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Churchill Downs – Derby Trial Stakes
Lone Star Park – Texas Mile
Golden Gate Fields – San Francisco Mile
Hollywood Park – Snow Chief Stakes
Thoroughbred Racing Action

Churchill Downs – Derby Trial Stakes

Is Bourbon Courage for real?

Churchill Downs opens up this weekend and the feature race is the Grade 3 Derby Trial on Saturday. The one-mile, one-turn race drew a field of eleven with Bourbon Courage the colt to beat.

Bourbon Courage was overlooked in his debut, going off at odds of just over 15-1, but ran more like a 1-15 shot. He broke running, hit the lead between the quarter and half pole then drew off to win by an easy four and one-quarter lengths.

After a big debut trainer Kellyn Gorder gave the Lion Heart colt a bit of a break, entering him in an allowance race in late March. This time Bourbon Courage was sent off as the 3-10 odds-on favorite and won by six and three-quarter lengths.

This will be his first start against graded company while many of his foes have already tested the stake waters.

It’s possible that Bourbon Courage will not be the post-time favorite and that is due to the entry of the Bob Baffert colt Paynter.

According to some in the know, Paynter is the best three-year-old in the Baffert barn. That is a little hard to believe since he has the probable morning line favorite for the Kentucky Derby, Bodemeister, but the expectations are high for Paynter.

The only horse in the race with a graded stakes win is Motor City and that win came at Churchill Downs at one mile, the same conditions as the Derby Trial. After winning the Iroquois last October, Motor City has only started one other time, running a disappointing eighth in the Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park.

The colt will need to improve if he is to compete on Saturday, but it is not surprise Churchill Downs is his favorite track as his sire is Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.

After the top two contention runs deep. Trainer Dale Romans entered four led by Saint of Saints and a pair of California-shippers also fit in the wide-open race.

Saint of Saints only has a maiden win to his credit, but the speed figure earned in his two races are on par with the other contenders in the Derby Trial. He didn’t get the best of the draw with post three, but is likely to be inside speed.

When trainer Jerry Hollendorfer ships to Churchill Downs bettor need to pay attention. He has won some of the top races under the twin spires and gets jockey Garrett Gomez in the irons. Nonios will be making his first start on the dirt, but being by Pleasantly Perfect out of a Touch Gold mare, the colt should handle the track just fine.

Hierro is the other California shipper, but unlike Nonois, Hierro has experience at Churchill. In November of last year the Hard Spun colt broke his maiden by an easy five and one-quarter lengths. The winning jockey that day Julien Leparoux gets the re-ride and will be dangerous for top connections.

Rounding out the field are Tarpy’s Gal, The Black, Quick Wit, Seve and Stealcase. The Black is likely to take a lot of action based on his jockey, Calvin Borel, who can never be counted out at Churchill Downs.

Post time for the Grade 3 Derby Trial is 9:39 ET and is the start of the late pick-4.

Lone Star Park – Texas Mile

Grade 3 Dirt Milers

The feature race on Saturday at Lone Star Park is the 16th running of the Grade 3 Texas Mile. A field of ten will line up for the stakes with Canonize the 2-1 morning line favorite.

Canonize has only stepped foot out of California once in his 13-race career and that was not a good trip to Keeneland. In the Grade 3 Phoenix in 2010 he finished sixth, beaten just under six lengths. In California; however, his race record is solid and since he has been switched to dirt it has been even better.

Trainer Ron Ellis started the career of Canonize in 2009 and was rewarded with three wins in eight starts with several good runs in Grade 3 races. Then came a layoff of a year and the gelding did not come back as well, but there was still fight in the old warrior.

After the Hollywood Park meeting ended the connections kept him in training and he flourished over the conventional dirt at Santa Anita. He won a seven-furlong allowance race then was fourth behind The Factor, Sway Away and Amazombie in the Grade 2 San Carlos before winning the Santana Mile over the track in his last.

Endorsement is the second choice on the morning line and he too is no stranger to a long layoff. After taking the Grade 3 Sunland Derby in 2010 the Distorted Humor colt was off nearly 21 months before coming back to the races in December of last year.

Since his return Endorsement has three runs with a win and two seconds. His last race, where he won by a geared down two and one-quarter, was his best since the Sunland Derby and with another move forward will be tough to beat.

The pace scenario in the Texas Mile is an interesting one. Endorsement won his last on the lead, but does not need the lead to be at his best. Canonize races close to the pace, but he too does not need the lead. There are; however, several horses that do need the lead to run well.

Lydia’s Last Step has not won a race from off-the-pace since November 2010 in a sprint race at Zia Park. Class-wise the five-year-old gelding cannot win, but he will impact the race.

