Heavenly Sunday, who made her first career start on dirt after eight previous starts on turf, rolled past pacesetter Callie’s Grit at the top of the stretch and widened her margin inside the final furlong to win Friday’s off-the-turf $298,250 Mrs. Revere by five lengths over Beach Walkin.

Owned by William B. Harrigan’s Miacomet Farm, Heavenly Sunday ran the 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies in 1:44.69 on a fast track. Florent Geroux rode the winner for trainer Brad Cox.

The field was reduced from 12 entries to nine starters when turf racing called off for the final three days of the Fall Meet after track officials were not satisfied with the turf course’s condition.

The Mrs. Revere was carded a Grade 3 event but was downgraded to listed status pending a review by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

Heavenly Sunday banked the $178,800 first prize and rewarded her backers $4.82 for the win.

“She’s always worked well on the dirt so we thought she’d handle things just fine,” Cox said. “When she started her career we put her on grass and because she did so well we’ve always kept her on it. She was impressive today and can give her another option moving forward on dirt.”

Breaking from post No. 9, Heavenly Sunday raced just off the tail of pacesetter Callie’s Grit, who set fractions of :23.95, :48.81, and 1:13.32 during the early stages of the race. Heavenly Sunday pulled her way to the front leaving the final turn and drew away down the stretch while geared down late for the comfortable win.

“We sat a great trip,” Geroux said. “She’s a pretty versatile filly with her running style. She worked like she would handle the dirt fine and did.”

Beach Walkin outfinished Make the Boys Wink by 1 ¼ lengths for second.

Callie’s Grit, Neecie Marie, Safeen, Sabalenka, Financial Advice (FR), and Cha Cha Tap completed the order of finish. Hay Stack, Bling and Watch This Birdie were scratched.

The winner’s share of the purse pushed Heavenly Sunday’s earnings to $708,683 from a record of 4-2-2 in nine starts. Prior to the Mrs. Revere, Heavenly Sunday finished second to Surge Capacity in the Valley View (G3) at Keeneland on Oct. 27. Earlier this year, she won the Edgewood (G2) on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard at Churchill Downs.

Heavenly Sunday is a dark bay or brown daughter of Candy Ride (ARG) out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Alien Giant who and bred in Kentucky by Randal Family Trust.

The Mrs. Revere is named in honor of Mrs. Revere, an accomplished Churchill Downs fan favorite in the mid-1980s. Mrs. Revere won 12 races in 28 starts, finished second seven times and earned $429,545 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Her six wins in a dozen starts at Churchill Downs included stakes triumphs in the Regret, Dogwood and Edgewood in 1984 and the Kentucky Cardinal in 1985. She was owned by Dr. Hiram Polk and the late Dr. David Richardson, who have provided the winner’s trophy for the Mrs. Revere in each year of its existence.

Researchers at Colorado State University have found that acetaminophen may alleviate pain from equine eye conditions like uveitis. 

Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in human Tylenol, is not used often in equine medicine, said Dr. Kathryn L. Wotman, but it shows promise as a viable alternative to traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like phenylbutazone (bute) and flunixin meglumine (Banamine). 

Acetaminophen works on different pain pathways so it might work for different types of pain, Wotman said. The drug also doesn’t have the same side effects as other NSAIDs and is less expensive. 

Wotman and a team of researchers studied acetaminophen use for ocular conditions as eye issues are notoriously difficult to treat: they can be painful and often require multiple ointments or drops or the placement of an ophthalmic catheter. 

Additionally, many systemic drugs don’t reach the clear fluid on the front part of the eye because of the blood/ocular barrier. Any drug that fails to penetrate that will be unable to relieve pain for inflammation, Wotman said. 

To test acetaminophen’s ability to address pain and swelling, Wotman and her team used six healthy horses with no history or eye issues. The horses were given a 20 mg/kg dose of oral acetaminophen every 12 hours for three days. 

The scientists then drew blood and aqueous humor samples from the horses to test for acetaminophen concentrations. The drug was detected in both samples. 

Next, the team will test if the drug can reduce pain in the eye like that associated with ulcers and uveitis. If the drug is effective in reducing ocular pain, it may be able to be alternated with other NSAIDS, offering horses even greater relief, Wotman said. 

Read more at EQUUS magazine. 

The 2024 stud fee for Gainesway stallion Karakontie has been set at $15,000 LFSN.

Bred and raced by the Niarchos Family, Karakontie was campaigned primarily in France, where he won a pair of group races at two, including the seven-furlong Group 1 Grand Criterium.

Karakontie trained on at three to capture the classic G1 French Two Thousand Guineas before traveling to Santa Anita, where he defeated older horses in the Breeders’ Cup Mile while recording a 110 Beyer Speed Figure.

Karakontie continues to establish himself as one of the best values in Kentucky. This year’s top runners are led by She Feels Pretty, winner of the G1 Natalma Stakes and placed in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf; Foreign Relations, winner of the G3 Louisville Stakes at Churchill; Princess Grace, a multiple G2 winner and multiple G1 performer of over $1.8 million; and Spendarella, winner of last year’s G1 Del Mar Oaks, G2 Appalachian Stakes, G3 Herecomesthebride Stakes, and runner-up in the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. This year, Spendarella was runner-up in the G1 Just A Game Stakes and G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes.

In the sales ring this year, yearlings by Karakontie sold up to $525,000.

The inaugural Fasig-Tipton Midlantic June 2-Year-Olds in Training sale was held Wednesday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Md.

Bloodstock agent Steven W. Young went to $500,000 to secure the sale topper, a filly by Kantharos (Hip 47), from the consignment of Crane Thoroughbred Services, agent (video).

The chestnut filly breezed a quarter in :20 4/5 seconds during Tuesday’s under tack show. Hip 47 is the second foal out of the Distorted Humor mare La Titina, a daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner Ask the Moon and a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Belgrano and graded stakes placed Sundaysatthebeach.

The top five prices of the session also included:

– A filly by Arrogate (Hip 78), sold for $225,000 to Hillwood Stables from the consignment of Cary Frommer, agent. The New York-bred filly is a half-sister to two winners, including stakes placed Harmon (Cairo Prince), out of Summer Shade, a winning Stephen Got Even half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Hot Summer. Hip 78 worked an eighth in :10 3/5.

– A filly by Arrogate (Hip 9), sold for $150,000 to John Guarnere from the consignment of Tom McCrocklin, agent. The gray or roan filly is a half-sister to four winners, including champion 2-year-old filly and graded stakes producer Ria Antonia (Rockport Harbor) and graded stakes placed stakes winner Cross the Line (Line of David). Hip 9 worked an eighth in 10 3/5.

– A colt by Liam’s Map (Hip 32), sold for $100,000 to Muir Hut LLC from the consignment of Tom McCrocklin, agent. The Florida-bred colt is out of the graded stakes winning Flashy Bull mare Flashy American, from the immediate family of multiple graded stakes winner I’m Already Sexy. Hip 32 worked an eighth in :10 1/5.

– A filly by Flatter (Hip 86), sold for $95,000 to Jewel Box Racing, Marette Farrell, agent, from the consignment of Crane Thoroughbred Services, agent. The chestnut filly is out of the stakes winning Smart Strike mare Valued Strike, from the immediate family of Group 1 winner Lighthouse. Hip 86 worked an eighth in :10-flat.

In total, 57 horses sold for $2,509,000. The average was $44,018 and the median was $27,000. Full results are available online.

Christophe Louriel isn’t sure if Big Everest is ready for graded stakes company or if the 5-year-old gelding will get 1 3/8 miles on the grass, but after Saturday’s front-running victory in the $100,000 Cliff Hanger Stakes at Monmouth Park both now have to at least be considered, he said.

Big Everest broke alertly from outside post seven, set reasonable fractions under jockey Jorge A. Vargas Jr. and was a safe three-quarters of length winner in the mile and a sixteenth turf feature for 3 year olds and up.

By winning the Cliff Hanger, Big Everest – who scored his sixth victory in his past seven starts and is 2-for-2 this year – earned free entry and start fees to the United Nations(G1) at 1 3/8 miles on the grass for owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Steven Rocco, and William Branch. The United Nations serves as the supporting feature to the Haskell Stakes (G1) on July 22.

Big Everest has never gone beyond 1 1/16 miles, however.

“I think it’s time to try a graded stakes race, but I don’t know about a mile and three-eighths. We’ll see. If there’s one place he can do it I think it’s here on this turf course,” said Louriel, the top assistant to Christophe Clement for the past 30 years.

Gelded over the winter, Big Everest won his third straight stakes race, his second this year. He has pretty much led gate to wire in winning six of his past seven starts.

“This went absolutely to the plan,” said Louriel. “After he won at Aqueduct (on April 15 in his seasonal debut) we felt he was short a work but he still got the job done. He has speed around the turns. I told Jorge Vargas that it’s a mile and a sixteenth and to make sure he kept something for the end. He is the kind of horse that can accelerate around the turns.

“It was a short field so we just tried to clear the field, go to the lead and try to slow things down. I saw :47 and change to the half and he was still on the bridle around the turn so I felt pretty good.”

In posting his seventh career win from 12 starts, the British-bred son of The Gurkha carved out fractions of :23.49, :47.34 and 1:10.78 to six furlongs. Smokin’ T took up the chase at that point but could never get to the winner. It was another 2¼ lengths back to James Aloysius in third.

Though he was the 8-5 morning line favorite, Big Everest paid $8.60 in what looked to be an evenly matched field.

“This is the way he runs, so why change it now?” said Vargas. “I worked him last week at Belmont. I was glad they let me do that so I could get to know him. He worked well. He is a speed horse and I wasn’t going to take him away from his game. He likes to run into the bridle.

“The main thing was to get him to relax. I know he is fast. I know he can run fast fractions. I just wanted to have him content. He’s aggressive but he doesn’t get tired.”

Big Everest, who was bred by Newsells Park Stud, is out of the Why Why Why mare Long Face.

No Guts No Glory Farm and Erica Upton’s Award Wanted held off a late rally by the 1-to-5 favorite Morning Matcha to post an 18-1 upset nose victory in the $160,000 Obeah Stakes Saturday at Delaware Park.

With Angel Cruz aboard, Award Wanted returned $38 as the longest shot in the field of five fillies and mares. Morning Matcha, with Paco Lopez, finished 7½ lengths in front of third-place finisher Hybrid Eclipse, with Sheldon Russell aboard.

Award Wanted led from the gate and posted fractions of :49.93 for the half mile and 1:15.42 for six furlongs before completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:49.28 over a fast main track.

The 6-year-old daughter of Macho Uno raised her career record to ten wins from 35 starts. The Maryland-bred trained by John Robb earned $90,000 plus a $10,000 Delaware Certified bonus to bring her career earnings to $487,950. She improved her Delaware Park record to four wins, two seconds, and two thirds.

The Delaware Handicap (G2) on July 8 is a possibility for Award Wanted.

“We are going to give it a few days before deciding about her next start,” said trainer John Robb. “For now, the important thing is seeing how she comes out of this race and if everything is good. Once we have a better idea about that, we will start thinking about her next start.”

This the second Obeah Stakes victory for Cruz, who won aboard Miss Leslie, the eventual Delaware Handicap winner, last year.

Award Wanted, who was produced by the Cherokee’s Boy mare Touring Hong Kong, was bred by Dr. Alexandro Rubim Dias.

Funtastic Again posted his first stakes win Saturday at Turfway Park after leading at every point of call in the $125,000 Leonatus for 3-year-olds.

Ridden by Gerardo Corrales for trainer Wesley Ward, the colt from the first crop of Three Chimneys Farm resident sire Funtastic clocked early fractions of :24.09, :48.12, and 1:12.67 for six furlongs before scoring by 3¾ lengths. He covered the one-mile test in 1:37.05 on the all-weather main track.

The favorite, Funtastic Again returned $4.26 for the victory.

American Speed bested Ironsides by a nose to take second in the nine-horse field.

Funtastic Again, who is campaigned by Three Chimneys Farm, notched his third win from five career starts. He came into Saturday’s race off an allowance/optional-claiming win going the Leonatus distance at Turfway on Dec. 2. The $74,616 winner’s share of the Leonatus purse increased his lifetime bankroll to $184,806.

Bred in Kentucky by BHMFR LLC, Funtastic Again was purchased for $60,000 as a weanling at the 2020 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, where Hunter Valley Farm consigned. His dam is the Broken Vow mare Repeta.

Unbeaten and improving, Count de Monet is among six horses entered in the inaugural $150,000 Renaissance Stakes for 2-year-old sprinters Saturday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Probable post time for the six-furlong Renaissance, the sixth of 10 races, is 2:50 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:30 p.m. The card, the first in Oaklawn history exclusively for 2-year-olds, also features the inaugural $150,000 Year’s End Stakes for fillies at 1 mile.

The projected six-horse field Renaissance field from the rail out: Bourbon Bash, Mickaelle Michel to ride, 117 pounds, 12-1 on the morning line; Frosted Departure, Francisco Arrieta, 124, 6-1; Spurrier, Rafael Bejarano, 117, 10-1; Two Eagles River, Nik Juarez, 117, 6-5; Choctaw Zip, David Cabrera, 117, 20-1; and Count de Monet, Santo Sanjur, 124, 7-5.

Count de Monet (3 for 3) exits a three-length victory in the $150,000 Advent Stakes Dec. 9 at Oaklawn. The 5 ½-furlong Advent was headlined by Iowa-bred sensation Tyler’s Tribe, but a tracking Count de Monet overhauled the heavily favored gelding in midstretch and drew off late under Sanjur. Count de Monet earned a career-high 85 Beyer Speed Figure for the victory over a muddy track. Count de Monet received a 60 Beyer in his Aug. 30 debut and a 74 Beyer in an entry-level allowance Sept. 29. Both sprint races were at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Count de Monet has won his three starts by a combined 11 lengths.

“I kind of thought I would win my first Oaklawn stakes race with Summer Shoes,” trainer Tom Swearingen said, referring to his lightly raced Arkansas-bred who is 2 for 3 in her career. “But this is a nice horse, he really is. He’s getting better. He’s just a baby, but he’s getting better all the time. He’s just grown up like a weed.”

Count de Monet tuned up for the Renaissance by working five furlongs in 1:04.40 Dec. 22 at Oaklawn. Oaklawn lost three days of training (Dec. 23, Dec. 24 and Dec. 26) because of arctic temperatures. The track was also closed Dec. 25 for Christmas.

“We’re just going to try our best and see where it ends up,” said Swearingen, who trains Count de Monet for owner Charles Galli of St. Louis. “Losing the four days of training wasn’t ideal, but everybody’s in the same boat and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s just Mother Nature.”

Program favorite Two Eagles Rivers, purchased for $220,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training, won his Oct. 30 career debut at Churchill Downs before finishing second, beaten a neck, by Victory Formation in a Nov. 26 entry-level allowance sprint at Churchill Downs. Victory Formation (2 for 2) is among several highly regarded Kentucky Derby prospects for two-time reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.

Chris Hartman, Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 2015, calls Two Eagles River “probably my best 2-year-old.” From the first crop of 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing, Two Eagles River will be running on the anti-bleeder medication Lasix for the first time Saturday and owns competitive Beyer Speed Figures of 84 and 83 in his brief career.

