Santa Margarita Handicap
Fair Grounds New Orleans Ladies
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Santa Margarita Handicap
Zenyatta Getting Ready for the Show
Saturday’s Grade I $250,000 Santa Margarita Handicap will have horse racing’s equivalent of Brett Favre returning to the NFL, as six year-old Zenyatta returns to racing to face eight rivals and takes aim to eventually face HOY Rachel Alexandra in the $5 million Apple Blossom Invitational in April at Oaklawn Park.
The champion older female of 2008 and 2009, Zenyatta launches her 2010 campaign in Saturday’s Santa Margarita, her first start in more than four months.
The field for the Santa Margarita has an immense task by taking on Zenyatta, the undefeated two-time champion who is making her first start since a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November over the same track.
One horse looking to steal the race is Striking Dancer, a winner at 13-1, in the Grade II La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita on February 14th. Striking Dancer’s connections are going to make Zenyatta, and her closing running style, chase Striking Distance down.
The second- and third-place finishers from the La Canada race, Gripsholm Castle and Floating Heart, are also part of a field of eight in the Santa Margarita.
Zenyatta carries top weight of 127 pounds, spotting her rivals from 12 to 19 pounds. Striking Dancer is second on the list of weights, at 115 pounds, and will be ridden by Alex Solis.
The Santa Margarita will be Santa Anita’s seventh race with a probable post time of 3:40 p.m. PST.
Fair Grounds New Orleans Ladies
Rachel Alexandra Getting Ready for the Show Part 2
This Saturday, Rachel Alexandra will face a field of five fillies and mare in the $200,000 1 1/16-mile New Orleans Ladies and another step towards her anticipated meeting with Zenyatta in the Apple Blossom Invitational on April 9th at Oaklawn. Zenyatta also runs Saturday, in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita.
Rachel Alexandra is set to make her first start since the September 5th Woodward Stakes on Saturday in the New Orleans Ladies. As she heads to the track, 189 days will have passed since the Woodward
Rachel Alexandra drew just outside the apparent speed of the race, Fighter Wing, and just inside Zardana, who is a John Shirreffs-trained stablemate of Zenyatta. Leaving from post 4 is Unforgotten, trained by Dallas Stewart. Unforgotten is a closer who finished seventh in the Sunshine Millions Distaff at Gulfstream on January 30th and second at Fair Grounds in the DRF Distaff on December 19th.
Clear Sailing, trained by Glenn Delahoussaye, drew post 5. Clear Sailing has improved in each of her four races and brings a three-race win streak and an undefeated record at Fair Grounds into the race. She’ll be looking for the kind of closing trip that saw her get up by a neck in the Pelleteri at Fair Grounds last month.
Rebel Stakes
Lookin At Lucky Looks to Get Lucky
Hot Springs Oaklawn Park has the 2009 two-year old champion Lookin At Lucky poised to take the next step to the Kentucky Derby this Saturday when he makes his first start of the year in the Grade II, $300,000 Rebel Stakes.
Lookin At Lucky, who is based in Southern California, was one of two Grade 1 winners who entered the 2010 edition of the Rebel Stakes. Noble’s Promise, winner of last fall’s Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, arrived from South Florida.
They will be part of a projected seven- to eight-horse field for the Rebel, a 1 1/16-mile race that serves as the final local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 10.
Lookin At Lucky is coming off a 5-for-6 season in which he won a trio of Grade 1 races – the Del Mar Futurity, the Norfolk, and the CashCall Futurity. His lone loss came in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Regular rider Garrett Gomez has the mount for the Rebel. Bob Baffert, who trains Lookin At Lucky made a decision to add blinkers after Lookin At Lucky worked in the equipment. Lookin At Lucky will wear French-cup blinkers, which is a style of blinkers that have a modest amount of closure.