Hurricane Ike and Coyote Legend are two horses that are front-runners that have the ability to win the Texas Mile.

Hurricane Ike is coming out of a second place finish in a seven-furlong sprint race over the Polytrack at Keeneland and is likely to improve second off the layoff. He is not a synthetic horse so the switch back to dirt will move him up. Note that he has three wins in five career starts at one mile.

Coyote Legend loves the track at Lone Star and is also a mile specialist. He has run eight times at Lone Star with four wins, one second and two thirds. At one mile the five-year-old gelding has two wins and a second in three starts. The connections are glad that no Al Stall horse is entered as his last two runs in non-state-bred stake races have been second place finishes to horses trained by Stall.

Moonshine Mullin and Omniscient are the two that can hit the board if the pace is extremely hot and the favorites are too close to it with Fifteen Love, Get in Da House and Oak Motte completing the field.

The Texas Mile goes as race eight on the nine-race card with a post time of 5:51 ET.

Golden Gate Fields – San Francisco Mile

Grade 3 Turf Milers

Saturday’s third graded stakes race comes from Golden Gate Fields with the 63rd running of the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile. The turf race drew a full field of eleven with three Southern California shippers looking to upset the northerners.

The first of the So Cal shippers is Jeranimo, who drew the rail. Jeranimo is coming out of the best races in the field with ten straight graded races including the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile, Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, Grade 1 Pacific Classic and Grade 1 Eddie Read.

Even with the class the mile distance still poses a problem for the six-year-old. He has run five times at the distance with only one victory on the resume. Of course that did come in the Oak Tree Mile over a top colt in Mr. Commons.

Worth Repeating and Calimonco are the others shipping north and both probably need their best to compete on Saturday. The only win for Worth Repeating in his last ten was in the 12-furlong main track Tokyo City stakes. Calimonco won a small stakes race in his last, but has yet to finish in front of Jeranimo in two starts against that foe.

Usually it seems that when a horse from Southern California ships up north that they are going to win with ease, but the locals in the San Fran Mile will not go down without a fight.

Sanger Silver is winless in three starts on the turf in his career, but he has won two straight with decent speed figures and will be one of the pace setters.

Hudson Landing has won two straight as well on the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate; however, his turf record is the complete opposite of Sanger Silver. The five-year-old gelding has won five of fifteen starts on the turf including three of four at Golden Gate.

Live Sundays is also winless on the turf, but he has a second and two thirds that make him playable on Sunday. He has won seven of 23 lifetime races for earnings of over $300,000. Aaron Gryder picks up the mount from Russell Baze and will be stalking the pace from the outside.

With what appears like to be a lot of speed signed on Jeranimo looks to have a ready-made pace scenario for his late-run. He is not the only horse hoping for a hot pace as Gallant Son from the outside post will also be doing his best running late. Gallant Son was second in this race last year. The only concern is post position 11.

Photo Shopped, Positive Response, Dunmore East and Mr. Candy Bar complete the field.

Post time for the San Francisco Mile is 4:15 ET and goes as race seven on the nine-race card.

Hollywood Park – Snow Chief Stakes

California-breds at Hollywood Park

Saturday is Gold Rush day at Hollywood Park with eight stakes races for California-bred or sired horses totaling over $1-million in purses.

The two $300,000 races on the day are the Melair Stakes for three-year-old fillies and the Show Chief Stakes for three-year-olds. Going as race eight on the day the Show Chief gets top billing.

A field of ten will line up for the nine-furlong affair and contention runs deep.

Corner Office drew the rail and can win if he runs the same race he did three starts back. In that race, which was his maiden breaker, Corner Office sat off the early pace, but hit the lead coming into the stretch and won going away. Since then; however, he has not fared as well finishing third on the turf and fourth in a state-bred allowance.

Finishing second in the Corner Office maiden breaker was Dylan Donnelly, who will be looking to break his maiden in the Snow Chief. The Mike Mitchell-trained gelding has been favored in his last three starts, but has yet to put it all together. He may actually not be favored on Saturday and could be a good price.

The fourth place horse in that same maiden race was Teraad, who came right back to break his maiden in a turf mile race in his next start before finishing seventh in his last start. Teraad is likely to make the early running under jockey Russell Baze.

The race should have a pretty spirited rush for the front with Teraad going as well as stretch-out sprinters D’ Obsession, Real Conundrum, Oh Righty and Suances Candy.

Suances Candy may be the quickest of them and is coming off a maiden score on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita. Drawn in post nine jockey David Flores will have plenty of options when they break from the gate.

