Newsletter

Golden Gate Fields – El Camino Real Derby
Gulfstream Park – Sprint Championship
Santa Anita – Santa Maria Stakes
Laurel Park – Barbara Fritchie Handicap
Thoroughbred Racing Action

Golden Gate Fields – El Camino Real Derby

Three-Year-Olds in the Bay

The major three-year-old prep race on Saturday is the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. A field of ten will line up for the nine-furlong race with Russian Greek installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite.

Russian Greek is the horse-for-course at Golden Gate with two wins in three starts over the track. His biggest and best win came in the $100,000 California Derby, which is the local prep for the El Camino Real.

In the Cal Derby Russian Greek was unhurried early, but flew in a hurry late to catch Cahill Chrome and win going away. Russian Greek, by Giant’s Causeway, should love the additional half furlong and is the horse to beat.

In addition to Russian Greek and Cahill Chrome there are two other horses that come out of the Cal Derby. Senor Rain was third and Unveiled Heat was fifth. Senor Rain is a salty 12-1 on the morning line for the race Saturday after being 4-1 in the Cal Derby. He is likely to improve in his second start off the layoff and may set the early pace. Unveiled Heat is a long shot again and will need to step up. His best two races were on the turf and is winless in five career starts over the Tapeta at Golden Gate.

The best of the new shooters are Daddy Nose Best, Lucky Chappy and Handsome Mike, who all might be better on the turf.

Daddy Nose Best drew the rail for the El Camino Real and will be making his first start on a synthetic surface. So far in his eight race career he has run six times on the turf and twice on the dirt with both his wins coming over the grass. Jockey Julien Leparoux will need a hot pace up front if his mount is going to be effective.

Lucky Chappy is another turf closer and runs for the same connections who won the Kentucky Derby last year with Animal Kingdom. The High Chaparral-colt is winless in three starts in the U.S. after going two-for-three in Italy.

Handsome Mike has something that the above two don’t have and that’s a start over synthetics; however, they weren’t exactly top efforts. In his debut he was fourth, beaten seven, at Del Mar then in the Grade 1 Cash Call Futurity at Hollywood Park he was seventh, beaten just under three lengths. He broke his maiden on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita and was second in the Grade 3 Generous over the Hollywood Park turf.

Handsome Mike appears to be one of the pace players on Saturday as does Senor Rain, Cahill Chrome, Rockinarz Recruit, All Squared Away and Lady of Fifty. Rockinarz Recruit and All Squared Away will be long shots when the gates open, but Lady of Fifty is interesting from post ten.

By the name you can figure out that Lady of Fifty is a filly taking on the boys. She is four-for-five in her career with three straight including the $100,000 California Oaks over the surface last month. Even though the two races came a week a part the speed figure earned by Lady of Fifty was higher than her male counterpart Russian Greek earned in the California Derby. Both Russian Greek and Lady of Fifty are trained by Jerry Hollendorfer with Aaron Gryder riding the Greek and Russell Baze taking the call on Lady of Fifty. You can never count out Hollendorfer and Baze in Northern California.

Scheduled as race eight on Saturday the El Camino Real Derby goes to post at 7:15 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Sprint Championship

Force Freeze Drops to Score

The feature race on Saturday at Gulfstream Park is the 36th running of the Grade 2 Sprint Championship for older horses. The seven-furlong sprint drew a field of eight led by Force Freeze.

Force Freeze comes into the Sprint Championship off an excellent second to Amazombie in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs. Under jockey John Velazquez, Force Freeze stalked the pace for the first quarter mile, but soon found himself on the lead. He put away all his pace rivals, but was just collared at the wire by the late-running closer.

Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Force Freeze was second in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Invitational over a muddy, sealed track at Belmont Park and won a stakes race at Monmouth Park, which was his first start in the U.S. since May 2008 after a campaign in Dubai.

The biggest concern for the backers of Force Freeze is the distance. The seven-year-old gelding has never been further than six furlongs in his career. He runs like he can get the extra furlong, but may be looking for the wire hoping to hold off the closers.

On speed figures Force Freeze stands out. His last three speed figures have been all over 100 with a 106 top in his last. In comparison only two other horses, Bold Warrior and Capt. Candyman Can, have run speed figures in the 100’s in their career.

Bold Warrior topped the 100-mark in his last race, a second place finish in a $58,000 stakes race at Belmont Park last October. That race was at one mile around one turn and he has a win and a second in two career starts at seven furlongs.

Capt. Candyman Can is the seven-furlong specialist with five wins in six starts at the distance. The six-year-old gelding is a Grade 1 winner at seven furlongs after taking the King’s Bishop via disqualification at Saratoga in 2009. He is a closer and thus is at the mercy of the pace, which may not be all that strong.