“It’s going to be a good test for him,” Hartman said. “Swearingen’s looks like a nice horse.”

Frosted Departure, who finished fourth in the Advent, will be making his ninth career start Saturday for trainer Kenny McPeek. Two-time Grade 1 participant Bourbon Bash broke his maiden by eight front-running lengths in an Aug. 13 sprint at Saratoga for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Bourbon Bash exits a troubled sixth in the $200,000 Ed Brown Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs. Bourbon Bash will also run on Lasix for the first time Saturday.

“I thought about going in the Smarty Jones, but he had such a horrible trip the other day that I thought I would sprint him once more,” Lukas said.

Sunday’s $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes – a mile event for 3-year-olds – is Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby points races.

Spurrier returns after a Dec. 10 debut victory, which marked the 300th at Oaklawn for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs.

The 2022 Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association Stallion Season Auction started Dec. 15, 2022, and will end on Dec. 22, 2022 at 8 p.m. ET.

A total of 94 no-guarantee seasons to 85 stallions from eight states and Canada are available, with 15 stallion owners offering a return season to their stallions.

Also, the WTBOA offers three incentive programs that are related to the Stallion Season Auction: Bidder Bonuses, Stallion Bonuses and 3-year-old supplements. For more information about the incentive programs, please visit: https://www.washingtonthoroughbred.com/wtboa-stallion-season-auction/.

The entire list of stallions and instructions for bidding can be found at http://thoroughlybred.com/sites/wtboa/

Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Defunded overcame a slow start to move into contention early, then drew well clear at the top of the stretch and cruised home in winning Sunday’s $150,500 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar.

The 4-year-old chestnut gelding finished up 4 3/4 lengths to the good under Edwin Maldonado and returned $3.40 for the win as the 7-10 favorite in the field of six. He ran the 1 1/8 miles on the main track in 1:50.12 and picked up a first prize of $90,000 to increase his earnings mark to $608,100.

Defunded, a Kentucky-bred by Dialed In, is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who was winning his third Native Diver. It was also the conditioner’s 155 stakes victory at the seaside oval, which puts him a remarkable 70 wins ahead of his next closest competitor in the all-time training ranks at the track.

Finishing second under John Velazquez was Baffert-trained Azul Coast, owned by the same connections, who had three-quarters of a length on third-place finisher Newgrange.

Defunded returned $3.40. He was bred in Kentucky by Athens Woods LLC from the Touch Gold mare Wind Caper and was sold by Eaton Sales for $210,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The Native Diver marked his fifth win from 13 career starts.

NATIVE DIVER STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY EDWIN MALDONADO (Defunded, winner) – “He came away from their a little bit slow, but I wasn’t concerned. This horse doesn’t need to be in front. He’s won from off the pace before. I rode him with confidence all the way. On the turn he wanted to lean on the horse inside us, but I got him going straight and it all worked out from there.”

ASSISTANT TRAINER JIMMY BARNES (Defunded, winner) –  “Edwin (Maldonado) said Defunded was kind of wanting to sit back and when that happens and they sit back when the gate opens then you’re going the wrong way. Luckily they were going slow enough he was able to recover and get back in a good position. He’s always had talent. It’s just that he’s been a little aggressive in the paddock on us at times. But he went through the paddock good, he went to the gate good, so maybe we’ve got him straightened out.”

Ryan Norton has been named as Gainesway’s new Stallion Director, the farm announced Oct. 21.

Norton previously served as Stallion Director at Darby Dan Farm; a position he’d held since 2005. Prior to that, he worked in Darby Dan’s sales division, joining in 2002 and working under Lynn Davis.

“I am happy to announce that Ryan Norton has decided to join Gainesway as our stallion director,” said Gainesway General Manager Brian Graves. “Ryan brings with him over 20 years of experience in his field. Ryan’s meticulous nature will make him the perfect person to give our clients and customers a great experience conducting business with Gainesway Farm.”

A native of Winchester, Ky., Norton grew up on a cattle and tobacco farm. He received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Transylvania University in 1997.

“I am excited to join the Gainesway team and have an opportunity to promote the best up-and-coming stallion roster in the industry,” Norton said. “My enthusiasm for the art of breeding has never waned and I am looking forward to new challenges.”

Keeneland has announced that champion and $7.4 million earner Midnight Bisou, a 7-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute who is in foal to Tapit, has been supplemented to Book 1 of the 79th November Breeding Stock Sale on Nov. 7. Midnight Bisou is consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa.

Midnight Bisou won the $1 million Grade 1 Cotillion and G1 Santa Anita Oaks in addition to three other graded stakes at three. She was named the champion older dirt female at four in 2019 following a dominating campaign that produced seven wins in eight races. Among her seven graded stakes wins that year were victories in the G1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga, G1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont and G1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn.

Midnight Bisou returned in early 2020 to finish second in the $20 million Saudi Cup against males and win the G2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs.

Winner of 13 races – all stakes – in 22 starts over four seasons, Midnight Bisou earned $7,451,520 during her illustrious racing career.

“It’s impossible to describe what she’s meant to me, my family and my partners,” Jeff Bloom of co-owner Bloom Racing Stable said. “She took us on an incredible journey and created so many amazing experiences for us across the globe. All those memories I will treasure the rest of my life.

“She effortlessly transitioned to life as a broodmare with the same elegance, class and intelligence that she displayed as a racehorse.”

Out of Grade 3 winner Diva Delite, by Repent, Midnight Bisou is a half-sister to recent G1 Champagne runner-up and FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile candidate Verifying.

“Midnight Bisou represents the very best of Thoroughbred racing,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “She is a world-class racehorse from an active, talented family who is in foal to one of the industry’s premier stallions. Keeneland is delighted to offer her during Book 1 of our November Breeding Stock Sale.”

Diva Delite, who is in foal to Gun Runner, also is cataloged to Book 1. Out of the winning Tour d’Or mare Tour Hostess, she is consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent.

Book 1 starts Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. ET. Keeneland will accept supplements to Book 1 until the auction begins.

Richard Mandella’s classy sophomore Forbidden Kingdom, idle since the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby in April, returns to action this Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.,  and looms the horse to beat among a field of seven 3-year-olds and up in the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

By 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, Forbidden Kingdom, on the strength of powerful victories in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes Jan. 29 and the Grade 2 San Felipe March 5, was the even money favorite in the Santa Anita Derby April 9, but ended up sixth and last, beaten 14 ½ lengths by top-tier colt Taiba.

Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Forbidden Kingdom has won two of his three Santa Anita starts and is 6-3-1-1 overall as he likely prepares for a berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 5 with regular rider Juan Hernandez up.

Although Forbidden Kingdom may be the new kid on the block in the Sprint division, C Z Rocket is anything but.  A miracle $40,000 claim on April 30, 2020 at Oaklawn Park, this 8-year-old City Zip gelding took the 2020 Santa Anita Sprint Championship and was subsequently second in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland some 11 races back.

Most recently a troubled eighth in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes going seven furlongs on Aug. 27, C Z Rocket’s most recent win came two starts back in a six-furlong allowance at Del Mar on July 23.

Based at San Luis Rey Downs with trainer Peter Miller, C Z Rocket is owned by Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables, LLC, Gary Barber and former Glendora, Calif., youth football coach Tom Kagele.  With one win and a third from three Santa Anita starts, C Z Rocket is 33-12-4-5 overall with earnings of $1,572,641.  He’ll be ridden by Ramon Vazquez, who guided him to victory in the Del Mar allowance July 23.

GRADE II, SANTA ANITA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP

WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST ORDER

Race 6 of 10 – Approximate post time 3 p.m. PT

1. C Z Rocket—Ramon Vazquez—122
2. Forbidden Kingdom—Juan Hernandez—120
3. Howbeit—Mike Smith—122
4. None Above the Law—Joe Bravo—122
5. Super Ocho—Hector Berrios—122
6. Kid Corleone—Edwin Maldonado—118
7. Todo Fino—Umberto Rispoli–122 First post time on Saturday for a 10-race card that will include five other stakes is at 12:30 p.m.

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $125,000 for Sunday’s program at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for three racing days since the August 13 mandatory payout.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, headlined by a first-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up. Victor Barboza Jr.-trained Petulante, who turned in a dazzling 9 ¼-length debut victory last time out, returns in the seven-furlong feature. Edgar Perez has the return call aboard the daughter of Arrogate.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70% of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30% is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Suspended from race riding since early March, embattled Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux met with Del Mar stewards Friday in hopes of being reinstated, Daily Racing Form reports.

Stewards said they could decide on Desormeaux’s status by the end of the weekend or early next week.

Desormeaux was suspended March 4 by the California Horse Racing Board for failing to respond to written notice to appear before the board of stewards to answer charges over alleged disorderly conduct and failure to abide by an agreement concerning the use of alcohol or other mind-altering substances.

The 52-year-old has not ridden since being arrested in late January in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, and charged with domestic abuse and battery.

Desormeaux’s attorney at Friday’s hearing was Roger Licht, a former CHRB chairman.

To read the full story at drf.com, click here.

As a race that often features the best of its division, the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) has seen over three dozen of its winners go on to be crowned champion 3-year-old filly at the end of their campaigns. On Saturday, Nest made a strong case for year-end honors in the 106th renewal of the prestigious test, turning the tables on Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Oath with a 12 1/4-length victory at Saratoga Race Course.

Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House’s Nest entered off a runner-up effort to stablemate Mo Donegal when facing the boys in the Belmont Stakes (G1), one start after finishing two lengths in arrears of Secret Oath in the Kentucky Oaks. The last time the Kentucky Oaks exacta was reversed in the CCA Oaks was in 1998, when Banshee Breeze defeated Keeper Hill.

Nest’s CCA Oaks win provided her Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher with his record-extending eighth victory in the historic nine-furlong event. Among his previous CCA Oaks victresses are Hall of Famer Ashado, who won in 2004 when the race was contested at Belmont Park. His first CCA Oaks win took place in 2001 with Tweedside, when it was a 1 1/2-mile event.

“I guess I’ve been around long enough when this race used to be run at a mile and a half at Belmont. That would really have been in her [Nest’s] wheelhouse,” Pletcher said.

The expected shape of the race was altered when both Butterbean and Society, an expected pace presence, stumbled at the break. Nest broke sharply from post 3 under Irad Ortiz Jr. with Secret Oath and Nostalgic, 10th in the Kentucky Oaks, keeping close company to her outside heading into the first turn.

A headstrong Society found a seam along the inside and was insistent to join the top flight to mark the opening quarter-mile in :24.10 over the fast main track as less than one length separated the top-four runners with Butterbean trailing.

Nest put a head in front through a half-mile in :47.46 as a wavering Society dropped back to third in tandem with Nostalgic. But while those two threw in the towel, Secret Oath appeared to be ready for a fight and found herself on even terms with her familiar foe around the far turn as they logged a sharp three-quarters in 1:11.05.

Entering the stretch, Luis Saez was all out and asking for more out of Secret Oath, while Ortiz appeared comfortable aboard Nest.

With Next opening up by 4 1/2 lengths at the stretch call, Ortiz took a peek back past the furlong marker and had his filly all wrapped up by the sixteenth pole as she strolled home well in hand, stopping the clock in 1:51.04.

Secret Oath finished another three lengths ahead of Nostalgic with Society and Butterbean completing the order of finish.

Nest, who returned $3.90 as the favorite, banked $275,000 in victory which enhanced her already millionaire status to $1,405,550. She has never finished out of the money in eight lifetime starts, three of which are graded stakes wins.

The victory was a second CCA Oaks win for Ortiz, whose first Grade 1 victory came in this race’s 2012 edition aboard Questing.

“It’s a great feeling and she’s a great filly,” Ortiz said. “I’ve been on her and obviously we wanted to win this race, the whole team did, and it worked out well when I realize she’s already home. I just took care of her for the next race.”

Prior to Nest’s previous two starts in the Kentucky Oaks and Belmont Stakes, she was an easy open-lengths winner of the Central Bank Ashland (G1) on April 8 at Keeneland.

Pletcher said the biggest difference maker on Saturday was Nest’s ability to be in the clear when ready to make her move.

“She’s showed up every race of her life,” Pletcher said. “The last two trips, she was sort of bottled up in both the Oaks and the Belmont, and she had no place to go. She could have advanced sooner than she did, but she still closed well. That was one of the things we were working on today.”

Pletcher noted the dynamics of the race were altered by the bad break from the two horses to Nest’s inside.

“It’s funny how you spend a lot of time analyzing a game plan and then, as they say, everything can change at the break, which it did today,” Pletcher said. “The main thing is we wanted to establish some position, get away smoothly and get to the first turn in a forward position. We were able to do that even though everyone wasn’t positioned exactly where we thought they would be. It turned out to ultimately to have those four fillies bunch up together and she was able to fend off the challenge from Secret Oath and keep going.”

Secret Oath’s Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a two-time CCA Oaks winner, was gracious in defeat.

“The winner ran a super, super race. She won fair and square. We hung a little bit,” Lukas said. “We needed, I think, to have been a little tighter on this track. Coming in here and shipping from out of state is tough – it always has been, and I’ve been here 50 years. It’s always been a place where you do a little better if you have an out over it. But the good news is we’ll have another shot.”

With Nest and Secret Oath now having one victory over the other in two starts, there is a possibility for round three as Pletcher and Lukas both said they would consider bringing their fillies back for the $600,000 Alabama (G1) on August 20 at 10 furlongs at the Spa.

“We’ve run a lot of horses in the Belmont over the years, but we’ve never had one come out any better than she did,” Pletcher said. “She had great energy and she gained weight since that race. She gave us every indication she was ready to run back. Originally, we thought we should wait for the Alabama, but she was just doing too good to bypass this race.”

Yes, I think they’ll team up again. She [Nest] will have the edge, but maybe we’ll get better,” Lukas said.

Benefitting from a savvy mid-race move to the lead by jockey Tyler Conner, Jeremy Brooks’ homebred Wow Whata Summer posted an 83-1 upset over odds-on favorite Annapolis in Friday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Penn Mile Stakes at Penn National racecourse in Grantville, Pa.

Trained by James Lawrence II, Wow Whata Summer – a 3-year-old by the War Front stallion Summer Front – paid a whopping $168.60 on a $2 wager after covering one mile on soft turf in 1:42.39. Annapolis, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., finished second as the 1-2 favorite, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, with Uncaptured Spirit and Angel Suarez third in the field of eight 3-year-olds. Completing the order of finish were Red Danger, Fort Washington, Ohtwoohthreefive, Witty and Noneedtoworry.

The Penn Mile was one of six stakes offering $950,000 on the 11-race card at Penn National, and Wow Whata Summer gave Conner the second of three stakes wins on the night.  The leading rider at the current meet teamed with Erin McClellan-trained Maldives Model to win the first stakes of the program, the $100,000 Lyphard Stakes, then completed his triple aboard Nimitz Class for trainer Bruce Kravets in the Danzig Stakes. Both Maldives Model and Nimitz Class are owned by Tom Coulter.