Noble’s Promise has raced exclusively on synthetic and turf surfaces to this point in his career, but there are reasons to believe that the Grade I winner might be an even better horse on dirt. He has won 3 of 6 starts, taking a maiden special weight on turf last fall before winning the $100,000 Juvenile at Presque Isle Downs and the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. Noble’s Promise, who in his last start was second by three-quarters of a length in the CashCall, will be ridden by Robby Albarado.
Others expected for the race include Grade 1 winner Dublin, to be ridden by Corey Nakatani; Cardiff Giant, the third-place finisher in the Southwest under regular rider Christian Santiago Reyes; Uh Oh Bango, the runner-up in the Grade III, $750,000 Delta Jackpot who will team with Glenn Corbett; and Pleasant Storm, the runner-up in the $100,000 Smarty Jones who is to be ridden by Jon Court. Trainer Joe Petalino said Pleasant Storm was to ship from Louisiana Downs to Oaklawn on Wednesday.
Tampa Bay Downs
Tampa Bay Derby
This Saturday the Grade III Tampa Bay Derby highlights Tampa Bay Downs’s traditional Festival Day program which includes the Grade III Tampa Derby, the Grade III $175,000 Florida Oaks.
The Tampa Bay Derby has listed Super Saver, in post six, as the 2-1 morning line favorite in the field of seven in the $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby. The 1 1/16 mile Derby race looks to pit Super Saver and Odysseus. Super Saver’s connection WinStar Farm had luck earlier this winter when they won the Sam F. Davis Stakes with Derby prospect Rule.
Super Saver races back after posting a wire-to-wire, five-length victory over William’s Kitten in Churchill Downs’s Kentucky Jockey Club. Ramon Dominguez, who guided Super Saver to his maiden win last fall at Belmont Park, will be back aboard.
Odysseus, will break outside the favorite from post 7. Odysseus is perfect in two starts at 3, including an easy 15-length win in an entry-level allowance race at Tampa in February.
Schoolyard Dreams and Uptowncharlybrown, second and third behind Rule in the Sam Davis, will return for the Tampa Bay Derby. They’ll be joined by Tuvia’s Force, Gleam of Hope, and Slammy Boy.
The full field for the Tampa Bay Derby is below:
|
P# |
PP |
Horse |
A/S |
Jockey |
Wgt |
Trainer |
M/L |
| 1 | 1 | Uptowncharlybrown (KY) | 3/C | D Centeno | 116 | A S Seewald |
5/2 |
| 2 | 2 | Tuvia’s Force (KY) | 3/C | J Lezcano | 116 | N P Zito |
12/1 |
| 3 | 3 | Gleam of Hope (KY) | 3/C | W Martinez | 122 | A L Reinstedler |
15/1 |
| 4 | 4 | Slammy Boy (KY) | 3/C | V Lebron | 116 | A L Reinstedler |
20/1 |
| 5 | 5 | Schoolyard Dreams (KY) | 3/C | J Rose | 116 | D S Ryan |
3/1 |
| 6 | 6 | Super Saver (KY) | 3/C | R A Dominguez | 122 | T A Pletcher |
2/1 |
| 7 | 7 | Odysseus (KY) | 3/C | R Maragh | 116 | T Albertrani |
7/2 |
Around the Track
Info for the Race Handicapper
Fair Grounds
Purses for three top-notch races at the Fair Grounds have been reduced by $100,000 each, Fair Grounds announced on Monday. The Fair Ground Oaks, the Mervin Muniz, and the New Orleans Handicap, all Grade 2 races are now are worth $300,000.
The Muniz and the New Orleans Handicap now have suffered two purse cuts this winter, having been offered as $500,000 races at the start of this meet. In late January, those two stakes were trimmed by $100,000 as part of a broader-based round of purse cuts that included a reduction in overnight purses.
Sam Houston Race Park
Sam Houston Race Park in Houston continues with its Monday programs to its lineup for the remainder of March, and each will have a daytime post of 1:20 p.m. Central. The remaining programs are March 15, 22, and 29. The track races through April 3.