Decisive Moment has some front-running races, but all of those have been at longer distances. He set a very slow pace in his last race, the Hal’s Hope, and may not be the one to take up the early running on Saturday. That leaves Simba’s Story for trainer Todd Pletcher and his go-to rider John Velazquez.

Simba’s Story steps way up after a win in an allowance race, but if any trainer can get the job done it’s Pletcher. Velazquez should know Force Freeze well after riding him in the Breeders’ Cup and being drawn inside that rival, Velazquez could take up the early running. It may not be enough to hold off the favorite, but he could hold on for the minor awards.

Troilus is an interesting runner from the Marty Wolfson barn. The Speightstown-colt has won his last three races including his last two around one mile over the track. He began his career with three straight starts at seven furlongs, but was only able to manage a second and a third. Since his last race Troilus has worked a hole in the wind with back-to-back bullet works. He is the upsetter and one to watch going forward.

Rounding out the field are the Louisiana-bred Amanecer de Oro and the claimer Dixie Slam.

Post time for race, which goes as race ten on the 11-race card, is 4:45 ET.

Santa Anita – Santa Maria Stakes

Ellafitz Looks for Three Straight

Ellafitz is a front-runner nightmare for her rivals and once again she gets a chance to display her speed when she takes on six other fillies and mares on Saturday in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita.

Ellafitz as well as Spirit Seeker, Kayce Ace and Vision in Gold are all coming out of the $83,000 Paseana Handicap, which was run at the same course and distance as the Santa Maria, in mid-January. Spirit Seeker was third with Kayce Ace fourth and Vision in Gold sixth.

Vision in Gold actually started favored in the Paseana even though she was coming into the race off a ten-month layoff. What bettors were focusing on had to be the third in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita at Santa Anita and a win in last year’s Santa Maria.

The one interesting thing about Vision in Gold for the Paseana was that she showed up in front wraps, which is never a great thing to see for the first time in her career coming off a long layoff. If the wraps come off on Saturday then expect a big effort from the Medaglia d’Oro filly.

Kayce Ace defeated Ellafitz when they met at Hollywood Park last June, but could not close the gap in the Paseana. She will need to be closer to the pace in the Santa Maria and hope that one of the other rivals goes with Ellafitz early.

Spirit Seeker was projected to be closer to the pace in the Paseana, but for some reason was taken back. She pulled early and had nothing late, which prompted trainer Doug O’Neill to make a jockey switch back to Rafael Bejarano. Joe Talamo, the jockey on Spirit Seeker in the last, winds up with Kayce Ace. With the jock change expect Spirit Seeker to be pushing Ellafitz from the start.

Miss Mittagong and Love Theway Youare are coming off of graded stakes races, but were easily handled by Ellafitz in the Grade 2 Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park in early December. Miss Mittagong is making her first start on the conventional dirt and is bred to handle it being by Breeders’ Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup winner Pleasantly Perfect.

The final filly in the race is Great Hot, who is coming into the race off a second place finish in the Grade 2 La Canada last month. In the La Canada Great Hot was closer to the pace than in the past, but could not out run the winner Include Me Out in the late stages. Include Me Out is trained by Ron Ellis so the connections are hoping to out duel his Vision in Gold on Saturday.

Post time for the Santa Maria is 7:07 ET.

Laurel Park – Barbara Fritchie Handicap

Grade 2 Fillies and Mares

The “other” Graded stakes race on Saturday is the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap for fillies and mares going seven furlongs on the main track at Laurel Park. A field of nine will go postward and contention runs deep.

The probable morning line favorite is the Michael Hushion-trained Nicole H, who is coming into the race with back-to-back scores over the inner dirt at Aqueduct. On New Year’s Day Nicole H won by a neck, despite traffic, in the Interborough then won with ease in the Correction in her last start. The one caveat about Nicole H is that she is five-for-five at the Big A and only two-for-thirteen elsewhere.

C C’s Pal is also coming off back-to-back score at Aqueduct winning the Garland Of Roses at six furlongs then stretching out to win the nine furlong Ladies Handicap on New Year’s day. Since moving to the Rick Dutrow barn, C C’s Pal is three-for-four with her only loss coming to Lovely Lil, who is also entered in the Fritchie.

In her last six starts Lovely Lil has been in-the-money in all six including three wins highlighted by a win in the Grade 2 Go For Wand over the main track at Aqueduct in November. Seven furlongs isn’t the best distance for Lovely Lil as evident by her zero-for-three record. A stablemate of Nicole H, Lovely Lil is likely to be part of the early pace on Saturday.