The other three stakes went to Joseph Imbesi’s odds-on favorite Buy Land and See for trainer Anthony Dutrow and jockey Flavien Prat in the With Anticipation; Chad Brown-trained, Prat-ridden Haughty, the odds-on favorite in the Penn Oaks for a partnership of Bradley Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC, Tim Cambron, Anna Cambron, and Team Hanley; and Joseph Besecker’s  7-5 favorite Bazinga, trained by Timothy Kreiser and ridden by Horacio Karamanos, in the New Start Stakes.

Conner hugged the rail throughout the Penn Mile after breaking from the two post. He settled into fourth early as  Uncaptured Spirit set fractions of :24.08 for the opening quarter mile and :49.50 for the half.  Moving boldly along the rail to take on the front-runner in the run down the backstretch, Conner and Wow Whata Summer seized command before hitting the far turn and held a 1 1/2-length advantage with a quarter of a mile to go after six furlongs in 1:14.43.

Annapolis and Ortiz, breaking from the No. 1 post, left the rail open and raced to the outside of  Uncaptured Spirit in third position for much of the way, but had too much to do after Wow Whata Summer took over the lead and cruised to the wire without ever being seriously challenged.

The victory was the second in seven starts for Wow Whata Summer, whose only previous win came via disqualification in his career debut at Colonial Downs last July 20. He’s been stakes placed since then, and was third in his only 2022 start, an allowance race sprint at Laurel on April 23.

Lyon College announced it has begun developing plans for a proposed veterinary school located in Little Rock, Ark. The school will be part of the new Lyon College Institute of Health Sciences.

The College’s faculty assembly and Board of Trustees approved the proposal in March, and the proposals for academic changes were submitted to the College’s regional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), on Tuesday, March 15. Following consideration by HLC, the College will submit the prepared accreditation applications with both the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education (COE) and the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Pending the accreditors’ approval, inaugural classes could start as early as 2024 or 2025.

Lyon has identified several potential locations in Little Rock and should finalize the location for the campus soon.

To ensure the success of the schools’ openings, Lyon College has entered into a strategic collaboration with OneHealth Education Group (OneHealth). OneHealth utilizes private sector capital and consultant solutions to support the launch of professional health science programs. The group aims to reduce the debt burden of graduating professionals and to provide solutions for communities that lack ample access to healthcare.

“We are excited to convene Lyon College … veterinary leaders, and other funders together to create this opportunity,” said Frazier Edwards, president of OneHealth.

With only 14.3 veterinarians per 100,000 individuals, Arkansas ranks 49th in the country for its veterinarian-population ratio, and agriculture makes up nearly 15 percent of Arkansas’s economy, with poultry, cattle, and equines accounting for the largest share of that. Demand is expected to increase sharply. A recent study predicts Americans will increase their spending on pet healthcare by 33 percent in the next decade, while the number of new veterinarians entering the profession each year increases by just 2.7 percent annually, falling short of the need for 40,000 new veterinarians in the United States by 2030.

In an announcement to the Lyon College campus community, President Melissa Taverner said, “Lyon has a 150-year history of providing exceptional and relevant education to Arkansans and students of the region… These plans are part of a comprehensive, strategic set of initiatives, all borne out of our vision for Lyon and higher education in Arkansas, as we mark our sesquicentennial year.”

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She continued, “Our strength in education, coupled with our partnership with OneHealth, creates a unique opportunity to meet an important need that affects every Arkansan.”

OneHealth has partnered with the Animal Policy Group for guidance in developing the school. The Animal Policy Group works closely with the veterinary industry and schools in the United States and throughout the world to maximize their success.

Lyon College Board Chair Perry Wilson described today’s announcement as “a proud moment for Lyon College and the state of Arkansas.”

“This strategic initiative is consistent with the long-standing mission of Lyon College and will propel the economic growth of our state.”

Read more here.

Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., is currently scheduled to open on May 7 with the strictest whip rules in the country: jockeys will only be allowed to use the whip for safety reasons. However, whip rules under the new federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, scheduled to go into effect on July 1, will allow jockeys to use the whip six times during a single race, but not more than twice in succession.

According to the Asbury Park Press, Monmouth officials have asked the New Jersey Racing Commission to implement HISA’s version of the whip rules for the entirety of the 2022 race meet.

“I think we have a very good chance of getting this done,” Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development, which operates Monmouth Park, told APP. “It doesn’t make sense to have different rules to start the meet and switch midstream.”

Unfortunately, the commission may not be able to adopt the new rule in time for the start of Monmouth’s meet. Instead, Monmouth may be allowed to institute a “house rule” that matches that of the new HISA regulation.

The only downside is that the stewards, employed by the commission, would not be able to enforce the whip rule. Instead, that task would fall to the placing judges and racing secretary John Heims.

Read more at the Asbury Park Press.

The first foals by Spendthrift Farm’s Horse of the Year Authentic have begun to arrive, and to celebrate, Spendthrift is hosting a “Foal Derby” to share photos of the stallion’s debut crop and reward breeders and fans with prizes.

Each week leading up to the Kentucky Derby, a group of Authentic’s foals will be displayed on Spendthrift Farm’s social media channels. The two foals with the most likes and shares will face off in the finals each Friday to decide the favorite. Both finalists will then be among 20 horses eligible to win the grand prizes, based on the results of this year’s Kentucky Derby. Voters will also be eligible for weekly prizes.

To learn more about the rules and prizes for both breeders and voters, click here.

Authentic, a 5-year-old son of Into Mischief, stands at Spendthrift Farm for an advertised fee of $70,000. He was named Horse of the Year in 2020, following a campaign that saw him earn Grade 1 victories in the Kentucky Derby, Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Haskell Stakes.

A pair of colts with pages full of Grade 1 black type go head-to-head in this week’s matchup of finalists, one of which comes from a breeding program quite familiar to the sire.

Click here to vote on the Week 8 finalists. Voting is also available on Spendthrift’s Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Let’s take a look at this week’s finalists…

Foal: Colt o/o Inspired

Bred by: Peter Blum

Click here to cast your vote on Facebook.

The eighth foal out of the stakes-winning Unbridled’s Song mare Inspired, and a half-brother to stakes-placed Night Time Lady. Grade 1 winners Well Chosen and Leofric are in the colt’s extended family, as well as Grade 3 winner Major General, who is a contender on this year’s Triple Crown trail.

It’s a notable mating for Blum’s program, which also produced Authentic himself in 2017.

Foal: colt o/o Classic Strike

Bred by: Three Chimneys Farm and Clearsky Farm

Click here to cast your vote on Facebook.

The 11th foal out of the winning Smart Strike mare Classic Strike, a top producer whose foals include Grade 1 winner Union Strike, Grade 2 winner Handsome Mike, stakes winner Pretty Lady, and stakes-placed Classic Sense.

“He’s a really nice foal,” said Clearsky Farm’s Barry Robinette. “The mare’s done a great job of having some foals in the past. This one’s a nice physical.

“It fit her well pedigree-wise,” Robinette said about the cross with Authentic. “He’s a nice-looking stallion. We’ve had three Authentics this year, and they’ve all been nice horses, so he’s getting the product on the ground. The combination made it a no-brainer.”

It’s official. The girl will be taking on the boys for the first time in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 2 at Oaklawn.

Multiple stakes winner Secret Oath was among nine horses entered Sunday for the Arkansas Derby, which is Oaklawn’s final major prep for the Kentucky Derby (G1). The Arkansas Derby will go as the 12th of 13 races, with probable post time 6:35 p.m. (CT). First post April 2 is noon.

The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points (100-40-20-10, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters.

Secret Oath, who drew post 6, has dominated 3-year-old fillies at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, winning her three starts by a combined 23 lengths for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and breeder/owner Briland Farm (Robert and Stacy Mitchell).

After securing a spot in the Kentucky Oaks – the country’s biggest race for 3-year-old fillies – with a 7 ½-length victory in the Honeybee Stakes (G3) Feb. 26, Lukas began targeting the Arkansas Derby, which he won in 1984 and 1985.

Lukas won the 1984 Arkansas Derby with Althea, a week after she finished second in the Fantasy. Lukas finished third in the 1986 Arkansas Derby with another filly, Family Style, a week after she finished fourth in the Fantasy. Althea and Family Style were both Eclipse Award winners at 2. He won the 1985 edition with Tank’s Prospect.

The projected Arkansas Derby field from the rail out: Kavod, Mitchell Murrill to ride, 122 pounds; Chasing Time, Jose Lezcano, 122; Barber Road, Reylu Gutierrez, 122; Doppelganger, John Velazquez, 122; Un Ojo, Ramon Vazquez, 122; Secret Oath, Luis Contreras, 117; Ben Diesel, Jon Court, 122; Cyberknife, Florent Geroux, 122; and We the People, Flavien Prat, 122.

Barber Road had his final workout for the Arkansas Derby over a fast track Sunday morning for trainer John Ortiz.

Barber Road breezed after the surface renovation break, covering a half-mile in :49.40 under exercise rider Elexander Aguilar. Clockers caught Barber Road in :25.20 for his opening quarter and galloping out 5 furlongs in 1:01.80. Barber Road worked by himself Sunday after breezing in company leading up to his prior starts this year.

“We were just doing maintenance work with him,” Ortiz said. “He’s more than fit. He’s run over this course three times already. We drilled him pretty hard going into his last race. We know he can get the distance; we know he’s fit as can be and there nothing else that I can do, except to just keep him happy and on his toes. It’s funny. Turning him around to go to his workout, he gave us a little Lipizzan leap in front of the grandstand. So, he’s on his toes.”

Barber Road, who races for former Walmart executive William Simon, was breezing for the second time since finishing third, beaten a half-length, in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26. The Rebel was Oaklawn’s final major prep for the Arkansas Derby.

The consistent Barber Road finished second in Oaklawn’s first two Kentucky Derby points races – $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 mile Jan. 1 and $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 29 – and has never finished worse than fourth in his seven-race career. Barber Road ranks 17th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points, according to Churchill Downs. A top four finish in the Arkansas Derby likely would secure Barber Road a spot in the Kentucky Derby.

Also returning from the Rebel are Un Ojo, Kavod, Chasing Time and Ben Diesel, the 1-4-5-8 finishers, respectively, while We the People is unbeaten in two career starts at the meeting for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. Cyberknife was a sharp allowance winner Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds in his last start for two-time reigning Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox.

The Southern California-based Doppelganger had been with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert – a four-time Arkansas Derby winner – before being moved earlier this week to Tim Yakteen, a former assistant. Doppelganger exits a runner-up finish in his two-turn debut, the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2), March 5 at Santa Anita.

Call Me Jamal, a two-time winner at the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meeting, wasn’t entered in the Arkansas Derby after emerging from a 6-furlong work Sunday morning with a physical issue.

In addition to the Arkansas Derby and $600,000 Fantasy (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, post positions also were drawn Sunday for two other April 2 stakes races – $400,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) for older horses and the $200,000 Carousel for fillies and mares at 6 furlongs. A third stakes race scheduled April 2, the $150,000 Temperence Hill for older horses at 1 ½ miles, will be brought back April 3 after not filling.

Dream Lith, Magic Circle, Eda and Yuugiri were among nine entered in the Fantasy.

Two Emmys led at every point of call before bounding away in the stretch to win the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Second in last year’s edition of the race, the 6-year-old English Channel gelding gave a tour de force performance this year, winning by 2 1/2 lengths from Santin.

With James Graham aboard for trainer and co-owner Hugh Robertson, Two Emmy’s was timed in 1:49.83 for 1 1/8 miles on firm turf.

Two Emmys led by about 1 1/2 lengths while setting easy fractions of :25.94 and :49.83 through a half mile with 2-1 favorite Santin loping along in second in the nine-horse field.

Widening his advantage to about four lengths at the quarter pole, Two Emmys set off for the finish line and won unchallenged.

Cavalry Charge checked in third.

Two Emmys, who is also owned by Wolfe Racing, won for the first time in three starts this year and improved to 5-8-1 in 20 career starts and earnings of $765,708.

Favorite Olympiad took charge in early stretch and cruised clear to win the $500,000 New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer Bill Mott, Olympiad was two lengths clear of Proxy at the finish line and covered 1 1/8 miles in in a swift 1:47.74.

Off at 3-5 odds, Olympiad pressed pacesetter Promisekeeper, who laid down fractions of :23.69 an :47.46 through the opening half mile. Six furlongs went in 1:35.66 before Alvarado gave the cue at the quarter pole and the winner spurted away. Proxy rallied from fourth to take second.

Promisekeeper held on for third, 2 3/4 lengths back.

Olympiad won the Mineshaft Stakes (G3) last month at Fair Grounds, setting a track record of 1:42.01 for 1 1/16 miles. The bay son of Speightstown, campaigned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods, has only finished worse than second once in his seven race career – a troubled fourth-place finish in last year’s Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct.

Mott said the goal for Olympiad, who is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Tokyo Time, is to take another shot at winning at the highest level.

“We’d like to get him in a Grade 1 and get the job done,” Mott said.

Three projected starters for the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 2 recorded their final workouts over a fast track Saturday morning at Oaklawn.

The trio of workers included Un Ojo, the one-eyed gelding who recorded an upset victory in Oaklawn’s final major Arkansas Derby prep, the Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 26, for Louisiana-based trainer Ricky Courville.

Un Ojo breezed by himself after the surface renovation break under Rebel-winning rider Ramon Vazquez and covered a half-mile in :48.80. The gelding galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.

“Easy half, in hand,” said Clay Courville, who assists his father and regularly gallops Un Ojo. “Just a maintenance work. Northing hard. Just something to keep him happy.”

Un Ojo was breezing for the second time since winning the 1 1/16-mile Rebel at odds of 75-1. Un Ojo arrived Wednesday afternoon after a 5 ½-hour van ride from his south Louisiana base, The Training Center At Copper Crowne. Un Ojo returned to the work tab March 19 at The Training Center At Copper Crowne, clocking 5 furlongs in 1:03.

Working a half-mile approximately 15 minutes after the track opened at 7 a.m. (CT) was unbeaten We the People for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. We the People, as he normally does, breezed in company, this time with Triple Crown nominee and stablemate Kuchar, who is being pointed for the $150,000 Oaklawn Stakes April 23. We the People went in :47.80 and galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 under Brisset, his normal morning partner.

“Very good,” Brisset said. “Usual work for him. Same work we did last time before the allowance – :48, a minute and change – galloped out strong. Just a maintenance work at seven days. It was very good. Hopefully, he came out of it OK and we go from there.”

Also working in company just after the track opened was Ben Diesel for trainer Dallas Stewart. A full brother to multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Girls Secret, Ben Diesel recorded a 5-furlong bullet (:59) under regular rider Jon Court. Ben Diesel breezed with older stablemate Last Samurai, who won the $150,000 Poinsettia Stakes for 3-year-olds Dec. 11.

Post positions for the Arkansas Derby will be drawn Sunday at 12:30 p.m. (CT) in the Larry Snyder Winner’s Circle. The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points (100-40-20-10, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters.