Pinnacle Race Course
The Michigan Gaming Control Board has cut schedule horse racing dates by more than half, the state agency announced.
Racing dates in Michigan were cut last year by the Michigan Office of Racing Commissioner, but most of them were restored after negotiations with the racing industry. It remains to be seen if that will occur again in 2010.
Pinnacle Race Course lost 34 days, meaning it will race 31 days from June 4-Aug. 13, with racing Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays. The meet traditionally runs through early fall.
Dates at three harness tracks were similarly reduced. In all, the MGCD said there will be 112 racing dates through Sept. 30, down from the 261 approved dates.
Hollywood Park
Hollywood Park has made severe cuts to its stakes schedule for the upcoming spring-summer meeting from April 21 to July 18, including reducing the purses of five Grade 1 races.
The richest race of the meeting will be the Grade 1, $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 10, a race worth $750,000 last year. The other six Grade 1 races will be worth $250,000. The American Oaks was cut from $700,000, while the Charles Whittingham Handicap, Triple Bend Handicap, and Vanity Handicap have been cut from $300,000.
The track is offering 45 stakes worth $5.8 million, down from 49 races worth $8 million in 2009.
Six stakes run in 2009 will not be offered this year – the Ack Ack Handicap, Gallant Man Stakes, Cinema Handicap, Flawlessly Stakes, Khaled Stakes, and Round Table Handicap.
Two races have been restored – the Will Rogers Handicap for 3-year-olds on turf and the Grade 3 Jim Murray Handicap over 1 1/2 miles on turf. The Will Rogers serves as a replacement for the Cinema, which was run for 3-year-olds over 1 1/8 miles on turf. Until 2008, both races were offered on the stakes schedule.
Rockingham Park
Rockingham Park in New Hampshire will not hold a live harness racing meet this year, the track announced on Wednesday, citing the state legislature’s decision last year to rescind funding for the New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission.
Last year, Rockingham Park held a 50-day live harness meet. The track has not held a Thoroughbred meet since 2002, although the track did hold three live Thoroughbred races in 2004 on the last day of its harness meet.
Hopeful Pacing Series
Yonkers Raceway Stakes Series Finals
This Friday and Saturday, Yonkers Raceway will showcase their first pair of 2010 events wrap up this weekend, with the finals of the Hopeful Pacing Series set for Friday and Saturday nights.
The Ladies division will heat up the track on Friday with the $46,900, 10th race finale for 3-year-old fillies. Leading the way is Rev Me Up, in post three, is the early choice. Rev Me Up won her lone series start in 1:57.4, then went back across the river for a second-place effort in the $61,000 final of the Tender Loving Care.
Dragon Princess will start from post two with Cat Manzi driving, also won her only series try, going first-up last week in 1:57 flat. Dragon Princess is 6-for-9 in her career, has hit the board in all but one of her lifetime efforts.
The field, with declared drivers and morning line odds: 1-Isthmus Of Panama (Ray Schnittker, 10-1); 2-Dragon Princess (Manzi, 3-1); 3-Rev Me Up (Bartlett, 7-5); 4-O Lucky Me (Jeff Gregory, 8-1); 5-Brightest Star (Tyler Buter, 8-1); 6-SS Admiral (Jim Meittinis, 12-1); 7-Briefly (Steve Smith, 10-1); and 8-Angelino (Jordan Stratton, 15-1).
On Saturday night, the boys hit the oval with the $49,700 final of the Hopeful for colts and geldings. The 10th race feature has Pan Grad accorded the role of morning line favorite with his win, a second and a third in preliminary competition.
Fox Valley Valkari, Joey The Czar and Vintage Fenom all enter after sharp series victories a week ago.
