Wed, 01/06/2021 - 13:46

Eased in the San Gabriel as the favorite, Count Again resumes training

Benoit Photo
Trainer Phil D'Amato believes Count Again lost his footing on the far turn of the San Gabriel, resulting in jockey Juan Hernandez easing him.

Count Again resumed training on Wednesday at Santa Anita after finishing last of seven in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes as the even-money favorite last Saturday.

Trainer Phil D’Amato said on Wednesday that he believes Count Again lost his footing on the turn, leading jockey Juan Hernandez to ease the 6-year-old gelding.

Count Again finished 20 1-2 lengths behind Anothertwistafate. D’Amato said Count Again did not bleed in the San Gabriel.

Wed, 01/06/2021 - 12:50

Noble Drama, Red Crescent among nominees to Sunshine Millions Classic

Barbara D. Livingston
Noble Drama (left) beats Red Crescent to win the 2020 Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Nominations have been released for the four Sunshine Millions races, to be decided here Jan. 16, with each carrying a purse of $75,000. The highlight of the card will be the 1 1/8-mile Classic, which drew just 10 nominations led by Noble Drama and Red Crescent, the first- and second-place finishers in this race a year ago, along with Quenane, who sprang a 27-1 upset of Noble Drama in the Sunshine Millions Classic Preview at Gulfstream Park West.

Wed, 01/06/2021 - 12:40

In Reality winner Boca Boy starts preparing for 3-year-old season

Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos
Boca Boy wins the In Reality Stakes at Gulfstream in September. He breezed three furlongs Wednesday in 38.15 seconds.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – After upsetting the previously undefeated and odds-on favorite Breeze On By in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality Stakes here in late September, Boca Boy appeared to be headed for bigger and better things during the latter stages of his 2-year-old campaign. But a minor setback several weeks later put those plans on hold.

Wed, 01/06/2021 - 10:50

Mucho Gusto retired with soft-tissue injury

Barbara D. Livingston
Mucho Gusto, winner of the 2020 Pegasus World Cup, has been retired. Stud plans are pending.

Mucho Gusto, the winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational and four other stakes, was retired on Tuesday after sustaining a soft-tissue injury in a gallop at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert said on Wednesday.

The injury was detected a little more than two weeks before Mucho Gusto was scheduled to start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23.

“He had a soft-tissue injury,” Baffert said. “He wasn’t sore on it. He would need a lot of time off to recover. We’d have to give him six months, so he’ll be retired.”

Mon, 01/04/2021 - 14:50

Roman Centurian shows true colors going two turns in second start

Coady Photography
Lighthouse is expected to run in Saturday's Las Cienegas Stakes at six furlongs on turf. She is shown winning the Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs in September.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Roman Centurian was comprehensively beaten in a maiden special weight race at 6 1/2 furlongs in his debut at Del Mar in November. The colt’s debut around two turns in a maiden race at 1 1/16 miles on Sunday at Santa Anita in his second start produced the opposite result.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Roman Centurian closed from eighth in a field of 10 to win by 3 3/4 lengths at 7-1.

“That was a good win,” trainer Simon Callaghan said. “We sprinted him the first time knowing that he wanted to go long.

Mon, 01/04/2021 - 14:46

Big weekend puts Miller atop trainer standings

Benoit Photo
Hembree wins the Joe Hernandez Stakes on New Year’s Day for Peter Miller. His future could include a trip to Dubai.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The initial days of 2021 have been very kind to trainer Peter Miller, who won five races from Friday through Sunday at Santa Anita to take a commanding lead in the trainers’ standings after the first two weeks of the winter-spring meeting.

Miller has won seven races since opening day on Dec. 26 and through Sunday holds a three-win advantage over Bob Baffert.

Mon, 01/04/2021 - 14:16

Drain the Clock back on track with Limehouse win, Swale likely next

Ryan Thompson/Coglianese Photos
Drain the Clock wins the Limehouse Stakes by 7 1/4 lengths on Saturday at Gulfstream.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – There are a million ways to lose a horse race. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. learned one of the more unusual ones when Drain the Clock lost his rider Heriberto Figueroa in the run down the backstretch as the even-money favorite in the Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs on Nov. 30. Figueroa said the sole of his boot ripped and he lost his balance.

Mon, 01/04/2021 - 13:36

Miss Brazil taking her 93 Beyer maiden win to Ruthless Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Miss Brazil earned a 93 Beyer for a November maiden win at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Miss Brazil, a good-looking 2 1/2-length maiden winner here Nov. 29, is targeting the $100,000 Ruthless Stakes on Feb. 7 for her next start, trainer Tony Dutrow said.

Last Friday, Miss Brazil worked four furlongs in 47.98 seconds over the Belmont Park training track, getting her final quarter in 23.57.

“I was super happy with how fluid she was,” Dutrow said. “I thought the rider did a great job, and it was well within herself, very happy.”

Mon, 01/04/2021 - 13:36

Romping debut winner Breakfastatbonnies has stakes options

Joe Labozzetta/NYRA
Breakfastatbonnies coasts to an 11 1/4-length debut win at Aqueduct last Saturday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Progeny of Laoban impressed throughout 2020 on this circuit, and that continued in the early days of 2021 when the New York-bred filly Breakfastatbonnies rolled to an 11 1/4-length debut score Saturday at Aqueduct.

Despite breaking a step slowly, Breakfastatbonnies was hustled into contention by Kendrick Carmouche, and raced three wide outside of two other front-running types before taking charge turning for home and drawing off in the stretch.

Mon, 01/04/2021 - 13:15

Green but talented, Capo Kane targets Withers Stakes after impressive Jerome Stakes win

Susie Raisher
Capo Kane received an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory in the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Capo Kane, the dominant 6 1/4-length winner of the $150,000 Jerome Stakes here on New Year’s Day, will likely return to Aqueduct for the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes on Feb. 6, trainer Harold Wyner said Monday.

Wyner, who is based at Parx Racing, said Capo Kane came out of the one-mile Jerome “real well,” and that the Withers, at 1 1/8 miles, is the next logical target for the California-bred son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.