The Oaklawn racing department listed nine probables Saturday morning, with a handful of others still being considered for the 1 1/8-mile race. Confirmed starters are Barber Road for trainer John Ortiz, Ben Diesel, Call Me Jamal (Mike Puhich), Chasing Time (Steve Asmussen), Cyberknife (Brad Cox), Doppelganger (Tim Yakteen), Secret Oath (D. Wayne Lukas), Un Ojo and We the People.

Oaklawn-based Barber Road and Call Me Jamal are scheduled to have their final works for the Arkansas Derby Sunday morning, their respective trainers said.

Secret Oath, who will be facing males for the first time, has won her three starts at the meeting by a combined 23 lengths. She won a Dec. 31 allowance race at 1 mile by 8 ¼ lengths, $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 29 by 7 ¼ lengths and the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) Feb. 26 by 7 ½ lengths. The Martha Washington and Honeybee were 1 1/16 miles.

Secret Oath, with 60 points for her Honeybee and Martha Washington victories, tops the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard. The daughter of Arrogate had been under consideration for the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles April 2 – Oaklawn’s final major Kentucky Oaks prep – before targeting the Arkansas Derby.

Lukas won the 1984 Arkansas Derby with Althea, a week after she finished second in the Fantasy. Lukas finished third in the 1986 Arkansas Derby with another filly, Family Style, a week after she finished fourth in the Fantasy. Althea and Family Style were both Eclipse Award winners at 2.

Chasing Time and Ben Diesel finished 5-8, respectively, in the Rebel, while We the People exits a five-length entry-level allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles March 12. Cyberknife was a sharp allowance winner Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds in his last start.

The Southern California-based Doppelganger had been with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert – a four-time Arkansas Derby winner – before being moved earlier this week to Yakteen, a former assistant. Baffert-trained horses were ineligible to collect Kentucky Derby qualifying points because of his two-year ban by Churchill Downs. He also is scheduled to begin serving a 90-day suspension April 4, sanctions stemming from the disqualification of his 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, because of a medication violation.

Doppelganger, Grade 2 placed, worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 Saturday morning at Santa Anita. Cyberknife went the same distance in 1:01.80 Saturday morning at Fair Grounds.

The $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1), the nation’s biggest race for 3-year-old fillies, is May 6 at Churchill Downs. The $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1), the first leg of the Triple Crown, is May 7 at Churchill Downs.

In addition to the Arkansas Derby and Fantasy, post positions also will be drawn Sunday for three other April 2 stakes races – $400,000 Oaklawn Mile (G3) for older horses, $200,000 Carousel for fillies and mares at 6 furlongs and the $150,000 Temperence Hill for older horses at 1 ½ miles.

Among the Fantasy problems listed Saturday morning by the Oaklawn racing department were Beguine, Bubble Rock, Dream Lith, Heartyconstitution, I Feel the Need, Magic Circle, Under the Stars and Yuugiri.

Japan runners continued to shine on the world stage as Crown Pride ground out a classy victory Saturday in the $1 million UAE Derby Sponsored By Mubadala (G2) in the hands of Damian Lane.

Crown Pride’s victory marked a remarkable fifth success for Japan on the Dubai World Cup card after Bathrat Leon won the Godolphin Mile (G2) and Stay Foolish took the Dubai Gold Cup (G2) . Two races after the UAE Derby, Japan’s Panthalassa finish in a dead heat for first in the Dubai Turf (G1), followed by Shahryar’s triumph in the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1).

Crown Pride, a Teruya Yoshida’s homebred son of Reach the Crown, is trained by Koichi Shintani.

On a day when being close to the pace was important, it was local hope Summer Is Tomorrow who made the running and was traveling smoothly as the field entered the homestretch. Out a little wider, however, loomed Crown Pride and the pair singled out for a duel.

At the furlong marker, Summer Is Tomorrow appeared to have the measure of his Japanese rival, but his stride shortened and the Crown Pride’s reserves of stamina told inside the final 100 meters for a victory by 2 3/4 lengths. Island Falcon finished third for Godolphin just over a length further back.

Crown Pride, a nominee to the U.S. Triple Crown, covered about 1 3/16 miles (1,900 meters) in 1:59.76 on a track rated as fast.

Among U.S.-based runners, Gilded Age was 13th, Get Back Goldie was 15th, and Pinehurst, was last in the full field of 16 runners.

With his UAE Derby victory, Crown Pride, a nominee to the U.S. Triple Crown, earned 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby (G1) May 7.

Updated Kentucky Derby/Oaks Leaderboard

Crown Pride, who has three wins from four starts, was racing outside of Japan for the first time and earned his first graded or group win Saturday.

“He stepped out okay but didn’t travel too well thereafter and it just took a little bit to get him in a rhythm and get him going.” Lane said of Crown Pride after the UAE Derby. “I got crowded a little early but as I say he was able to stride through and take up position and it was plain sailing from there really. I was confident a long way out and although he made hard work of it in the straight, ultimately he was the toughest out there. He’s a strong, tough horse and saw the distance out well.”

He added: “Whenever you jump aboard (a Japanese-trained horse) you can be confident they’re going to be strong and they’re going to run well and it’s just a privilege to be a part of it.”

Bhupat Seemar, trainer of runner-up Summer Is Tomorrow, said: “This horse eats well, trains well, sleeps well – he is the perfect horse to have for any owner or trainer. Maybe we should have gone to the Guineas first and if he had a little bit of a longer race in him, he would have finished a little closer. The furthest he’d gone before today was seven furlongs, but he’d shown so much natural speed. At least we have a good horse for next year.”

He continued: “He’s been sprinting before so pace comes naturally, the only thing was that the track was playing for speed as well so we thought we might have a little crack at it. Turning for home when he was still travelling, I thought he would pick up a little bit more but without that longer race to condition him he just gave out.

“I’d definitely consider the Kentucky Derby (G1), but I’d have to see if he’s nominated or not first of all. That’s the biggest thing. Why not though? There were some good horses behind him, a couple of Grade 1 horses from America, so now that he’s had that run I think we’d have to think about it.”

3rd – Island Falcon, jockey Pat Cosgrave said: “The added trip was in his favour and he ran well.”

4th – Bendoog, trainer Bhupat Seemar said: “Very happy with his run, he just got on the rail and he got a lot of kickback but he’s an immature horse and he ran one hell of a race.”

4th – Bendoog, jockey Tadhg O’Shea said: “He’s a big shell of a horse and ran very good. He enjoyed a lovely trip around the inside and he drafted off the winner. He’s a big horse and next year when he fills that big frame, there will be more to come.

9th – Azure Coast, jockey Antonio Fresu said: “My horse was uncomfortable going over the two turns and didn’t handle the track very well and didn’t perform.”

10th – Withering, jockey Adrie de Vries said: “It was alway going to be a very tough race. We weren’t very lucky with the draw and my horse was hanging all the way and he wasn’t comfortable. I would have liked to get something to get me into the ride, but he was wide always and didn’t get a chance.

15th – Get Back Goldie, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr said: “My horse didn’t handle the track very well, maybe he’s just better on grass.”

Registered Florida-breds will be showcased March 27 when they compete for $660,000 in stakes purses in the 19th annual Florida Cup at Tampa Bay Downs.

Anyone who has been a fan of the Oldsmar oval for more than a few years owns a bucketful of Florida Cup memories, and for some, It’s Me Mom’s scintillating victory in the 2012 Sprint remains the top thrill of all. The 4-year-old homebred filly defeated a field of six males, speeding home in a still-standing, track-record time of 1:08.67 for the six-furlong distance under jockey Jorge Vargas.

A number of horses have used victories in the Florida Cup to go on to more prestigious achievements, including World Approval, victorious in both the 2015 Sophomore Turf and the 2017 Turf Classic; Imperial Hint, winner of both the 2016 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore and the 2018 Sprint; and Catalina Red, who won the 2016 Sprint.

This year’s Florida Cup consists of three races apiece on both the main dirt track and the turf course, with three races for 3-year-olds, two for horses 4-years-old-and-upward and one for fillies and mares 3-and-upward. Entries will be drawn Thursday in the Tampa Bay Downs Racing Office.

The Florida Cup races are as follows (each offers $110,000 in purse money):

• Ocala Breeders’ Sales Sophomore, 3-year-olds, 7 furlongs, main track
• Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies, 3 -year-old fillies, 7 furlongs, main track
• Equistaff Sophomore Turf, 3-year-olds, 1 1/16-mile, turf course
• Grey Goose Turf Classic, 4-year-olds-and-upward, 1 1/8-mile, turf course
• Pleasant Acres Stallions Distaff Turf, fillies and mares 3-and-upward, 1 1/16-mile, turf course
• NYRABETS Sprint, 4-and-upward, 6 furlongs, main track

Brian Lynch was looking for confirmation Saturday that Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Classic Causeway was feeling as good as he looks.

The 3-year-old colt provided it in abundance, breezing 5 furlongs in 59.95 seconds at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach. Next stop: Tampa Bay Downs, where he will be a big favorite in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.

“We’ve been fortunate to not miss a beat with him,” the trainer said this morning. “He has had two strong workouts (since the Sam F. Davis), and he is on schedule to go back to a track he really liked. We’re looking forward to getting back over there.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., who rode five winners on Sam F. Davis Day on Feb. 12, will again be aboard.

Classic Causeway, who is owned by Kentucky West Racing, LLC and Clarke M. Cooper, is expected to face at least 10 rivals, including Sam F. Davis runner-up Shipsational, in the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Derby, which is a major points race on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby.” The top four finishers will receive 50, 20, 10 and 5 points toward qualifying for the Run for the Roses on May 7 at Churchill Downs.

If Classic Causeway runs as well as Lynch says he’s doing, you won’t want to be late to the party.

“He came out of the (Sam F. Davis) very well, he’s carrying good weight and he has great energy, so we’re counting our blessings,” Lynch said. “He seemed to really like the racetrack, so we thought the smart thing was to take him back over there and have a crack at the Tampa Bay Derby.”

Classic Causeway will bid to become the first horse since Destin in 2016 to win both of the Oldsmar oval’s Kentucky Derby prep races.

The field for the Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 horses, and Classic Causeway is currently 11th on the leaderboard with 16 points. Depending on Saturday’s outcome, Lynch said Classic Causeway could then return on April 9 in the G1 Toyota Blue Grass at Keeneland or go straight to the Kentucky Derby.

Classic Causeway is scheduled to arrive at Tampa Bay Downs on Thursday.

His probable opponents will have something to say about his subsequent plans. They include Shipsational, a solid runner-up in the Sam F. Davis, trained by Edward Barker; conditioner Todd Pletcher’s Major General, expected to make his first start since winning the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes on Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs; Golden Glider, fifth in the Sam F. Davis, trained by Mark Casse; and Midnight Chrome, third in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on Dec. 4 at Aqueduct, trained by J. Tyler Servis.

Other likely participants include trainer H. Graham Motion’s Belgrade, 2-for-2 after an allowance/optional claiming victory here on Feb. 19; Happy Boy Rocket, trained by Bill Mott; Victoria Oliver’s Trademark; Spin Wheel, trained by George “Rusty” Arnold, II; Grantham, trained by Michael Maker; and The Skipper Too, trained by Juan Alvarado.

A huge crowd is expected for Saturday’s Festival Day 42 card, which includes four other stakes races, three of them graded. The lineup also consists of the Grade 2, $225,000 Hillsborough Stakes for fillies and mares 4-years-old-and-upward, at a mile-and-an-eighth on the turf; the Grade 3, $200,000 Florida Oaks, for 3-year-old fillies at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf; the Grade 3, $100,000 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes, for horses 4-and-upward at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track; and the $75,000 Columbia Stakes, for 3-year-olds at a mile on the turf.

Entries for the full Festival Day 42 card will be drawn Wednesday in the Tampa Bay Downs Racing Office.

General-admission tickets are $15. Gates will open at 11 a.m. and first post time will be noon. As if great racing isn’t enough to attract fans, Tampa Bay Downs will give a “Mystery Mutuel Voucher” worth from $5-$1,000 to the first 5,000 through the gates, with paid admission.

The Hillsborough Stakes could feature a rematch between two outstanding 4-year-old fillies: trainer Chad Brown’s unbeaten (4-for-4) Bleecker Street, who won the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes here on Feb. 5, and Lady Speightspeare, the Endeavour runner-up, who is trained by Roger Attfield.

Brown, who has won the Hillsborough four times, is also expected to send 5-year-old German-bred mare Kalifornia Queen, third by a half-length on Oct. 17 in the Grade 1 E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine.

Others expected to compete are trainer Michael Wright’s Nantucket Red, winner of the Wayward Lass Stakes on the dirt here on Jan. 15 and sixth in the Endeavour; Christopher Davis’s Jezebel’s Kitten, a fast-closing fourth in the Endeavour; Lynch’s Take Charge Ro, 8-for-10 in-the-money lifetime, with three victories; stakes winner Runaway Rumour, trained by Jorge Abreu; and trainer Tom Albertrani’s Lovely Lucky.

The Florida Oaks promises to be a wide-open affair, with a potential-laden cast of 3-year-old fillies seeking to take the next step toward stardom. Trainer Mark Casse plans to enter Grade 3 winner Mrs. Barbara.

H. Graham Motion is expected to start a pair of contenders: Ambitieuse, who was second in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant Stakes on Feb. 5 at Gulfstream in her most recent effort, and Vergara, last seen winning the Tepin Stakes on Nov. 28 at Aqueduct.

Brown may also start two: recent impressive maiden winner Spicer and Dolce Zel, a French-bred who broke her maiden on Oct. 14 at Longchamp and has been working steadily at Payson Park Training Center in Indiantown for her U.S. debut.

Others likely to run are stakes winner Alittleloveandluck, owned and trained by Mike Dini; Roughly a Diamond, conditioned by Michelle Nihei; Hail To, from the barn of Albertrani; Princess Elin, conditioned by Alnaz Ali; Sweet Dutchess, trained by Kathleen O’Connell; and Libretto, trained by Abreu.

The Michelob Ultra Challenger is likely to include two horses from the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher, a four-time winner of the race: 4-year-old colt Dynamic One, a stakes winner who finished second in last year’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, and 5-year-old War Stopper.

The race could also feature trainer Victoria Oliver’s 4-year-old colt Hidden Stash, who has finished second and third in a pair of recent turf starts, his first efforts since competing in last year’s Kentucky Derby. Previous to that, Hidden Stash was third in the Sam F. Davis, second in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby and fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass.

Another to watch is Militarist, who finished fourth in the Grade 1 Clark Stakes presented by Norton Healthcare on Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs. Carlo Vaccarezza trains Militarist.

Heavy favorite Newgrange, in his first race outside California, came from off the pace at Oaklawn under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez to score a 1 ½-length victory in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds to remain unbeaten in three lifetime starts.

It was a record-tying fifth Southwest victory at the  Hot Springs, Ark., track for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and his 18th overall in Oaklawn’s four-race Kentucky Derby prep series – all since 2010. Newgrange was exiting a front-running 2 ¾-length victory over stablemate Rockefeller in the $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3) Jan. 1 at Santa Anita.

Although the Sham and Southwest offered 17 points (10-4-2-1, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby, Newgrange was running for purse money only because of Baffert’s suspension from Churchill Downs. It stems from a possible medication violation involving his 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. No stewards’ ruling has been issued, but a Feb. 7 hearing is reportedly set.