The other pace player is Red’s Round Table, who loves the Laurel Park course. In five career starts over the track she has four wins and a second. She comes off a smashing allowance win in late January at Laurel and won the Wide Country Stakes over the course and distance last year.

Silver Heart is somewhat of a distance specialist having run twelve of her 29 career starts at seven furlongs. In those twelve she only has three wins, two seconds and two thirds with most coming in West Virginia-bred races. She will get a good stalking trip from the outside and could round out the tri or superfecta.

Aquitania, three-for-three at Laurel, Magical Feeling, four wins in her last five starts, are the next contenders in line with Terra Rolla and Lily Quatorze the long shots in the group.

Post time for the Barbara Fritchie 3:55 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – February 18

• Golden Gate Fields: El Camino Real Derby – G3, $200,000, 3yo, 9f
• Gulfstream Park: Sprint Championship – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 7f
• Santa Anita: Santa Maria Stakes – G2, $200,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f
• Laurel Park: Barbara Fritchie Handicap – G2, $200,000, 3yo & up f&m, 7f
• Oaklawn Park: Bayakoa Stakes, $100,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Turf Dash, $75,000, 3yo & up, 5f turf
• Turfway Park: Dust Commander Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 8f
• Sunland Park: Sydney Valentini Handicap, $110,000, 4yo & up, 8f
• Sam Houston: Jim’s Orbit Stakes, $100,000, 3yo, 8f
• Turf Paradise: Phoenix Gold Cup, $75,000, 4yo & up, 6f

Sunday – February 19

• Santa Anita: San Vicente Stakes – G2, $150,000, 3yo, 7f
• Gulfstream Park: Hurricane Bertie Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 6.5f
• Oaklawn Park: Spring Fever Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, 5.5f

Monday – February 20

• Santa Anita: Buena Vista Handicap – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Oaklawn Park: Southwest Stakes – G3, $250,000, 3yo, 8f
• Laurel Park: General George Handicap – G2, $200,000, 3yo & up, 7f

Gulfstream Park – Donn Handicap
Gulfstream Park – Turf Handicap
Santa Anita – San Marcos Stakes
Oaklawn Park – Martha Washington Stakes
Thoroughbred Racing Action

Gulfstream Park – Donn Handicap

Grade 1 Runners Go Nine on the Main

This Saturday at Gulfstream Park is loaded with stakes action. It kicks off with the Grade 2 Hutcheson for three-year-olds then the Grade 3 Suwanee River for turf fillies and mares before moving to the first of the two Grade 1 co-features.

The Donn Handicap is a the first biggest Grade 1 race of the year for older horses and this year’s renewal drew an outstanding field. Of the eleven runners there are eight graded stakes winners including three Grade 1 winners.

The first of the Grade 1 winners is Ruler On Ice, who won the Grade 1 Belmont in 2011. Since his win in the Belmont, Ruler On Ice has been on a cold streak. He is winless in five subsequent starts with a second in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby and a third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic. His last race was a fifth place finish in the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill Downs. The Roman Ruler-gelding has no early speed, which may be a hindrance on the Gulfstream Park main track.

Flat Out was third in the Grade 1 Clark after finishing fifth as the post-time favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November. Prior to the Classic, Flat Out won the Garde 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park over Drosselmeyer, who would go on to win the BC Classic. Flat Out has run once this year, a last place finish in the Grade 3 Fort Lauderdale on the turf. Flat Out is not a turf horse so a switch to the main track will move him up. The question mark surrounding the six-year-old is if he is simply a horse-for-course at Belmont Park.

The final Grade 1 winner in the field is Shackleford, who may be the horse-for-course at Gulfstream Park. In three career starts over the track the Foresty-colt has a win and a second. The second place finish put Shackleford on the map when he was game in defeat to heavy favorite Ice Box in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Shackleford was last seen finishing second to runaway winner Caleb’s Posse in the Grade 1 Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile. Expect Shack to take up his customary front-running spot on Saturday, but he won’t be there alone.

Trickmeister has only run five times in his career, which has included three layoff lines, but the five-year-old has never been headed in those five races. Each start has been a wire-to-wire victory with his best win coming in the $105,000 Barbaro Stakes at Delaware Park in July 2010. He is a talented horse, but gets the class test this weekend.

The other graded stakes winners in the field are Where’s Sterling, Grade 3 Iselin at Monmouth Park, Mission Impazible, Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds, Redeemed, Grade 3 Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct, Soaring Empire, Grade 3 Hal’s Hope at Gulfstream Park, and Al Khali, Grade 2 Bowling Greet Handicap over the Belmont turf.