That leaves stalker Unusual Heatwave and closers Bench Light and Stoney Fleece.

Unusual Heatwave makes her first start on a synthetic surface since his maiden race at Del Mar after running seven straight times on the turf. The Unusual Heat’s run well on the turf, but they also run very well at Hollywood Park. Jockey Rafael Bejarano is likely to be sitting the trip just off the speed.

Bench Light did not enjoy the dirt nor the sprint in his last, but still needs to step up his game to compete in the Snow Chief.

Stoney Fleece drew post ten and has won two of three career starts on the synthetic surface at Del Mar. With post ten jockey Joel Rosario will break then angle over to save ground. As long as Rosario can time his ride Stoney Fleece will have a lot to say about the outcome.

First post on Saturday is 4:00 ET with the first state-bred stakes in the Warren’s Thoroughbred in race 2. The Snow Chief goes to post at 7:40 ET and is the second leg of the late pick-4, which also includes the Tiznow and NTRA Stakes.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Saturday – April 28

• Churchill Downs: Derby Trial Stakes – G3, $200,000, 3yo, 8f
• Lone Star Park: Texas Mile – G3, $200,000, 3yo & up, 8f
• Golden Gate Fields: San Francisco Mile Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up, 8f turf
• Hollywood Park: Snow Chief Stakes, $300,000, 3yo, 9f
• Hollywood Park: Melair Stakes, $300,000, 3yo f, 9f
• Hollywood Park: Tiznow Stakes, $125,000, 4yo & up, 7.5f
• Hollywood Park: B. Thoughtful Stakes, $125,000, 4yo & up f&m, 7.5f
• Hollywood Park: Grey Memo Stakes, $70,000, 3yo & up, 7f
• Hollywood Park: Warren’s Thoroughbreds Stakes, $70,000, 3yo & up f&m, 7f
• Hollywood Park: NTRA Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up, 6.5f
• Hollywood Park: Alphabet Kisses Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6.5f
• Calder: Calder Oaks, $100,000, 3yo f, 8.5f turf
• Hawthorne: Illinois-bred Stakes Day, 6 races, total $625,000 purses
• Pimlico: Henry S. Clark Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 8f turf
• Sunray Park: Jack Cole Handicap, $110,000, 3yo & up, 8f
• Turf Paradise: Gene Fleming Breeders’ Derby, $50,000, 3yo, 8.5f

Sunday – April 29

• Hollywood Park: Wilshire Handicap – G3, $100,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f turf

Keeneland – Lexington Stakes
Calder Race Course – Miami Mile Handicap
Santa Anita – Santa Barbara Handicap
Hawthorne – Sixty Sails Handicap
Thoroughbred Racing Action

Keeneland – Lexington Stakes

Castaway Looks to Rebound

The Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday was shaping up as a good stakes for three-year-olds who were not on the Kentucky Derby trail, but when entries were drawn it suddenly became a race that could produce a starter for this year’s run for the roses.

Castaway right now has $162,000 in graded earnings, which puts him at 25 on the earnings list. With $120,000 to the winner Castaway would move in to the top 20. First things first though, Castaway must improve off his effort in the Sunland Derby.

Off his run away win in the Southwest, Castaway was sent off as the favorite in the Grade 3 race at Sunland Park, but got caught up in a speed duel and was fried, offering nothing for the stretch drive. It was the worst effort of his career since finishing tenth in a maiden race at Santa Anita in November.

By Street Sense, Castaway has every right to bounce back into form and run well over the Polytrack at Keeneland. Street Sense used it twice en route to his wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Kentucky Derby in his two and three-year-old seasons.

Castaway also drew post seven, outside of the other speed, which should come from Morgan’s Guerrilla and Johannesbourbon.

Morgan’s Guerrilla is an interesting horse that with a win could make the derby field if others in front of him come out. He was last seen finishing second in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby won by probable Kentucky Derby long shot Done Talking.

The connections of Morgan’s Guerrilla are no strangers to the winner’s circle at Keeneland as it is the same owner/trainer combination that brought us the 40-1 upset winner of the 2010 Blue Grass Stakes, Stately Victor.

Johannesbourbon exits a win in his debut at Turfway Park in which he took the lead at the half-mile pole then drew off to win by almost ten lengths. The second place horse came back to win in style at Keeneland on Wednesday.

Should the top choices not fire then there are several other options in the Lexington that make sense.

Summer Front is undefeated in his three turf starts with his last win coming in the $100,000 Dania Beach stakes at Gulfstream Park in mid-December. It’s interesting that the colt makes his season debut in this race, but they could have their eyes on the American Turf Stakes on Derby day at Churchill Downs.