So, when Churchill Downs released its official Kentucky Derby leaderboard late Saturday afternoon, Newgrange, instead of topping the list with 20, had zero since Baffert trainees are ineligible to collect Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

“I’m not going to worry about that right now,” Baffert, a record seven-time Kentucky Derby winner, said in a phone interview moments after the Southwest.

In a text message Sunday morning, Baffert said Newgrange emerged in “great” shape physically from his Southwest victory and would be flown back to his Southern California base Tuesday.

Newgrange and Grade 3 winners Rockefeller and Messier were Baffert’s three nominees to the Southwest, which is Oaklawn’s second of four Kentucky Derby points races.

Newgrange and Messier worked against each other in a half-mile drill Jan. 23 at Santa Anita. Both horses were credited with :47.20, which ranked second of 114 times published at the distance.

Baffert, subsequently, opted to keep Messier home for the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 6 at Santa Anita and send Newgrange to Oaklawn for the Southwest. The colt arrived Wednesday – a day later than originally scheduled – following a flight from Southern California.

“I thought this horse kind of had a good mind,” Baffert said. “The ship in there is a little bit tougher now. You’ve got to go to Memphis (about 190 miles northeast of Hot Springs) and get them a van. I thought Newgrange’s got a great mind and Messier’s going to run here in the Bob Lewis with some other ones. Try to spread them out, try to see where they fit. So, that was the reason.”

After leading at almost every point of call in his first two starts, Newgrange showed a new dimension in the 1 1/16-mile Southwest.

Newgrange stalked front-runner Kavod down the backstretch, but appeared to be struggling on the second turn and in upper stretch. Newgrange ($5) found another gear inside the furlong marker and held late-running Barber Road safe in the run to the wire. The winning time over a fast track was 1:45.83.

“I think he needed it today,” Baffert said. “He had to really gut it out. Turning for home, I wasn’t sure. Then, he came on. I thought it was a good spot for him and, hopefully, he just continues on. He showed today he’s a pretty solid horse. I always try to bring my best horses up there that are doing the best.”

Baffert said next-race plans are pending for Newgrange, a son of Violence who has bankrolled $552,000 for a high-profile ownership group that includes SF Racing (Gavin Murphy), Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf), Madaket Stables (Sol Kumin) and Stonestreet Stables (Barbara Banke). Newgrange was purchased for $125,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby prep series continues with the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26 and the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 2. Baffert has won the Rebel a record eight times.

“We’ll definitely have something for the Rebel,” Baffert said. “I just don’t know which one.”

Baffert’s longtime traveling assistant, Jimmy Barnes, saddled Newgrange for the Southwest.

Barber Road collected four points for his runner-up finish Saturday and now has eight overall to rank 13th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters, with starting preference based on horses with highest point totals accumulated in qualifying races like the Southwest and the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 1. Barber Road also finished second in the 1-mile Smarty Jones, Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Derby points race.

“Aiming for the Kentucky Derby now,” Barber Road’s trainer, John Ortiz, said in a text message Sunday morning. “The dream is finally feeling very realistically possible. So, the next step would be the Rebel. Thoughts about going to Dubai have been put on the table as well, but most likely we’d love to stay home and run over the track he is loving right now.”

Barber Road finished 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Ben Diesel, a full brother to multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Will’s Secret for trainer Dallas Stewart and breeder/owner Willis Horton of Marshall, Ark. Ben Diesel has three points to rank 24th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Kavod is No. 26, earning two points with fourth-place finishes in the Smarty Jones and Southwest.

Smarty Jones winner Dash Attack is No. 9 following his fifth-place finish in the Southwest. Dash Attack has 10 points. Osbourne, eighth in the Southwest, is No. 20 with four points. Ignitis, 11th in the Southwest, is No. 31 with two points.
The Rebel will offer 85 total points (50-20-10-5) to the top four finishers. The Arkansas Derby is a 170-point race, with the winner receiving 100. The 2-3-4 finishers will receive 40, 20 and 10 points, respectively.

Undefeated and unchallenged Flightline worked four furlongs at 6:30 Sunday morning under Juan Leyva as he prepares for his 4-year-old debut in Santa Anita’s Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs on March 5.

“He went in 47 and four (47.80) according to the (Santa Anita) clockers,” trainer John Sadler said. “I had him in 48 and one on my watch, but more important is the way he went.

“He looked very comfortable and it was just a start on the road back. He’ll return in the San Carlos, but the big goal is the Met Mile (Grade 1 at Belmont Park on June 11).”

Flightline, a $1 million son of Tapit, won the Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu States by 11 ½ lengths on Dec. 26. He has captured his three starts by a combined margin of 37 ½ lengths and now a potential Race of the Century looms should he face Life Is Good in the Met Mile.

Life Is Good was an easy winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and dominating winner over Horse of the Year favorite Knicks Go in Saturday’s Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.

Sadler was asked about a possible meeting of the two in the Met Mile. “It would be a terrific race,” he said, “very exciting.”

Stay tuned.

Doug O’Neill has but two horses nominated to next Sunday’s Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., while Bob Baffert has more than half, 11 of the 20. O’Neill is considering debut winner Happy Jack for the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds, which he won in 2007 with Great Hunter and in 2012 with eventual Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another.

The Lewis is an official qualifying points race for the Kentucky Derby, awarding 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.

“The plan is to run him if he gives us the go sign,” said O’Neill, who is considering an out-of-town stakes for his other Lewis nominee, Los Alamitos Futurity winner Slow Down Andy.

A son of Oxbow, who sired Hot Rod Charlie, Happy Jack was indeed a surprise winning first out at six furlongs on Jan. 22 for owner/breeder Calumet Farm, coming from behind at 24-1 to score by 1 1/4 lengths under Abel Cedillo, who would ride back in the Lewis.

Cedillo won three races yesterday, including the Palos Verdes Stakes on a determined Essential Wager for Bob Baffert.

Morris Animal Foundation, a leader in advancing animal health, recently announced the selection of five new equine health studies to receive funding in 2022. The studies focus on equine colic (abdominal pain), an important and potentially life-threatening disease of horses.

“Colic consistently ranks among the top health concerns of horse owners and veterinarians,” said Dr. Janet Patterson-Kane, Chief Scientific Officer. “We decided to focus on this topic in this year’s equine call for proposals to advance our understanding of intestinal disease associated with colic and ultimately assist in improving outcomes for horses around the world.”

Estimates suggest that four to 10 percent of horses will experience colic at least once in their lifetimes, and the actual incidence may be even higher. Although the majority of horses can be successfully treated on the farm, approximately 10 percent require referral for advanced care, including surgery.

The Foundation’s Large Animal Scientific Advisory Board reviewed all submitted grant applications and selected, based on scientific merit and impact, the studies with the greatest potential to save lives, preserve health and advance veterinary care for horses with colic. Equine colic studies funded for 2022 include:

Studying Intestinal Inflammation
Two research teams will take different approaches to investigate the interaction between inflammation and gut motility, to assist in developing methods of preventing ileus (reduced gut motility) after colic surgery. These approaches could dramatically assist recovery and shorten hospitalization times.

Understanding Risk Factors for Colic Secondary to Transportation
Researchers will look for colic risk factors associated with transportation to develop better management recommendations for horses requiring transport.

Helping Underserved Communities Recognize Early Signs of Colic
Researchers will develop an educational program for horse owners in underserved communities in Colombia to improve early recognition of colic, a key component of successful treatment.

New Prognostic Test for Postoperative Complications
Researchers will search for biomarkers to identify horses at higher risk for postoperative surgical complications as a first step toward a new prognostic test.

Read more here.

Trainer David Hofmans understandably had nothing but fond memories of his 1996 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup, who was euthanized Friday at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement in Georgetown, Ky., due to chronic kidney disease.

Foaled on March 31, 1991, Alphabet Soup was 31.

“I guess his kidneys finally gave out,” said Los Angeles native Hofmans, who turned 79 on Thursday. “He’s been a good horse to a lot of people. He was super; I’ve got all good memories about him.”

Alphabet Soup, a descendant of Nearco, was a gray son of Cozzene out of the Arts and Letters mare Illiterate. He compiled a 10-3-6 record from 24 lifetime starts, earning $2,990,270 for Mrs. Georgia Ridder’s Ridder Thoroughbred Stable.

He set a track record for 1 ¼ miles at Woodbine when he won the 1996 Classic, defeating both the great Cigar and Preakness winner Louis Quatorze. Upon the death of A.P. Indy on Feb. 21, 2020, Alphabet Soup became the oldest living winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Alphabet Soup raced in 1997 at age six, his best effort coming in defense of the San Antonio Handicap when he finished second to Gentlemen. Alphabet Soup retired to stud duty at Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs in Kentucky.

“He was an absolute pleasure to train and an absolute pleasure to race,” Hofmans said. “He tried hard almost every time.

“If he didn’t win it was usually because I had him in the wrong race, but he was a good horse to be around, I’ll tell you.”

Longtime Pennsylvania Thoroughbred trainer Donald R. White of Levittown, Pa., passed away on Jan. 17 at the age of 76 after a years-long battle with cancer.

A proud member of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces unit known as the Green Berets while serving in Vietnam, White opened his own stable, Don White Racing Stable, based at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa., for more than 40 years.

Equibase records show White is a multiple stakes-winning trainer with 371 wins from 4,954 career starts dating back to 1982. His most recent victory came with Malibu Anthem at Parx on Jan. 12. In late December, White sent out Sweet Turn, owned by his wife Jane, to win the PTHA Trophy at Parx.

White said his favorite part of horse training was the challenge of preparing young Thoroughbreds for their new racing careers.

Jane White said she met her husband in Baltimore some 40 years ago.

“He was assisting trainer Hap Ravich with Maryland’s first millionairess Jameela at the time,” she recalled. “It was instant love for me but it took a decade for this city girl schoolteacher knowing nothing about horses to catch him. I even tried buying a horse for him to train after a year, thinking that would escalate matters, but I still had to wait nine more years until he finally gave in.

“When we married in Hialeah in 1991, Don told me to study pedigrees and he would take care of the racing with all the homebreds I started sending him every year,” she continued. “‘Here, Honey,’ I said, ‘See what you can do with this one.’

“I remember his mother warning me long ago in Swansboro, North Carolina,  that horses would always come first to him, and they indeed are what made him get up every morning he could throughout his life,” she said. “Even at his hospital bedside the night before he died,  as I watched him struggle with an oxygen tube and not knowing if he knew I was there, he raised an eyebrow when I mentioned the name of one of our horses, Sweet Turn.”

White will be deeply missed by his many friends, his racing family associates, and especially by his loving wife, Jane (Obst) and his children: Michael Rosenbaum (Tammie), and Stephanie White, as well as his grandson: Jan Michael Rosenbaum and his sisters: Dorothy Hansley and Linda Gurganus (Johnny).

Services were held Jan. 21 with interment private. A memorial race celebration in his honor at Parx is being planned for the spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be sent to Wounded Warriors veterans charity, https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.

Trainer Michael Trombetta said he is eyeing a return to New York for R. Larry Johnson homebred Mr Jefferson in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Withers, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y. The nine-furlong test for sophomores offers 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

The Maryland-bred Constitution chestnut shipped to Aqueduct for his last two starts, finishing a distant fourth in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen on Dec. 4 ahead of a sixth-place finish in the one-turn mile Jerome which was contested over a sloppy and sealed track on New Year’s Day.

A two-time winner, Mr Jefferson broke his maiden going six furlongs at Colonial Downs in August two starts before defeating winners in November at Laurel Park.

Trombetta said Mr Jefferson will benefit from the stretch out in distance.

“More than likely, I’ll send Mr Jefferson up. The two turns definitely helps him,” Trombetta said. “The first time I brought him up, I thought he ran well. The last time I don’t think he liked the track very much. That might have had something to do with the sub-par performance.”

Mr Jefferson was initially breezing over the synthetic surface at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, but has posted his last two works over the main track at Laurel. He went an easy half-mile in 50.80 seconds Sunday.

“The track was deep because of the cold weather, but he worked well,” Trombetta said.

Mr Jefferson is out of the Malibu Moon mare Clockstrucktwelve, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning sprinter Never Enough Time – a daughter of Munnings who also is trained by Trombetta.

While Mr Jefferson will make the trek to New York, Trombetta said his stablemate Conclusive, also a two-time winner, will likely remain in Maryland for the $100,000 Miracle Wood on February 19 going one mile at Laurel Park.

Owned by Sonata Stable, Conclusive defeated winners going 1 1/16-miles on January 2 at Laurel last out, where he set the pace and built on his advantage throughout, winning by 5 3/4 lengths.

On Saturday, Trombetta sent out Three Diamonds Farm’s Jakarta to finish third in the Grade 2 Inside Information on the Pegasus World Cup undercard at Gulfstream Park.

The two-time black type stakes-winning Bustin Stones mare arrived at the Inside Information off a three-length triumph in the seven-furlong Mrs. Claus on December 28 at Parx. Trombetta said the Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie on February 19 at Laurel Park, also run at seven furlongs, would be her likely next target.

“Finishing third in a Grade 2 is not bad. If she trains well, we could go back north for the Barbara Fritchie,” Trombetta said.

Unbridled Bomber gearing up for graded debut in G3 Withers
Edward Potash, Brad Yankanich, and trainer Jim Ryerson’s Unbridled Bomber returned to work Tuesday in his second breeze since a fourth-place finish behind Courvoisier in the $150,000 Jerome on New Year’s Day at Aqueduct Racetrack.

A dark bay son of Upstart, Unbridled Bomber breezed a bullet five-eighths in 1:00.60 over Belmont Park’s dirt training track on Jan. 25, giving his connections the green light to point to the nine-furlong Withers.

“We’re headed to the Withers next and we’re happy with how he’s doing. We’re happy with how he ran last time and with his last couple races,” Ryerson said. “We’ll see if he can stretch out and handle the ground.”

Unbridled Bomber finished eighth on debut at Saratoga in July sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs before stretching out to nine furlongs and then back to one mile to break his maiden at fourth asking on Nov. 7 at Belmont.

Unbridled Bomber stuck to a one-turn mile in the Jerome over a sloppy and sealed track next time out, held off the pace in seventh by regular rider Dylan Davis through the first quarter-mile after breaking a step slow. Swung three-wide in the turn, the 3-year-old colt seemed ready to unleash a bid for the lead but never kicked away and lost show honors to Cooke Creek by three-quarters of a length.

“As the way the day went, speed was so dominant over that track,” said Ryerson. “We really couldn’t have put him into the pace and so we just had to see how it would go [from off the pace]. I thought he ran very well.”

Anthony Perri’s Open Til Midnight graduated in a state-bred maiden special weight at the Big A on Nov. 18 in his fifth start for Ryerson, stretching out to 1 1/16 miles on the turf under Jose Lezcano after starting his career off sprinting.

The 3-year-old son of Midnight Storm cut back to six furlongs last time out to finish fifth in his first start against winners on Dec. 3, a move Ryerson said was due in part to the closure of the Aqueduct turf course for winter.