Of those runners the ones with the best chance to take down their first Grade 1 are Where’s Sterling and Mission Impazible with the edge to Where’s Sterling, who has two wins and two second from four career starts at Gulfstream Park. Mission Impazible always seemed to promise more than delivered as evident by his seven seconds and thirds in fifteen career starts. Two of his three career wins have come at Fair Grounds with the other over the synthetic at Keeneland.

Rounding out the field in the Grade 1 Donn are the two outside horses Hymn Book and Sangaree. Post time is 4:45 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Turf Handicap

Grade 1 Turfers Get Their Turn

The second co-feature on the Saturday Gulfstream Park card is the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap for older horses going nine furlongs on the turf course. The Turf Handicap drew a field just as competitive as the Donn with eight stakes winners in the field of ten.

The only Grade 1 winner in the group is the six-year-old Get Stormy for trainer Thomas Bush. Get Stormy won the Grade 1 Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby day last year with a masterful front-running ride from jockey Ramon Dominguez. By Stormy Atlantic, Get Stormy also won the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark at Keeneland last April and was third in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap last year. Ramon is reunited with Get Stormy so look for another pace-pressing trip.

Get Stormy’s rivals on the front end are Big Blue Kitten, Yummy With Butter and possible Yankee Fortune, all of which have won a graded stakes.

Big Blue Kitten was riding a five-race win streak going into an allowance race on December 31, but a slow start cost him his chance at six. The streak ended with a win in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame at Saratoga and with a clean break expect him to be in the thick of things on Saturday.

Yummy With Butter just finished second in the Grade 3 Fort Lauderdale over the Gulfstream Park turf, but was disqualified and placed sixth after a bumping incident in the stretch. It was the first time the eight-year-old gelding had run on the lead, but it was one of his better races.

The winner of the Fort Lauderdale was the Todd Pletcher-trained Silver Medallion. The Fort Lauderdale was the second straight win for the colt after taking the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap at Calder. From the rail expect jockey Javier Castellano to get a ground-saving trip.

Yankee Fortune started out his career as a front-runner, but changed tactics in his three starts last year. Of course the change in tactics has also led to a three-race losing streak so improvement is needed. In 2010, as a three-year-old, he won the Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby and Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf.

Smart Bid was second by a nose in last year’s Turf Handicap, but the wins have come few and far between for the six-year-old horse. He only has one win in his last twelve races, which was a nose victory in the Grade 2 Marvin Muniz at Fair Grounds in March 2011.

Hollinger, Boisterous, Kindergarden Kid and the ultimate promise more than deliver horse Al Khali round out the field. Based on speed figures Big Blue Kitten needs to step up, but Saturday looks like his race to win or lose unless Silver Medallion has his eyes set on gold.

Post time for the Turf Handicap is 5:13 ET.

Santa Anita – San Marcos Stakes

Sanagas Looks for Three Straight

The feature race on Saturday at Santa Anita is the 60th running of the Grade 2 San Marcos for four-year-olds and upward. The ten-furlong turf test drew a field of eight led by Grade 1 winner Sanagas.

Sanagas is making his first start in 2012 after seven starts in 2011. He started last year in his native country, Germany, with a win, which moved his record to four wins in five career starts. Given just over four months off after that win Sanagas showed up in the U.S. for trainer Graham Motion and it didn’t take long for him to strut his stuff.

His first start in the country was a seventh place finish in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap at Arlington Park over ten furlongs then got on track with a win in a restricted stakes at Saratoga. After that victory Motion moved him back to the graded stakes for the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap at Belmont. After a fourth place finish there he scored in the off-the-turf Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland and in the Grade 1 Turf Cup at Hollywood Park.

The win by Sanagas at Hollywood Park was sensational. He sat just off the early pace then made a move to reach the lead after six furlongs before scoring a comfortable three and one-quarter length win. A repeat of that race and the others are running for second, but this is not the ultimate goal for the six-year-old gelding and it may be shorter than he prefers.

Bourbon Bay finished second to Sanagas in the Hollywood Turf Cup and gets back to the track where he has won five of six overall. The only loss at Santa Anita for the six-year-old Sligo Bay-gelding was a second to Champ Pegasus in the Grade 2 San Luis Obispo last year.

A negative for Bourbon Bay is that since a trip to Dubai he has simply not been the same horse. Going into Dubai he had won five of seven races with a second and a third. After an eleventh place finish in the Sheema Classic at Meydan, Bourbon Bay has come back with only one win in six starts and that win was over the Polytrack at Del Mar. A return to Santa Anita may just be what trainer Neil Drysdale needs to get his gelding back on track.