Golden Ticket comes out of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby where he was second, beaten less than a length, to Prospective. Prospective came back to disappoint in the Blue Grass last weekend and trainer Ken McPeek has only one win in twenty starts this meet.

Holiday Promise may be finding his best stride and may be overlooked in the wagering even though the Harlan’s Holiday colt is trained by Todd Pletcher. Holiday Promise was second in the Grade 3 Spiral in his last race to Went the Day Well, who is a contender for this year’s Kentucky Derby. Holiday Promise also has fired two excellent workouts at Keeneland since that race.

News Pending and Gold Megillah are the final two horses, but did not draw well in posts ten and eleven. Both horses are turfers that could run very well over the synthetic surface.

Long shots Skyring, Hammers Terror and All Squared Away complete the field.

Scheduled as race nine on the ten race-card, post time for the Lexington on Saturday is 5:13 ET.

Calder Race Course – Miami Mile Handicap

Grade 3 Turf Milers

The feature race on Saturday at Calder is the Grade 3 Miami Mile Handicap for three-year-olds and upward going one mile on the turf. The $125,000 race drew a full field of twelve with two on the also-eligible list.

The morning line favorite, and a lukewarm one at that, is Mutual Trust at 3-1. The four-year-old colt is making his third start in this country after an excellent career in France. He started his racing campaign with four straight victories including the Grade 1 Prix Jean Prat over Zoffany and Strong Suit. Then he finished a pole behind Immortal Verse and Goldikova last August before shipping to the U.S.

In his first start in the country he went off as the 4-5 post-time favorite in the Grade 3 Ft. Lauderdale at Gulfstream Park, but faded to finish sixth. He then took just over a month off and came back with an even poor performance, finishing seventh in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf.

If he regains his three-year-old form then he will be very tough to beat, but that is a big “if.”

Fourth choice on the morning line at 6-1, but the pick here may be Za Approval from the Christophe Clement barn. Za Approval is on the up-and-up making his third start this year after a win and a second in his previous two.

The Ghostzapper-gelding has two of three races dating back to September 2011 and his only loss was to Corporate Jungle, who came right back to win a stakes race at Gulfstream Park. Look for Za Approval to be putting in his best stride late.

The second, third and co-fourth choices on the morning line are Yummy With Butter, Monument Hill and Upgrade.

Yummy With butter has won seven of his 36 career races with earnings of almost $600,000. The eight-year-old gelding is making his first start over the Calder turf and note that his only wins in his last eleven starts both came at Monmouth Park.

Monument Hill drew worst in the field with post twelve and is 5-1 on the morning line. He has been to post 16 times in his career and has yet to be worse than third. He was third in the Grade 3 Appleton with a troubled trip behind Corporate Jungle in his last and would have been the long shot pick if not for the post.

Upgrade has been in the money in 13 of his 15 career starts on the turf, but only has four wins. He is too is making his first start over the Calder lawn and is looking to win his second straight race after taking an allowance at one mile at Gulfstream Park.

Of the horses with experience on the Calder turf Ducduc looks best. He has two wins and a second in five starts at Calder and is coming off a good run in a starter allowance at Gulfstream Park. He does get tested for class on Saturday, but is one to use in the exotics.

Imperial Czar and It’s Never to Late fit; however, they are stuck on the AE-list and would have the outside posts if they draw in.

Rounding out the field are Sette E Mezzo, Chinglish, Decisive Moment, Perfect Footprint, Tannersville and Numb Lips.

Post time for the Miami Mile Handicap on Saturday is 5:07 ET.

Santa Anita – Santa Barbara Handicap

Grade 2 Filly and Mares on the Turf

Two graded stake races on the Saturday card at Santa Anita with the Grade 2 Santa Barbara Handicap getting first billing. Seven fillies and mares go ten furlongs on the turf; let’s take a look.

Almost the entire field is coming out of the Grade 2 Santa Ana at Santa Anita including the race winner Vamo A Galupiar from the Neil Drysdale yard.

Vamo A Galupiar started her racing career in her native Chile winning three of four racing including a Grade 1 at one mile. Her last start in the country was a fast closing second in another Grade 1.

Since coming to this country the Proud Citizen-mare has run four times with two wins and two out-of-the-money finishes. If the pattern holds true then expect the mare to regress.

Of the others in the race that are back to upset the favorite Hard Seven finished closest, but that was a huge effort at nearly 70-1. Camelia Rose was actually the post-time favorite in the Santa Ana, but perhaps made the lead too soon and got run over late and finished fifth.