“That was the only race available for him before the turf closed. He can run one-turn races on the turf though and I think he’s a nice New York-bred that we have hopes for having a nice three-year-old year,” said Ryerson.

The dark bay colt’s recent works over Belmont’s dirt training track include a bullet half-mile in 48 seconds flat on Jan. 25. Ryerson said a dirt debut will be in Open Til Midnight’s future.

“He’s been turf but we want to try him on the dirt,” said Ryerson. “He worked really well over it the other day and we’ll see what the new condition book has and what happens with him.”

Multiple stakes-placed Market Alert exited well from a fourth-place allowance effort at the Big A on January 8 and will run again sometime in February. A 4-year-old New York-bred son of D’Funnybone, Market Alert flashed his talent early on with a pair of stakes placings as a juvenile in Aqueduct’s Notebook and NYSSS Great White Way.

With an allowance win to start his sophomore campaign, Market Alert went on to earn another stakes placing with a second in the Mike Lee at Belmont and another allowance win in November. The chestnut gelding closed out the year in the NYSSS Thunder Rumble on December 5, finishing a well-beaten ninth in the field of 11.

“He ran a couple nice races and then we ran him in the stakes and were a little disappointed, but it was a tough race,” Ryerson said. “We’re happy with him so far.”

Ryerson also noted that Miss Marissa, winner of the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap and Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan last year, has been privately sold by her owners to Japanese interests.

Courvoisier ready to pour it on in G3 Withers
Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and James D. Spry’s Courvoisier worked five-eighths in 1:02.41 Friday over the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for Saturday’s Withers.

“He’s doing well,” trainer Kelly Breen said. “He breezed Friday by himself. It was a maintenance workout and he’s good to go.”

The regally-bred Tapit chestnut is out of Grade 1 winning 2014 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Take Charge Brandi, who is a half-sibling to multiple Grade 1-winner Omaha Beach. Courvoisier graduated at fourth asking traveling nine-furlongs in December at the Big A ahead of a 1 1/4-length score in the one-turn mile Jerome contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on New Year’s Day, garnering 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Breen said he is taking a cautiously optimistic approach on contesting the Kentucky Derby.

“We nominated him, but one race at a time,” Breen said.

Breen said a decision on a jockey for Courvoisier will be made in the next few days.

Robert G. Hahn’s multiple stakes-placed New York-homebred Daufuskie Island worked five-eighths in 1:02.65 Friday over the Belmont dirt training track.

The Goldencents sophomore graduated impressively by five lengths at first asking sprinting six furlongs in a state-bred maiden special weight in August at Saratoga Race Course.

Daufuskie Island picked up state-bred stakes placings in the six-furlong Aspirant [2nd] at Finger Lakes in September; six-furlong New York Breeders’ Futurity [3rd] in October at Finger Lakes; six-furlong Notebook [3rd] in November at Aqueduct; and the 6 1/2-furlong Rego Park last out on January 9 at the Big A.

Breen said the one-mile $100,000 Gander for state-bred sophomores on Feb. 12 is a possible target, but he is also considering other options for Daufuskie Island.

“There’s an allowance race right before it and if it goes, we’ll probably run in the allowance,” Breen said.

Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig’s Drain the Clock, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency at Belmont Park, is pointed to the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint on Feb. 12.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the 4-year-old Maclean’s Music chestnut won 5-of-8 starts last year, including scores in the Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream and the Grade 3 Bay Shore at the Big A.

Joseph, Jr. said Drain the Clock is one of three horses, along with Ny Traffic and Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ stakes-placed Collaborate under consideration for the seven-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 Carter Handicap on April 9 at Aqueduct.

Both Drain the Clock and Ny Traffic could also point to races on the Dubai World Cup undercard in March with the six-furlong Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen and Group 2 Godolphin Mile possible.

“Drain the Clock is doing well,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He’ll run in the Gulfstream Sprint in February and then he might go to Dubai. It’s between the Carter and Dubai, but we hope to bring someone up for the Carter – either Ny Traffic or Collaborate.”

John Fanelli, Cash Is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley’s multiple graded stakes placed New York-bred Ny Traffic is likely to make his next start in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile on March 5.

The 5-year-old son of Cross Traffic bested fellow state-breds last out in the Hudson contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on October 30 at Belmont Park.

The versatile grey was a game second around two turns in the nine-furlong 2020 Grade 1 Haskell Invitational, but Joseph, Jr.said he would like to focus on one-turn events this season.

“He seems to be best cut back to one turn,” Joseph, Jr. said of Ny Traffic, who had to miss the Grade 1 Cigar Mile in December at the Big A after an illness. “He fought off the bug he had and he’s probably going to go to the Gulfstream Mile in March. He’s been working well.”

Joseph, Jr. nominated both A.P.’s Secret and Eldon’s Prince to Saturday’s Grade 3 Withers but said both are unlikely to make the journey with A. P.’s Secret under consideration for the Grade 2 Risen Star on February 19at Fair Grounds.

“I might look at the Risen Star for one [A.P.’s Secret] and Eldon’s Prince is going to stay on the grass for now,” Joseph, Jr. said.

Omar Aldabbagh and Jeff Ganje’s Shotgun Hottie recently made the move from the barn of Tom Amoss to conditioner William Morey’s stable at Belmont Park, recording her first work in the Empire State on Jan. 25 in preparation for the $100,000 Ruthless for sophomore fillies going seven furlongs on Sunday, Feb. 6, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

A bay daughter of Gun Runner, Shotgun Hottie breezed a half-mile over Belmont’s dirt training track in 49.78 seconds.

“The work went very well,” Morey said. “I train for the client and have another horse for them at Turfway. They called me and asked if I could take this filly and of course I said yes, so we sent her up to New York. She’s easy to train and every horse I’ve had here has trained well over the training track at Belmont.”

A $45,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in training, Shotgun Hottie finished second in her 6 1/2-furlong debut in September at Churchill Downs before ultimately breaking her maiden at third asking when stretching out to 1 1/16 miles at Churchill.

Shotgun Hottie finished fourth last out in the Untapable at Fair Grounds on December 26 in her stakes debut, setting the pace for the mile and 70 yards before tiring and finishing 3 1/2 lengths behind winner North County, who is undefeated in three starts.

Morey’s most recent win at the Big A came with 4-year-old filly Blushable, who took down a starter allowance on Jan. 6 for owners Mark Mathiesen, Sandra Benowitz, and Michael House.

“She’s doing good and was supposed to run on Saturday but the card was canceled, so we entered her in one of the extras for Thursday and hopefully she gets in,” Morey said.

Blushable earned a career-best 70 Beyer Speed Figure for her allowance win and now boasts a record of 9-3-0-1 with earnings of $99,355.

A new addition to the Morey barn is veteran ridgling American Rule, who was claimed for $32,000 out of a well-beaten 11th in a claimer over a sloppy and sealed track at Aqueduct on Dec. 11. The 7-year-old son of Bernardini made his first start for Morey and new owners Robert Bone and Desperado Stables on Friday, getting back to a fast track and finishing a much-improved third in a one-turn mile claiming event.

“We were happy with his run and he came out of it good,” Morey said. “It was encouraging to see him get back to some of his old form. It looked like he didn’t like the mud much the last time. I’m sure we’ll look for a similar spot for his next race there at Aqueduct.”

American Rule has four wins from 45 lifetime starts with all but five of those starts occurring at NYRA tracks. Out of the stakes-placed Ghostzapper mare Myriad, American Rule is a half-brother to the multiple graded stakes-placed gelding Markitoff.

Canadian Thoroughbred owner and breeder Ed Maier, president of Elevated Bloodstock, has died at the age of 71.

Born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan on Oct., 1, 1950, Maier grew up on a ranch and developed an interest in racing at a young age.

He purchased his first horse, Tammy Dew, in 1978 and since then has gone on to own or breed over 200 Thoroughbreds that have been campaigned primarily in California and Western Canada. His most accomplished runner was multiple stakes winning Hero’s Amor, a Street Hero mare who won seven of 18 starts and multiple stakes at Northlands Park and Hastings Park, including the British Columbia Oaks in 2015.

Through Elevated Bloodstock in 2014, Maier was able to provide leading Southern California jockey Flavien Prat an opportunity to relocate from his native France to Southern California by obtaining a P1 Visa for him.

“One thing Ed has never lacked is vision and he came up with great innovative and practical approaches that we employ on a daily basis at Elevated Bloodstock,” said his son, Scott Maier, vice president of marketing for Elevated. “He’s always been big on importing a horse for breeding or racing purposes that would improve his chances of competing on a higher level.”

Ed Maier is survived by his wife of 49 years, Patsy, and his three children: Lea-Ann, Rhonda (Darren) and Scott, along with three grandchildren.

The new Season 5 Education Site for Foal Patrol, an education initiative of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, provides a platform to respond to viewers’ questions, share information about horse care and management from breeding through retirement, and spotlight efforts across the industry to provide the best possible care for Thoroughbreds before, during, and after their racing careers.

In partnership with industry collaborators, we will add new content to the Foal Patrol Education Site for viewers of all ages from now through June at www.foalpatrol.com/education.

To provide more answers to your questions and to bring you closer to this season’s featured mares and foals, Foal Patrol has partnered with the Paulick Report to ask farm staff questions about mare and foal care and management.

This episode features Traveling Tiger and her 2022 Audible filly at Safari North at Pauls Mill Farm in Versailles, Ky. In response to the question, “How did the foaling go?” farm manager Debbie Ward recaps Traveling Tiger’s foaling on Jan. 13 and shares some newborn foal care and nutrition considerations.

For a chance to have one of your questions asked in an upcoming Foal Patrol episode on the Paulick Report, email your question to foalpatrol@racingmuseum.net. Be sure to let us know if your question is for a specific Season 5 mare.

Since its first season in 2018, people all over the world have engaged with Foal Patrol’s live webcam series for a behind-the-scenes look at what daily life is like for in-foal mares and foals. Learn more about this season’s lineup at www.foalpatrol.com and watch “Recent Updates” for Foal Patrol announcements, posts about featured Season 5 mares and foals, and updates on mares and foals from prior seasons.

The likely fields for the first two graded stakes races of the meet at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla., have begun to take shape, stakes coordinator Gerry Stanislawzyk announced.

Billed as “Turf Champions Day,” the Feb. 5 card is highlighted by a pair of Grade 3, $175,000 events on the grass: the 36th edition of the Tampa Bay Stakes for 4-year-olds and upward and the 23rd running of the Endeavour Stakes for fillies and mares 4 and up. Both races will be run at a distance of 1 1/16 miles.

Tampa Bay Downs-based trainer Arnaud Delacour, who won the Endeavour back-to-back with Hawksmoor in 2019 and Jehozacat in 2020 (both owned by Lael Stables), expects to take aim at his first Tampa Bay Stakes trophy with a pair of 6-year-olds who ran in last year’s renewal: owner Mark B. Grier’s horse Eons and the Lael Stables-owned gelding Talk Or Listen.

Eons finished second in last year’s Tampa Bay Stakes, three-quarters of a length behind winner Get Smokin, while Talk Or Listen was a fast-closing fourth in the 12-horse field.

“We thought this was a good race to bring them both back,” said Delacour, who breezed both horses four furlongs Saturday in cold, windy conditions over the main Tampa Bay Downs dirt track. “We’re happy with the way they’ve been training, and it should be a very competitive race.

“There are a lot of things to like about entering them in that race. The timing is good as far as setting them up for the rest of the year, and they’ve both been training here, so they don’t have to ship in,” Delacour said. “The other thing is the quality of the (Tampa Bay Downs) turf course. It just seems like a good spot for them.”

Eons is a Grade 3 winner with career earnings of $429,785 while Talk Or Listen, who was bred in Ireland, is a Grade 2-placed stakes winner with a career bankroll of $282,459.

“They are very similar horses, class-wise,” Delacour said. “I really can’t say one is better than the other.”

On the distaff side, south Florida-based trainer Chad Brown is expected to take two shots at capturing his fourth Endeavour Stakes victory in 11 years. He won the race in 2012 with Zagora, who went on to earn an Eclipse Award as that year’s champion grass mare, and added victories in 2015 with Testa Rossi and last year with Counterparty Risk.

Brown’s likely entrants are both owned by major client Peter M. Brant. Their 4-year-old filly In Italian, bred in Great Britain, is 2-for-3 lifetime, her most recent victory coming here on Jan. 12 in a one-mile turf allowance in gate-to-wire fashion in a swift 1:34.64.

Brown and Brant’s other probable entrant, 4-year-old Bleecker Street, is 3-for-3, with victories at three different tracks. She made her 2022 debut here on Jan. 8, winning an allowance/optional claiming event on the turf in a fast 1:41.45 for the mile-and-a-sixteenth.

Other expected Endeavour entrants include 4-year-old filly Lady Speightspeare, who won a Sovereign Award as Canada’s Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in 2020 after winning the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine. After being off for almost a year, she returned better than ever last fall, winning the Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes in a sizzling 1:21.03 for the seven furlongs on Woodbine’s all-weather track.

Lady Speightspeare is owned by Charles Fipke and trained by Roger Attfield.

Other intended Endeavour runners are 4-year-old Oyster Box, the third-place finisher in last year’s Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs, trained by H. Graham Motion; stakes winner Morning Molly, who finished second in last year’s Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, trained by Tom Proctor; stakes winner Jezebel’s Kitten, trained by Christopher Davis; Stunning Princess, from the barn of Danny Gargan; Katama Moonlight, trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr.; and Pythoness, trained by Michael B. Campbell.

Motion won the Endeavour in 2014 with Cloud Scapes and in 2011 with Silver Reunion.

Back to the Tampa Bay Stakes, in which a pair of Grade 3 winners, 6-year-old horse English Bee and 5-year-old horse Shirl’s Speight, are among those expected to join Eons and Talk Or Listen in the starting gate.

English Bee, bred and owned by Calumet Farm and trained by Motion, finished third in his most recent start, the Grade 2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes on Dec. 18 at Gulfstream. As a 3-year-old, English Bee won the Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.

Shirl’s Speight’s graded score came in 2020 as a 3-year-old in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes at Woodbine. In his most recent effort, he won 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claiming race here on the turf on Jan. 15. Attfield trains Shirl’s Speight for owner Fipke.

Also expected are Carpenters Call, out of the barn of leading Oldsmar trainer Gerald Bennett; Call Curt, trained by Juan Carlos Avila; Fly Like an Eagle, trained by Tom Albertrani; and one or two others, Stanislawzyk said.

All players made mythical win-place wagers on 18 races Friday and 18 races on Saturday from eight racetracks. McCarty, making his eighth NHC appearance, began the day atop the TVG Leaderboard with a mythical bankroll of $162.80.

“My biggest winner today was 7 or 8-1 and yesterday it was 13-1,” McCarty said. “I haven’t had any bombs. I wanted to get another $100 today and I almost got there. I’ve just been bouncing around between chalk and mid-priced horses.

“I’d like to capitalize on the fact that I’m already up there and at least finish in the top five.”

McCarty, 79, is a biotechnology consultant who ran multiple startups, including one that was purchased by a company that soon went public. He is a Turf Club member at Del Mar. McCarty has been playing horses since he was a teenager and ran daily double wagers to Santa Anita for his friend’s father.

