ARCADIA, Calif. – The trend the past couple of years with California-based preps for the Kentucky Derby has been for lightly raced, late-developing types to emerge, and that could continue this year during the Santa Anita meeting that begins Saturday.
It’s not difficult to connect the dots and see Pixelate emerge as a major player Saturday in the $75,000 Woodchopper Stakes on the Fair Grounds turf.
Pixelate got caught well behind a false pace two starts ago in the Belmont Derby and never had a chance to make up ground in a slow-early, fast-late Grade 1. Last out, Pixelate got away slowly in the $150,000 Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland, then found considerable trouble at the quarter pole before roaring home to finish fourth.
“He had a troubled trip and he wasn’t able to overcome it,” said trainer Mike Stidham.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Tyler Gaffalione, who will be aboard Fancy Liquor in the Tropical Derby and Treasure Trove in the Allen Jerkens here on Saturday, was the riding star last weekend, posting four wins on Saturday and three Sunday. Among those seven victories was a superb effort with Sleepy Eyes Todd to register a half-length decision over the favored Firenze Fire in Saturday’s Grade 3 Mr. Prospector.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Hopefully, Christmas Day will be a quiet one for trainer Mike Maker, who’ll need his rest before coming over here the following afternoon to saddle 10 horses in the three stakes races that highlight Saturday’s card, including four each in the Tropical Park Derby and Allen Jerkens.
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Los Alamitos completed its three-week Los Angeles County Fair meeting on Sunday with a 20 percent gain in average all-sources handle compared to similar racing days at a two-week meeting in December 2019, the track announced in a statement.
Los Alamitos did not release extensive handle data for the 11-day season. The 2019 December meeting had seven days of racing.
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When in Florida, trainer Jack Sisterson does not necessarily specialize in winning the last race of a weekend card. It only appears that way.
Sisterson, campaigning regularly at Gulfstream Park for the first time in his solo career, won the Saturday finale with Kentucky Pharoah ($12.60) and the Sunday finale with Mr. Tip ($5.40) for his first-ever Gulf triumphs.
“I understand the Pegasus is going to be the last race of the day, too,” Sisterson said with a laugh, referring to True Timber being a prime candidate for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 23.
A third 2-year-old filly in the Tim Hamm barn will get a chance to become a stakes winner at 3 after Charge It All pulled a mild upset Sunday in an allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs.
Hamm said Charge It All could go next in the Jan. 16 Gasparilla at the Oldsmar, Fla., oval after rallying for a 1 1/2-length victory in 1:18.30 going 6 1/2 furlongs. She paid $13.40 when coming off a nose victory in a $50,000 maiden-claiming race at Gulfstream West.
Jockeys Tyler Baze, Abel Cedillo, Ruben Fuentes, Juan Hernandez, Jessica Pyfer, and Eduard Rojas were fined earlier this month by Los Alamitos stewards for incidents of excessive use of the whip. All were cited for using the whip more than six times in a race, exceeding the limit of a rule implemented on Oct. 1.
Hernandez was fined $1,250 - $500 for an infraction on Dec. 12 and $750 for a violation the following day. Fuentes was fined $1,250 - $500 for an infraction on Dec. 12 and $750 for an infraction on Friday.
Jockey Flavien Prat has had some memorable afternoons on opening day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. Prat, 28, won two graded stakes on opening day in 2016, was winless in 2017, won two graded stakes in 2018, and missed the big day last year because of illness.
Prat won the Mathis Brothers Mile in 2016 on Conquest Enforcer and again in 2018 with River Boyne. On Saturday’s opening day at Santa Anita, Prat is booked to ride Scarto in the $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile and is scheduled to have mounts in the other five stakes.
