OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When Charlton Baker claimed Tenderfoot last summer at Saratoga, jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., who had ridden the horse in that race, had a message for Baker.
“He told me he’s a nice horse, you’re going to have a lot of fun with this horse,” Baker said.
So far, Santana has proven prophetic.
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Win, lose, or dead heat, Harpers First Ride will change barns following his run Saturday in the Pegasus World Cup. A winner in 9 of 14 starts, all for Claudio Gonzalez, the 5-year-old Maryland-bred gelding will be sent to Robertino Diodoro at Oaklawn Park after the race.
The Pegasus World Cup is a world-class event, but one wouldn’t have had to look much farther than the blue-collar neighborhoods surrounding Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., to find the principal players in this fifth running of the $3 million race Saturday.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – This ought to be a big year for Todd Pletcher, no matter how his horses run. With the requisite 25 years of training now under his belt, he’s eligible to make the Racing Hall of Fame. No first-ballot candidate has ever been a bigger cinch.
Three-year-old colt Proxy had notched easy dirt-route maiden and allowance wins early in the Fair Grounds meet, but showed more in defeat this past Saturday than in those victories.
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Fully recovered from the relatively minor illness that briefly took him out of training and cost his connections any chance of a start in the Pegasus World Cup, 4-year-old Maxfield returned to the work tab Saturday with a half-mile drill in 49.80 seconds.
“He looked good and he came back good,” said Brendan Walsh, who trains Maxfield for Godolphin and was traveling from New Orleans to Florida when reached by phone Tuesday. “It seems like he got over that little hiccup just fine. He trained this morning before I left, and he looks great.”
Maryland Juvenile Futurity winner Jaxon Traveler, sidelined with a foot issue, isn’t the only prominent 3-year-old on the shelf. No Cents, a winner of four consecutive starts including two Laurel stakes, is also out of action.
“He’s turned out on the farm in Webb Carroll’s in South Carolina,” said trainer Cal Lynch. “We sent him there two or three days after his last race. That was the plan. We’re going to give him a breather for Monmouth. He’s a big dude and we want to let him grow up for late spring and early summer.”
Kenny Had a Notion moved to the front of the local 3-year-old male division after he captured his third stakes in last Saturday’s $100,000 Spectacular Bid at seven furlongs.
“He came out of it in good shape,” said trainer Dale Capuano.
Kenny Had a Notion and Maythehorsebwithu engaged in a race-long battle. A Great Notion gelding, Kenny Had a Notion prevailed by a neck and earned a career-best 77 Beyer.
“He’s a fighter,” Capuano said.
Hello Beautiful appears bound for the Grade 3, $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel Park on Feb. 13.
“That’s the goal as long as she continues to do well,” said trainer Brittany Russell.
A perfect 7 for 7 over the Laurel Park main track, Hello Beautiful earned her third consecutive victory with a gate-to-wire score in last Saturday’s $100,000 What a Summer Stakes at six furlongs. The daughter of Golden Lad came out of the race in good order.
“Oh, she’s wonderful,” Russell said. “You know, she’s funny. She’s the same every day so she’s great.”