Goodall, a 20-time NHC qualifier, moved into the top 10 with a win in Tampa Bay’s fourth. Five-year-old mare Moniques Daredevil won easily at 8-1 stretching out to two turns on the dirt.

“You have strategies and sometimes they work, sometimes not,” she said. “Every day is different and you just hope for the best. I like to make pedigree plays and today they worked for me.”

Both women in the NHC Hall of Fame are in the top 10. Judy Wagner, the 2001 NHC winner, is seventh with $201.80. There are two former NHC winners among the top 10 – Wagner and 2019 champ Scott Coles (ninth, $200.70).

NHC Tour winner Kevin Costello made the cut with both of his entries, sitting in 16th ($187.40) with Entry 1 and 54th with Entry 2 ($162), which is the one eligible for a $5 million bonus should he win the NHC.

The leading earner on Day 2 was Mike Somich, who put together a $169.80 performance. Even after getting blanked on Day 1 the performance was enough to make the cut in 37th place with $169.80. Somich, 38, of Raleigh, N.C., will receive a Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge entry worth $10,000.

The three-day NHC concludes Sunday at Bally’s. The top 64 entries (top 10%) after today’s Day 2 action carry their mythical bankroll into Sunday’s Semifinals round, which will require mythical win-place wagers on 10 races from a menu of 22 races. The top 10 from the Semifinals advance to Sunday afternoon’s Final Table presented by Caesars Sportsbook and Global Tote, A BetMakers Company, to determine the 2022 NHC champion. The grand prize winner will receive the $725,000 first-place prize and an Eclipse Award as Horseplayer of the Year.

For the complete TVG Leaderboard and other contest information, please visit NTRA.com.

Defending champion Justin Mustari will not continue on to the Semifinals. He checked in at 108th ($137.20).

Canale Wins Charity Challenge
Michael Canale, senior producer of broadcast and video content at Oaklawn Park, won the 8th Annual NTRA NHC Charity Challenge presented by Four Roses Bourbon with a final bankroll of $87.30 from eight contest races. Matt Rybaltowski, the sports betting writer, finished second with $82.50 and Sean Clancy checked in third with $79.10.

Canale selected the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance to receive a $2,500 donation in his name to go along with another $2,500 committed to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

“I’ve been in this game well over 20 years and I just think it’s important to give back to the horses and make sure they’re well taken care of,” Canale said. “The two causes in acing that are closest to my heart are the jockeys, because I’ve gotten to know so many of them over the years and have such respect for what they do, and the horses.”

A field of 71 contested the NHC Charity Challenge. Canale, who covered previous NHCs on site in his roles as a producer with TVG and HRTV, joins an illustrious list of past winners: track announcer and jockey agent Jimmy McNerney (2021), broadcaster and public handicapper Jude Feld (2020), public handicapper Dawn Lupul (2019), racing executive and public handicapper Ed DeRosa (2018), public handicapper Ellis Starr (2017), broadcaster and handicapper Matt Bernier (2016), and broadcaster Bob Neumeier (2015).

In addition to its three presenting sponsors – RTN, Caesars Entertainment, and Bally’s Las Vegas – the NHC is supported by official partners Daily Racing Form, EquinEdge, FanDuel Group, Four Roses Bourbon, NYRA Bets, Race Lens, TVG, and 1/ST Bet. The Final Table, where only the top 10 players advance to determine final placings based on seven climactic races, is sponsored by Caesars Sportsbook and Global Tote, A BetMakers Company.

In his initial stakes engagement, Essential Wager showed tremendous heart in choreographing a gate to wire victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita. Ridden for the first time by Abel Cedillo, the 4-year-old Honor Code colt got six furlongs in 1:09.95.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Essential Wager notched his third consecutive win and, according to trainer Bob Baffert, will make his next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Carlos Stakes going seven furlongs on March 5.

With his well fancied stablemate Cezanne a non-factor, Essential Wager enjoyed a length advantage over Team Merchants turning for home and held off determined longshot Shooters Shoot late for the victory.

“This horse is getting better and better,” said Baffert. “With Cezanne, I think it was a little too short for him…All of Essential Wager’s races have been pretty impressive and actually, he’s bred to not be a sprinter. Abel did a great job, got him outta there and held off those horses pretty well. You know, he took a lot of heat early and kept going.”

A two-length first condition allowance winner going the same distance at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, Essential Wager was the second choice in a field of five older horses at 9-5 and paid $5.60, $3.60 and $2.20.

“We started together and it’s always special to come back to Santa Anita,” said longtime Baffert client Pegram, who flew in from northern Nevada. “This is my first time back in two years and we know why we call it The Great Race Place. It’s very special and we always love to come back to Santa Anita.”

In his fourth career start, Essential Wager, who is out of the Officer mare Opus, picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $207,200 while improving his overall mark to 4-3-1-0.

Claimed for $50,000 on Jan. 2, Shooters Shoot had two lengths to make up at the furlong pole and came up a neck short in a big effort. Trained by Richard Baltas and ridden by Victor Espinoza, he was the longest shot in the field at 20-1 and paid $9.80 and $3.60.

Cezanne, who finished another 2 ¾ lengths back, had been idle since winning the Grade 3 Kona Gold Stakes here in April of last year, kept to his task to run third, 3 ½ lengths in front of Team Merchants. Off at 3-5, Cezanne paid $2.10 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.21, 45.17 and 57.41.

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday that will include three stakes, is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m.

Fifth on dirt going seven furlongs on opening day, Dec. 26, the Mike Puype-trained Canoodling was able to set slow fractions and steal Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita, as she held Con to win by half a length while getting one mile on turf in 1:37.30 under New Mexico-based Roimes Chirinos, who notched his first-ever win and graded stakes win at The Great Race Place.

Off at 22-1 in a field of seven older fillies and mares, Canoodling broke from the far outside and seemed to relish the change in surface and stretch out.

“There wasn’t much speed in this race, but her pedigree is set right to do this today, she’s by Pioneerof the Nile,” said Puype, who saddled Canoodling to a fifth place finish in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes on Dec. 26. “We felt she could route on the turf. Todd Fincher (New Mexico-based trainer) had left her with me and this is where he wanted to run right after that last race and I just got her ready the best we could.

“The jock did a good job. He nursed the fractions along good and we had no pace pressure. The fractions were slow and when they came to get her, she had plenty left.”

A winner of one of four races on turf, Canoodling paid $47.40, $12.40 and $5.80.

“What a great day for me,” said Chirinos, a 38-year-old native of Venezuela. “It’s my first graded stakes win in this beautiful country and at Santa Anita. It is unbelievable. She’s a tiny, little filly but she’s got a really, really big heart and she always tries hard. Today they made it easy for me because they let me walk the first half and I thought wow, if they let me go like this, they will never pass me.”

Owned by Lori Owens’ B-4 Farms, Canoodling, a 4-year-old filly by Pioneerof the Nile out of the Harlan’s Holiday mare Miz Kella, notched her third stakes win and improved her overall mark to 14-7-1-2. With the winner’s share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $278,023.

The 8-5 favorite, Warren’s Showtime lacked room at the rail heading into the far turn and again in deep stretch and finished second in a huge effort. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, she paid $3.40 and $2.80 while finishing a game nose better than Avenue de France.

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, French-bred Avenue de France rallied from last to finish third by a head over second choice Bodhicitta. Off at 24-1, Avenue de France paid $5.40 to show.

Fractions on the race, all set by the winner, were 25.30, 49.87, 1:14.51 and 1:25.87.

Pegasus World Cup Weekend will be wrapped up in grand style with a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 pool Sunday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The popular multi-race wager has been building a jackpot for 12 racing days in a row, generating a carryover pool of $727,305.66 heading into Sunday’s 11-race program. Sunday’s pool is estimated to grow to $3 million or higher.

The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is usually only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. However, on mandatory-payout days, the entire pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the six-race sequence.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-11, kicked off by a five-furlong turf dash for $12,500 claiming fillies and mares. Queen Calypso and Filmore East, who will make their first starts for trainers with 30-percent strike rates with off-the-claim starters, are rated at 3-1 and 7-2, in the morning line.

A 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race on turf for 3-year-old fillies follows in Race 6. Trainer Chad Brown is represented by two first-time starters in the full field – Public Service, a daughter of Hard Spun, and Ughrouda, a daughter of Curlin. Todd Pletcher-trained Beside Herself, a very wide third in her Gulfstream debut, is rated as the 3-1 morning-line favorite.

Ever-steady Don’t Get Khozy is rated at 9-5 in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares in Race 7, which is followed by a well-stocked 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds on turf. Brown-trained Bandimere, a son of More Than Ready, and Pletcher-trained Celestial Glaze, a son of Frosted, are among the first-time starters.

Elizabeth Dobles’ Cuy is slated to seek his third win in a row over Gulfstream’s Tapeta course in Race 9, a 5 ½-furlong starter allowance.  The sequence will be wrapped up by a mile optional claiming allowance on turf, featuring a full field of older horses, in Race 10, and a 1 1/16-mile race for $10,000 claimers on Tapeta in Race 11.

In a thoroughly dominant performance, trainer Richard Mandella’s Forbidden Kingdom blasted off from the gate and never looked back en route to a 2 ¼ length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. Ridden by Juan Hernandez, the chestnut son of American Pharoah got seven furlongs in 1:22.75 and stamped himself a candidate for the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

Fresh off a troubled second place finish going seven furlongs in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes Nov. 14 at Del Mar, Forbidden Kingdom made no mistakes today from his rail post position as he carved out sizzling splits of 21.86, 44.49 and 1:09.31.

“He’s as quick as they come,” said Mandella, who indicated he would stretch Forbidden Kingdom out to a mile and one sixteenth in the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes here on March 5. “In his last race, he tore a piece of his foot off (after stumbling at the start) and then we had a quarter crack. We had to fix it up and it is good and we hope it stays good.

“We’ll have to try two turns down the road here. He’s gotten better about everything. He was so professional today, everything went well. He used to get a little antsy in the gate. He’s stumbled a few times.”

With odds-on favorite Doppelganger running a disappointing fourth, Forbidden Kingdom was never at any point challenged. Off at 7-2, he paid $9.80, $4.00 and $4.40.

“He has a lot of speed and sometimes he just runs off, but today he was a little different horse,” said Hernandez, who has ridden Forbidden Kingdom in all four of his starts. “It looked like he settled down a little bit more, so that helped a lot…He was really happy and comfortable there, so I just let him run.

“I felt at the quarter pole the other horses were coming from behind, so I just tapped him on the shoulder and I felt how he responded back, he never stopped.”

Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Forbidden Kingdom, who is out of the Five Star Day mare Just Louise, picked up $120,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $194,000 while notching his second win.

Bob Baffert stablemates Pinehurst and McLaren Vale ran two-three, separated by neck. Pinehurst, who sat second the entire trip, was off at 9-5 and paid $3.00 and $3.60 with Mike Smith up.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, McLaren Vale, who sat third throughout, finished a neck clear of stablemate Doppelganger and paid $4.80 to show while off at 8-1.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Doppelganger, an impressive first-out maiden winner going six furlongs at Los Alamitos Dec. 11, never threatened for the win but hit his best stride late while finishing 20 lengths clear of longshot What in Blazes.

Saturday was a huge day for jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Just after repeating in the Pegasus Turf with Colonel Liam, the pair repelled Knicks Go’s chance to defend his title in the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup with a dominating victory by China Horse Club and WinStar Farm’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good. The 4-year-old son of Into Mischief led from the start and was truly never challenged, defeating co-favorite Knicks Go by 3 1/4 lengths and finishing nine furlongs in 1:48.91.

Ortiz had been emotional after the earlier win aboard Colonel Liam, reflecting on the fact that January had been “a tough month” for him, personally. After returning from a 30-day suspension, Ortiz suffered a knee injury at Gulfstream on Jan. 7 that initially looked as though it may force him to miss Pegasus day. Instead, the faith of his doctor got Ortiz back in the saddle and helped him secure a Pegasus double.

“He’s unreal. He’s the best horse I’ve sat on in my whole life, on dirt,” said Ortiz of Life is Good.

Pletcher echoed those sentiments.

“I don’t want to get in trouble with any other owners I have trained for, [but] I can’t think of one that is better than him,” the trainer said. “What makes him so special is his ability to run fast, the high cruising speed and [then] keep going. He’s just got tremendous mechanics. Just a phenomenal talent.”

The race certainly did not play out as it appeared on paper. Knicks Go, drawn toward the inside and well-known for his early speed, was shuffled back to third around the clubhouse turn as Life is Good and Ortiz kicked away from the rest of the nine-horse field. Life Is Good extended his lead down the backstretch to nearly six lengths, never challenged out in the center of the racetrack, while Joel Rosario and Knicks Go were simply left with too much to do.

“I respect the other horse a lot. I thought it was going to be a match race,” Ortiz said. “But going into the first turn, my horse was so fast so I just let him do his thing. I felt like a lot of horse and I couldn’t wait to let him run. I just wanted to get to the second turn. But when I let him go, he kept going.”

“They broke faster, the first couple of steps, than me. But as soon as I saw that I said, ‘I’m going to clear them because I know I’ve got speed.’ I just let my horse break without asking him. When I saw Jose [Ortiz, on Stilleto Boy] was ahead of the other horse, I just asked my horse to go and he just moved right away and I was able to be in the lead.”

After early fractions of :23.12 and :46.35, Life is Good continued to maintain a five-length lead over his rivals while Knicks Go tried to make up ground alongside Endorsed. Life is Good was never threatened through the stretch run, and Ortiz eased him down with a couple of pats in the final sixteenth of a mile to hit the wire 3 1/4 lengths ahead of Knicks Go. Stiletto Boy checked in third, and Endorsed was fourth. The remaining order of finish was: Sir Winston, Chess Chief, Commandeer, Title Ready, and Empty Tomb.

“We were committed to letting him run his race,” said Pletcher. “You know Knicks Go is a fast horse. We didn’t know for sure how it was going to play out. There was the potential for a speed duel there. He broek and I didn’t think his first step was great, but he recovered pretty quickly and got the turn in good shape. Knicks Go maybe didn’t bounce away as quick as he does sometimes so we kind of had the advantage at that point.”

Bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, Life is Good is out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk. A $525,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling sale, Life is Good impressed from the start when winning his first three races for trainer Bob Baffert. Taken off the Derby trail by injury, Life is Good returned in the barn of Todd Pletcher 5 1/2 months later with a second-place finish in the G1 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes. He won the G2 Kelso ahead of an easy win in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. The Pegasus win improves the colt’s overall record to six wins from seven starts with earnings of over $2 million.

Quotes From Other Connections:

TRAINER QUOTES

Todd Pletcher (Life Is Good, 1st): “We were committed to letting him run his race. You know Knicks Go is a fast horse. We didn’t know for sure how it was going to play out. There was the potential for a speed duel there. He broek and I didn’t think his first step was great, but he recovered pretty quickly and got the turn in good shape. Knicks Go maybe didn’t bounce away as quick as he does sometimes so we kind of had the advantage at that point.”