That field, with declared drivers and morning line odds: 1-Fox Valley Valkari (Gregory, 5-1); 2-Joey The Czar (Meittinis, 5-1); 3-Vintage Fenom (Sheehan, 6-1); 4-Pan Grad (Bartlett, 3-1); 5-Big Mystery (Greg Grismore, 10-1); 6-No Monkeys Allowed (Driver TBA, 8-1); 7-Hank’s Kid (Mike Forte, 12-1); and 8-Raging Cam (Stephane Bouchard, 12-1).
Yonkers’ regular five-night-per-week schedule (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) remains in effect. First post for all racing programs is 7:10 p.m.
Please note that the Raceway now offers five superfectas nightly (races three, five, seven, 10 and 12), provided there are a sufficient number of wagering interests in each scheduled superfecta race.
Thoroughbred Racing Action
Weekend Stakes Action
Super Horse Zenyatta hits the track for the first time this year in the Watch and wager on these stakes races…all on BetAmerica.com.
Saturday – March 13
- Fair Grounds: New Orleans Ladies, $200,000, 4&up, f/m, 8.5f.
- Gulfstream Park: Gulfstream Park Handicap G2, $300,000, 4&up, 8f.
- Gulfstream Park: Ocala Stakes, $75,000, 4&up, f/m, 8f.
- Laurel Park: Conniver Stakes, $70,000, 3&up, f/m, Maryland-bred, 7f.
- Oaklawn Park: Rebel Stakes G-2, $300,000, 3yo, 8.5f.
- Oaklawn Park: Honeybee Stakes G-3, $125,000, 3yo f, 8.5f.
- Santa Anita: Santa Margarita Handicap – G1, $250,000, 4&up, f/m, 9f.
- Santa Anita: San Felipe Stakes G2, $150,000, 3yo, 8.5f.
- Sunland Park: Bill Thomas Memorial Handicap, $50,000, 3&up, 6.5f.
- Tampa Bay Downs: Tampa Bay Derby G-3, $300,000, 3yo, 8.5f.
- Tampa Bay Downs: Florida Oaks G-3, $150,000, 3yo f, 8.5f.
- Tampa Bay Downs: Hillsborough Stakes G3, $150,000, 4&up, f/m, 9f (turf).
- Tampa Bay Downs: Turf Dash, $50,000, 3&up, 5f (turf).
- Turf Paradise: Desert Sky Handicap, $50,000, 3&up, f/m, 8f (turf).
- Turf Paradise: Scottsdale Handicap, $50,000, 3yo f, 8f (turf).
- Turf Paradise: Tempe Handicap, $50,000, 3yo, 8f (turf).
- Turfway Park: Tejano Run Stakes, $50,000, 4&up, 9f.
Sunday – March 14
- Gulfstream Park: Inside Information Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4&up, f/m, 7f.
- Gulfstream Park: Sunshine State Stakes, $75,000, 4&up, 7f.
Monday – March 15
- Turf Paradise: Coyote Handicap, $50,000, 3&up, 6.5f.
Wednesday – March 17
- Portland Meadows: Governor’s Speed H, $18,000, 3&up, 6f.
- Portland Meadows: Williamette River Stakes, $18,000a, 3yo, 8f.
Harness Stakes Action
This Weekend’s Stakes Action
BetAmerica.com still has great harness action from the East Coast to the West Coast, from Canada and the U.S. Watch and Wager on these Harness stakes races this week:
Friday – March 12
- Meadowlands: Overbid, $50,000, FFA Mare, Pace
- Yonkers: Hopeful, $40,000, 3yo, Filly, Pace
Saturday – March 13
- Meadowlands: Four Leaf Clover, $25,000, 5 & Under, Pace
- Yonkers: Hopeful, $40,000, 3yo, C&G, Pace
- Yonkers: Hopeful, $20,000, 3yo, C&G, Pace
Sunday – March 14
- Meadowlands: Horse & Groom, $20,000, Open, Trot
Posted by Jared Alexander
Santa Anita Gets Wet