Norvsky finished fifth behind Sanagas and Bourbon Bay in the Gold Cup, but is coming off the best race of his career and loves the Santa Anita turf. After winning the Grade 2 San Gabriel in his last start the six-year-old gelding ran his record over the course to three wins, one second and one third in six career starts. Even with the win he is going to need to step up his game to defeat the top two.

The pace of the race is an interesting one as there only appears to be one horse that is a true front-runner. Worth Repeating has not run since going nearly gate-to-wire in the Grade 3 Tokyo City over the main track at Santa Anita. His trainer, Dick Mandella, has expressed some concerns over the six-year-olds readiness for this race, but he has to start somewhere and may get brave if left loose on the lead.

Slim Shadey is the new face in the graded turf stakes in Southern California and comes in off a good win in an allowance race last month. He gets the class test on Saturday, but note that the former connections thought enough of him to run him in a pair of graded stakes in England against Frankel early in his career.

Completing the field are Utopian, Ashtar and The Usual Q.T. Of the three, The Usual Q.T. gets top billing, but he has not won in his last eight races, which dates back to August 2010.

The San Marcos goes as race nine of the ten-race card with a post time of 7:38 ET.

Oaklawn Park – Martha Washington Stakes

Now I Know Tries to Remain Perfect

While the majority of the country is focused on the Kentucky Derby trail the three-year-old fillies deserve respect on their way to the Kentucky Oaks on the first Friday in May.

One of the first places to start when looking at three-year-old fillies is Hot Springs, Arkansas and Oaklawn Park. A couple of years ago super-filly Rachel Alexandra used Oaklawn as a springboard for her three-year-old campaign, which included a dominating win in the Kentucky Oaks.

This year’s Martha Washington kicks off the two-turn prep races in Arkansas and the filly to beat is the undefeated Now I Know.

By Pure Prize, Now I Know is a perfect six-for-six in her career including wins in the Grade 3 Delta Princess and the Dixie Belle, which is the local, sprint prep for the Martha Washington. Not only has Now I know won each race, but she has dominated them.

The closest a filly has got to Now I Know has been a head, which was after a quarter of a mile into her debut at Remington Park in August of last year. Now I know is the filly to beat on Saturday and could be on her way to stardom.

Amie’s Dini finished second to Now I Know in the Dixie Belle and is making her second start off the layoff for trainer Ronald Moquett. Amie’s Dini was an impressive winner in her last race as a two-year-old and is a candidate for further improvement in the Martha Washington. She should get a good outside trip stalking Now I Know.

If both of those fillies go head and head early then it could set up for an off-the-pace runner. The one caveat is that there is a short stretch in the mile run at Oaklawn.

Devious Intent and Lulu Wong are not true closers, but they do not have the same early gas as the top two have. Devious Intent exits a win in the Genesis Stakes at Delta Downs and was fourth behind Now I Know in the Delta Princes.

Lulu Wong won her two-turn debut at Oaklawn in her last race, which was the second win of her four-start career. She set the pace that day with a half mile in 47 and one-fifth second, but that is not likely to earn her the lead on Saturday.

Wayne Lukas has an interesting runner in here because she is making her first career start in a stakes. Colonial Empress cost $175,000 as a two-year-old and has some very fast workouts for her debut. Sired by Empire Maker out of a Pleasant Colony mare, Colonial Empress is bred to love any route of ground.

Long shots Read Bean Ice Cream and Soonerette are the other runners in the field and look overmatched. Post time for the Martha Washington is 5:33 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Great racing action from across the country this weekend.  Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Saturday – February 11

• Gulfstream Park: Donn Handicap – G1, $500,000, 4yo & up, 9f
• Gulfstream Park: Turf Handicap – G1, $300,000, 4yo & up, 9f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Hutcheson Stakes – G2, $150,000, 3yo, 7f
• Gulfstream Park: Suwannee River Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 9f turf
• Santa Anita: San Marcos Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 10f turf
• Oaklawn Park: Martha Washington Stakes, $75,000, 3yo f, 8f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Super Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up, 7f
• Fair Grounds: Tiffany Lass Stakes, $75,000, 4yo f, 8.5f
• Laurel Park: Maryland Racing Media Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Turfway Park: Likely Exchange Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 8f
• Sunland Park: El Diario Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6.5f
• Sam Houston: Champion Energy Services Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up, 5f turf

Sunday – February 12

• Santa Anita: Sweet Life Stakes, $75,000, 3yo f, 6.5f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Madcap Escapade Stakes, $60,000, 3yo f, 5f turf
• Sunland Park: Curribot Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f