“I don’t want to get in trouble with any other owners I have trained for, [but] I can’t think of one that is better than him. What makes him so special is his ability to run fast, the high cruising speed and [then] keep going. He’s just got tremendous mechanics. Just a phenomenal talent.”

Brad Cox (Knicks Go, 2nd): “It looked like he broke alright and then kind of got outrun a little bit. I don’t know, that horse, the winner, he ran off the TV screen. The plan was definitely to go. I wanted to; we just got outrun. I talked to Joel and he said he handled the track fine. He said a couple on his outside were moving along pretty good and it kind of got a little tight [early] so he took him back off of it a little bit and obviously the winner was just galloping on the lead.”

“He’s been super good to us. We’re proud of him and we’re happy and excited that he’s retiring sound and healthy and I look forward to training some of his babies in a couple of years. He’s 6; it’s time for him to go off to stud. Hopefully he’ll pass on his heart and determination and be a good sire.”

Mike Maker (Endorsed, 4th): “I thought Endorsed ran super. I’m happy with him. It was a good show by the top two, as expected. No complaints.”

Mark Casse (Sir Winston, 5th): “He needs a mile and a half. He thought he was just getting going. We knew it was a tall task, but he ran well. The winner is unbelievable. I’m proud of our horse. We’ll look for a mile and a half.”

JOCKEY QUOTES

Irad Ortiz Jr. (Life Is Good, 1st): “I respect the other horse a lot. I thought it was going to be a match race. But going into the first turn, my horse was so fast so I just let him do his thing. I felt like a lot of horse and I couldn’t wait to let him run. I just wanted to get to the second turn. But when I let him go, he kept going.”

“They broke faster, the first couple of steps, than me. But as soon as I saw that I said, ‘I’m going to clear them because I know I’ve got speed.’ I just let my horse break without asking him. When I saw Jose [Ortiz, on Stilleto Boy] was ahead of the other horse, I just asked my horse to go and he just moved right away and I was able to be in the lead.”

Joel Rosario (Knicks Go, 2nd): “The trip I thought would be fine. We thought maybe we’d be on the lead. I thought Life Is Good probably had a little more speed than me. He ran his race. They came over a little bit on the first turn so I had to kind of just take him outside a little bit and let him relax from there, and hopefully at some point the horse would come back a little bit, but he didn’t come back. He just kept going.”

“He broke well out of there, but they were quicker than me right away. That’s how it goes sometimes.”

“We had the first turn right away, and sometimes if you don’t break right away and then just go you kind of have to deal with that a little bit.”

“He was fine. He was OK with it. You can see how he came home. The other horse it looked like he had the advantage when he went to the first turn and got the jump on us. He’s a really good horse. He tried hard.”

Jose Ortiz (Stilleto Boy, 3rd): “I thought Knicks Go was going to be fighting with Life Is Good, but it didn’t happen that way. Life Is Good was way faster today. I was able to clear him also and I sat behind Life Is Good the whole time. I tried to save every inch of ground that I could. I was very close to the rail the whoel time. I thought my horse ran a huge race. I wish we got second, but Knicks Go is a nice horse and he dug in for second.”

Edwin Gonzalez (Sir Winston, 5th): “The horse that went in front went fast. I think it was pretty easy for that horse, and he was going easy in front. When a horse like that goes easy in front, it’s tough to beat him. My horse had a good trip. He made his run, and he never quit.”

Tyler Gaffalione (Chess Chief, 8th): “Very fast horses, top-quality bunch there. I just kind of got outrun. He put in a good run but the race was over at that point.”

Sent to post as the even-money favorite in the field of 12 sophomore colts, it was the Bob Baffert-trained Newgrange who finished on top in Saturday’s Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. The son of Violence took a wide trip under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, but had enough left in the tank to defeat his nearest rival Barber Road (11-1) by about 1 1/2 lengths. Newgrange completed 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track in 1:45.83, but did not earn points toward the Kentucky Derby for his victory due to the ban imposed on Baffert by Churchill Downs.

The suspension stems from a possible medication violation involving his 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. Barber Road, who was also second in the Smarty Jones, earned another four points for second to bring his total to eight, Ben Diesel earned two points for third and now has a total of three and Kavod earned one point. Barber Road is now ranked 13th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Only 20 horses can start based on points.

Newgrange is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable, and Siena Farm LLC.

Making his first start beyond a mile, Newgrange settled into third as Kavod set the early pace through fractions of :23 and :47 1/5 for the first half mile. Jockey John Velazquez began to ask the winner for run while four wide late in the second turn and after stalling just a bit mid-stretch, he found another gear to win by 1 ½ lengths over Barber Road in 1:45 4/5 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track. Ben Diesel was third, followed by the early pace setter Kavod.

“We saw he had a different dimension today, the way the race set up,” winning trainer Bob Baffert said via phone from California. “Pretty proud of the way he ran. Johnny (Velazquez) said he was struggling with the track a little bit earlier and I could tell that. Usually, he’s on the lead. But all the way down the backside he was in a good spot.”

Bred in Kentucky by Jack Mandato and Black Rock Thoroughbreds, Newgrange is out of the unraced Empire Maker mare Bella Chianti. He was a $125,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling sale, won on debut and captured the G3 Sham before shipping to Hot Springs. Undefeated in three career starts, the colt’s earnings now stand at $552,000.

Robert and Lawana Low’s Colonel Liam became the first back-to-back winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf this Saturday, getting a good trip from Irad Ortiz, Jr. to defeat his stablemate Never Surprised by a length. It was the second year in a row that Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher saddled the top two finishers in the $1 million contest at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

Sent off as the 6-5 favorite despite not running in 239 days, Colonel Liam completed nine furlongs over the firm turf course in 1:47.48. The 5-year-old son of Liam’s Map has now won seven of his 10 career starts for earnings of over $1.8 million.

Ortiz was emotional after the victory, his third win in the Pegasus Turf (he won it in 2018 with Bricks and Mortar). The jockey acknowledged that January had been “a tough month” for him, personally. After returning from a 30-day suspension, Ortiz suffered a knee injury at Gulfstream that initially looked as though it may force him to miss Pegasus day. Instead, the faith of his doctor got Ortiz back in the saddle and Colonel Liam carried him to the winner’s circle.

Never Surprised broke on top of the 12-strong Pegasus Turf field, pulling away to lead by as much as two lengths through posted early fractions of 25.43 and 49.39 seconds (race listed as hand-timed with no fractions in the Equibase chart). Colonel Liam was in the clear while three-wide for most of his trip, and Ortiz allowed him to join his stablemate on the far turn.

Battling through the length of the stretch, Colonel Liam prevailed in the final sixteenth and pulled away to win by a length. Never Surprised had to settle for second, while Space Traveller came flying up the inside late to nab third.

“I was actually pleased with how well he was traveling early on. You could see he got in a good position and had a lot of horse,” Pletcher said of Colonel Liam. “He moved to Never Surprised early and kept finding more, and Never Surprised dug in. It was great race for both horses.”

Bred in Kentucky by the Phillips Racing Partnership, Colonel Liam is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Amazement, herself out of two-time G1-winning millionaire Wonder Again. Purchased for $50,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale, Colonel Liam commanded $1.2 million as a 2-year-old at OBS April the following year.

Though he didn’t debut until his 3-year-old season, Colonel Liam won at first asking. That year, he won the listed Tropical Park Derby in December and finished fourth in the Saratoga Derby Invitational. In 2021, Colonel Liam kicked off the season with a win in the Pegasus Turf, then added wins in the G2 Muniz Memorial and the G1 Turf Classic before finishing off the board in the G1 Manhattan. Pletcher trained him up to the Pegasus off that long layoff, and the horse improved his overall record to seven wins from 10 starts to earn $1,810,565.

Godolphin homebred Speaker’s Corner ran a big race in Saturday’s Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes at Gulfstream Park In Hallandale Beach, Fla., fighting for a contested early lead and fending off the late challenge of 6-5 favorite Fearless to win by a length. The 4-year-old son of Street Sense, ridden by Junior Alvarado for trainer Bill Mott, ran a mile over the fast main track in 1:35.26. Speaker’s Corner was sent off as the 3-2 second choice.

Speaker’s Corner set taxing fractions in the Hooper but still had enough in reserve to hold off Fearless in the one-mile race named for one of Florida’s most iconic horsemen. With Junior Alvarado in the irons, Speaker’s Corner assumed command along the backstretch before unleashing his winning kick in the stretch to record his first stakes victory. Fearless, the 6-5 favorite, circled horses in the turn and rallied gamely in the stretch but could not overtake the winner, falling a length short of Speaker’s Corner. Officiating finished third.

Winning trainer: (Bill Mott): “We didn’t know if we’d be on the lead. We didn’t really plan to be there, but the horse broke well and he was taking him and he was traveling easily. He was in between horses and he said he didn’t want to get jammed up so he let him cruise on and it worked out well. They took a little run at him around the turn and he was able to repel those horses and, of course, good enough to hold off the late challenge of Fearless.”

Winning jockey: (Junior Alvarado): “It was just a phenomenal performance by him. We always thought very high of him. He’s been a bit of a process to build up and to get to this race and the way he did it. He has a great a great trainer in Bill Mott. I think I was just a passenger today. He was very good today. He put up the fast fractions with horses on the inside and outside. He put them away and still had enough courage to draw away home very strong.”

Bred in Kentucky by his owner, Speaker’s Corner is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Tyburn Brook. His second dam, Round Pond (Awesome Again), won the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Distaff and is also the dam of Grade 1 winner Long River.

Speaker’s Corner broke his maiden at second asking as a 2-year-old, didn’t make it back to the races until late in his 3-year-old season, and was second last-out in the listed Discovery Stakes at Aqueduct. Overall, the colt has won four of his seven starts to earn over $280,000.

Warriors Reward LLC and Commonwealth New Era Racing’s Just One Time made a successful jump from Pennsylvania racing to the Championship meet at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. this Saturday. The 4-year-old daughter of Not This Time, making her first start for new trainer Brad Cox, dug in gamely as the 3-2 favorite to win the Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes by a half-length over 3-1 second choice Four Graces. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Just One Time ran seven furlongs over the fast main track in 1:23.81.

“She was in a state-bred program, mostly in Pennsylvania,” said Cox. “Once you come out of that environment, the water is going to get deeper on our circuit. And bottom line she was able to swim on this circuit. It was a Grade 2 and she was able to pick it off. We schooled her. She loads with quarter pads. And she’s been great in the mornings. She obviously wasn’t great [in the gate] today. Horses sometimes know the difference between the mornings and the afternoon. There’s a lot of talent there, no doubt about it. I don’t watch a lot of racing here. I watch some. And where she was on the track kind of seems like a spot where horses kind of get out there and flounder and tire down the lane. For her to be able to stay on, shows her grit, determination and class.”

Very unsettled in the starting gate, Just One Time broke a half-step slow and was in the back half of the field down the backstretch. Rosario kept the filly out wide, allowing her to find her stride on her own time, and she began inching toward the leaders as she neared the far turn.

Jakarta was the quickest off the blocks, though Dance d’Oro took command for the first quarter mile in 22.45 seconds. Jakarta regained her lead to mark the half-mile in 45.77 seconds, chased by Starship Nala into the turn.

Steering his filly very wide heading into the lane, Rosario allowed Just One Time to catch sight of the frontrunner just as Four Graces found room to run along the inside. Just One Time put away Jakarta, then battled gamely to the wire fending off Four Graces to win by a half-length. Frontrunner Jakarta finished third, while Starship Nala was fourth. Last year’s winner, Pacific Gale, checked in fifth.

“Turning for home she was reaching out and I could feel her confidence,” Rosario said. “I felt pretty good at that point that she was going to run big. With the slow break and [going wide], she was the best horse in the race.”

Bred in Pennsylvania by Warrior’s Reward LLC, Just One Time is out of the Speightstown mare Ida Clark. Trained through her first five starts by Michael Salvaggio, Jr., Just One Time won a pair of state-bred races in Pennsylvania last year. She was purchased privately after winning four of five starts in her native Pennsylvania for Warrior’s Reward breeder Donald Brown Jr.

The Inside Information win improves the filly’s record to five wins from six starts for earnings of nearly $300,000.

Sent to post as the 4-5 favorite, Peter Brant’s Regal Glory made short work of the inaugural Grade 3, $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. The Chad Brown-trained 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom burst into the clear in the stretch and pulled away to win by about three lengths under jockey Jose Ortiz. Regal Glory ran 1 1/16 miles over the firm turf course in 1:41.74.

Alms was game to deny Shifty She for the place, while Gift List checked in fourth.

Though typically near the pace or leading the way in her 16-race career, Regal Glory was last in the field in the early going. Alms and Shifty She were together at the front and led the way through fractions of 23.94 seconds, 48.03 and 1:11.98. Meanwhile, jockey Jose Ortiz guided Regal Glory to the outside on the run up the backstretch and began moving past other horses entering the turn.

“The ‘5’ horse [Gift List] broke really sharp and took my position,” Ortiz said. “He broke a step faster than I did, but they went fast early and I was able to put her outside to follow Luis [Saez] on Sweet Melania – I rode her before and I know she likes the track and decided to follow her. At the three-eighths pole, I had a lot of horse and decided to go around everybody. You could see I had a lot of horse under me. She was just the best in the race.

“I was a little nervous early on because she didn’t break that well, which she does sometimes,” trainer Chad Brown said. “Thankfully, Jose knows her so well and she’s so good that she was able to overcome it. He rode a beautiful Plan B type of race. It didn’t go his way the first part of it. Once he got her down the backside and following a live horse to move him up, it was really good judgment for him and the horse was there for him. I was proud of both of them.”

Godolphin’s Alms, trained by Michael Stidham, was second at 19-1. Shifty She was third.

“I had a perfect trip,” said Alm’s jockey Joel Rosario. “She dragged me up to the lead and it looked like she gave everything she got, just the winner came right by us. But she ran well. I was on the lead and then that horse came and put a little pressure there but she was fine with it, and then she came back a little bit the last part so that was good.”

Bred in Kentucky by Paul Pompa, Regal Glory is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning More Than Ready mare Mary’s Follies. Pompa raced Regal Glory through her 2020 season, acquiring a trio of graded stakes wins on the turf, before Brant picked her up from the 2021 Pompa dispersal. Remaining in Brown’s barn, Regal Glory got her first Grade 1 win at the end of 2021, capturing the Matriarch at Del Mar in late November.

Brant purchased Regal Glory in January 2021 for $925,000 at the disbursement sale of the late Paul Pompa’s bloodstock. Following the Filly and Mare Turf victory, Brown said Brant might change his plans to retire her.

“She was scheduled to be bred to Into Mischief,” Brown said. “Mr. Brant and I were watching her train this week up at Payson, and we were remarking how sound she is and how great she looks at this age. We left it the morning, let’s see how she runs and comes out of this race. It’s not out of the question to run her at 6. So I’m going to let him enjoy this win, and we’re going to look at the horse, and ultimately he’s going to decide.”

Overall, Regal Glory has amassed a record of 10 wins and 4 seconds from 17 starts, for earnings of over $1.5 million.