gazelle runner-up Maracuja

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Maracuja is scheduled to work twice before heading to Kentucky for the Oaks.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Maracuja ran well enough in the Grade 3 Gazelle to warrant consideration for the Kentucky Oaks, and trainer Rob Atras will let her convince him to take her there when she returns to the work tab later this week.

“Right now we’re planning on going, if things aren’t 100 percent with her then we won’t do it,” Atras said.

Mon, 04/12/2021 - 12:56

Weyburn heading to Belmont Stakes via Peter Pan

Barbara D. Livingston
Weyburn (right) won the Gotham and ran fourth in the Wood, but despite having enough points won’t run in the Kentucky Derby.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Weyburn, the Grade 3 Gotham winner and fourth-place finisher in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, is being pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park on May 8 as a stepping-stone to the Belmont Stakes on June 5, his connections said Monday.

Weyburn has enough qualifying points to make the Kentucky Derby field, but trainer Jimmy Jerkens and Robert Landry, the racing manager for Robert and Mark Krembil’s Chiefswood Racing, don’t believe that’s the right race for this horse.

Mon, 04/12/2021 - 11:16

Kentucky Derby: Hidden Stash likely to make cutoff, King Fury probably not

Coady Photography
Hidden Stash has 32 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, which should be enough to make the 20-horse field.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Brian Klatsky and his partners in BBN Racing have been agonizing over the Kentucky Derby points standings, but somebody tell them they can stop worrying. Hidden Stash, in all likelihood, will be carrying the blue and white silks of the far-flung ownership group when the 147th Derby is run May 1 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Mon, 04/12/2021 - 11:09

Hot Rod Charlie picks up Prat for Kentucky Derby

Hot Rod Charlie wins the Louisiana Derby with Joel Rosario aboard. If Rosario chooses to ride Concert Tour in the Kentucky Derby, then Flavien Prat would pick up the mount on Hot Rod Charlie.

Hot Rod Charlie, the Louisiana Derby winner, will have Flavien Prat aboard in the Kentucky Derby on May 1, trainer Doug O’Neill said Monday.

Prat was aboard Hot Rod Charlie for a five-furlong work at Santa Anita on Saturday, accomplished in 1:01.20 for five furlongs.

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