It’s possible that Camelia Rose ran into the popular “Euro-bounce” after she was second by a nose in her U.S. debut. Prior to that run she won two of eight in France. The negative is that her last win came as a two-year-old in a mile race in August 2010.

The two fillies that are not coming out of the Santa Ana are Glowing Spirit and Capital Plan, who are two of the three entrants with a win at ten furlongs.

Glowing Spirit is the likely pace-setter under jockey Victor Espinoza for trainer A C Avila. The Brazilian-bred filly makes her third start off a layoff and will try to take them as far as she can.

Capital Plan is likely to be sitting second with the jockey switch to Brice Blanc. Capital Plan won a ten furlong turf race at Santa Anita last October from off-the-pace, but has been closer to the pace in her last four starts.

Should the pace be extremely fast then give the edge to Vamo a Galupiar and Cambina, who is the other filly with a win at the distance.

Cambina was two and one-half lengths behind Vamo a Galupiar is the Santa Ana and will be making her third start off the layoff. Half of her six career wins have come at Santa Anita and picks up Rafael Bejarano in the irons.

Bauble Queen is the final filly in the race and has every right to win as well. The Santa Ana was her first start off a short layoff and note that her last and best career win came in a similar second off-the-layoff.

The other graded stakes on Saturday is the Grade 2 San Simeon Handicap on the downhill turf course for older horses. Stay tuned for the BetAmerica Blog for analysis of the San Simeon.

The Santa Barbara goes as race nine on the Saturday ten-race card with a post time of 7:38 ET.

Hawthorne – Sixty Sails Handicap

Arena Elvira Looks for Six Straight

On to Hawthorne where the fillies and mares take center stage in the 34th running of the Sixty Sails Handicap. The nine-furlong race drew a field of seven led by Arena Elvira.

Arena Elvira is not the morning line favorite, which is a bit odd given her recent race record. She has won five straight races including a Grade 3 at Aqueduct and a Grade 2 at Churchill Downs. She was off from November until mid-March, but came back with a game victory in a stakes race at Tampa Bay Downs.

The best part about the Ghostzapper-mare is that she takes her race track with her. Of her eight career wins seven of them have come on different tracks. She has won over both the inner and regular dirt courses at Aqueduct, Belmont, Churchill Downs, Gulfstream Park, Saratoga and Tampa Bay Downs.

The morning line favorite is Juanita, who in contrast has not won in her last four starts and was beat over four lengths by Arena Elvira in the Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs. Not sure exactly why she is favored, but it may have something to do with her four-length second to Horse of the Year Havre de Grace in her last.

Juanita is a front-runner and there does appear to be a lot of pace in the race.

Afleeting Lady breaks from the rail and was second, beaten a neck, to Arena Elvira in her last start, the Falls City in late November. That was her first attempt against graded stakes company and she could need one off the layoff.

She’s All In breaks from post two and was a head off the pace in the Grade 3 Azeri at Oaklawn Park in her last. She has yet to win a race outside of the Oklahoma-bred ranks since September 2011.

Beloveda could get the run of the race breaking from post three. Two starts back she made the lead after a half, but she appears to do her best running when sitting just off the pace. She may be rounding into a top effort and was just two and one-quarter lengths behind Awesome Maria in a Grade 3 at Gulfstream Park.

Love and Pride is another front-runner and she only knows one way to go. Even though trained by Todd Pletcher, Love and Pride is going to be a long shot on Saturday.

One Last Dance and Distorted Love are the two longest shots on the board and are both stretch-runners. One Last Dance has yet to prove herself on regular dirt while Distorted Love is winless in her last nine.

It certainly looks like Arena Elvira is favored to win her sixth straight race, but you probably won’t get anywhere near the morning line of 4-1.

Post time for the Sixty Sails Handicap is 6:40 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – April 21

• Keeneland: Coolmore Lexington – G3, $200,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Keeneland: Giant’s Causeway, $100,000, 3yo & up f&m, 5.5f turf
• Santa Anita: Santa Barbara Handicap – G2, $150,000, 3yo & up f&m, 10f turf
• Santa Anita: San Simeon Handicap – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up, 6.5f turf
• Calder: Miami Mile Handicap – G3, $125,000, 3yo & up, 8f turf
• Hawthorne: Sixty Sails Handicap – G3, $200,000, 3yo & up f&m, 9f
• Pimlico: Dahlia Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Prairie Meadows: Golden Circle Stakes, $60,000, 3yo, 6f
• Beulah Park: Howard B. Noonan

Sunday – April 22

• Keeneland: Ben Ali Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up, 9f
• Santa Anita: San Juan Capistrano Handicap – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 11f turf