Churchill Downs – Unbridled Sidney Stakes

Five Furlong Turf Dash

The feature race on Saturday at Churchill Downs is the $68,000 Unbridled Sidney stakes for fillies and mares, three-years-old and upward on the turf. The five-furlongs sprint drew a field of ten led by the graded stakes-placed filly Honey Chile.

Honey Chile comes into the Unbridled Sidney out of a good second place finish in the Grade 3 Whimsical over the synthetic surface at Woodbine. In that race she set the pace before being caught late. The Whimsical was at six furlongs so the drop to five will help. What won’t help is the post position. Going five furlongs on the turf at Churchill breaking from post ten is not ideal.

The mare that may have got the best of the post position draw was Platinum Exchange for trainer William Hickey. The five-year-old was off from November 2010 until April of this year, but came back a winner. She sped to the early lead in a turf sprint at Keeneland and never looked back, drawing off to win by just under two lengths.

In her come back race Platinum Exchange ran approximately two lengths faster than the fillies and mares in the $100,000 Giant’s Causeway Stakes two days later. Out of that race four come back for the Unbridled Sidney.

The runners returning Saturday did not fare very well in the Giant’s Causeway with Smartys Emperoress having the best finish, which was sixth, beaten five lengths. Wild About Marie was eighth with Extravaganza ninth and Grand Illumination tenth. Of the four Wild About Marie looks like the best candidate to rebound.

In eight turf sprint starts Wild About Marie has five wins and a second. Prior to the Giant’s Causeway the worst finish for the mare by Wildcat Heir was sixth in a Grade 3 race at six furlongs at Woodbine. She may be a better suited to five and one-half furlongs, but will be running late on Saturday. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan will have to work out a trip from the rail.

Of the new shooters in the race Palazzo Bay deserves a long look first off the claim for trainer Michelle Lovell. Her record on the turf is not spectacular with one win in ten starts, but the five-year-old Rahy-mare is always there at the finish. She has been second or third five times with her last two defeats being by a neck and one length. The majority of those races have been at five and one-half furlongs over the Fair Ground turf and an interesting note is that in four of her last five she had the lead at the five furlong point. She should get a great stalking trip under jockey Leandro Goncalves, who is hitting at a robust 38% this meet.

Rounding out the field are Helen Belen, Eur O So Bad and Yournotthebossofme.

Scheduled as race eight on the ten-race card with a post time of 4:25 ET.

Calder Race Course – Champali Stakes

Another Five Furlong Turf Dash

Over 1,000 miles away and an hour later Calder Race Course in Florida will put on their feature five furlong turf sprint for three-year-olds and upward. The Champali goes to post at 5:26 ET and drew a full field of twelve with three on the also-eligible list.

The biggest question mark in the race and perhaps the horse to watch is Amor de Palacio from the stable of Marty Wolfson. Amor de Palacio, a mare taking on the boys, is a perfect twelve-for-twelve in his career with eleven starts in Panama and one in Venezuela.

Even though she has run in South America her story began in Florida, where she was bred. She has a steady work tab dating back to March 12, but has been entered and scratched a couple of times. She entered and scratched from a stakes race at Tampa Bay Downs on April 7 then was entered and scratched from an allowance race at Calder on April 20. Both times were trainer scratches so this may have been the best place to start for the connections.

The five-year-old mare was done no favors at the post position draw when she drew the rail, which unlike Churchill Downs, is not the place to be going five furlongs on the turf at Calder. Another question mark for Amor de Palacio is that she has never run on the turf and is taking on several with turf sprint wins.

Wild About Tiffany, a filly taking on the boys, is first on the list with a turf sprint win having won twice in six starts around one turn. Her last win came against $25,000 claimers so this will be a big step up in class for the four-year-old.

Western Prospector finally broke through with his first win on the turf in seven career starts in his last race and it was an impressive effort. Trainer David Fawkes saw fit to claim the six-year-old gelding for $62,000 and Western Prospector could start favored on Saturday. Three starts back he was second, beaten three-quarters of a length, in the $75,000 Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs.

Freewest, yet another mare facing the boys, also comes off an authoritative victory, drawing off to win by four lengths at five furlongs over the Calder turf course. The five-year-old mare has been in-the-money in five of six career starts on the turf. Drawn outside of Western Prospector she will be pushing the early pace.

The other two with turf, sprint wins are Dream of Atlantis and Musical Flair, but both need to make up significant lengths on Western Prospector. Dream of Atlantis was five and three-quarter lengths behind the favorite at Gulfstream Park with Musical Flair four and one-half lengths back in the Turf Dash.

The Champali Stakes is race eleven on the twelve-race card and is the third leg of the late pick-4, which also includes the In Summation and French Village stakes.

Hollywood Park – Laz Barrera Stakes

Four Go Seven

The feature race on Saturday at Hollywood Park is not going to win any type of record for field size, but it’s a very competitive four-pack.

The 7-5 morning line favorite is the Bob Baffert-trained and Pegram, Watson or Watson-owned Drill. The three-year-old Lawyer Ron colt has an interesting set of past performances in his ten-race career.

Last July Drill came to the races with a lot of tout and went to the gate in his debut as the even money favorite. Things; however, did not go so well and he finished eighth, but Drill came back to break his maiden then win the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and was second in the Grade 1 Norfolk. After that is when things got interesting.

Baffert shipped Drill to Churchill for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but he had a rough trip and was tenth, beaten 18 lengths. Instead of regrouping Baffert sent Drill to Delta Downs and a try in the $1-million Delta Jackpot. First after a half mile translated to a seventh place finish. His 2011 was still not done and was brought back to run at Hollywood Park in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity. A ninth place finish there and Baffert decided to drop him back into a couple of sprint races and finally got the third career win in mid-February in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. Finally satisfied, Baffert gave him a break, but it did not last long.

Two months after winning the San Vicente over American Act by a nose Drill came back and finished second as the 3-5 favorite in the $98,000 Northern Spur at Oaklawn Park. That brought his career record in route races to five starts with no wins and two seconds. Good thing the Laz Barrera is seven furlongs.

Baffert also has the rail runner, Gun Boat, but let’s first get to the 8-5 second choice American Act.

After the nose defeat to Drill in the San Vicente trainer Jack Carava decided to test his gelding around two turns, but that did not go so well. Of course he was also facing Creative Cause and Bodemeister in the San Vicente and those two are pretty good three-year-olds.

Carava gave American Act about a six week break before entering him in the Harry Henson stakes on the turf at Hollywood Park. With overnight rains the Henson was washed off the turf and put on the main track, which was no problem for the gelding; the problem was the turn.

American Act absolutely blew the turn coming for home (it’s a must-watch replay), but jockey Rafael Bejarano did not panic and kept riding to the wire. Bejarano could have high-fived the crowd on the apron, but was about to get up by a nose over perfect trip Senor Rain. New jockey Garrett Gomez will have his hands full as Bejarano lands on Gun Boat.

Gun Boat was the “other” Baffert runner in his maiden race and won by a head at long odds. Baffert then put him in the Del Mar Futurity and was only a length behind Drill. Gun Boat then took some time off and finally made a return to the races in late April. His allowance race last month was the perfect return race and he may find himself on the lead Saturday in what certainly looks like a race that will be won by the best ride.

Boompa is the final horse in the race and he broke his maiden in his debut last month at Santa Anita for a trainer who does not win with very many debut runners. He may be one to watch, but is up against it in the Laz Barrera.

Post time for the Grade 3 race is 5:03 ET and is carded as race three on the day. First post at Hollywood Park on Saturday is 4:00, which starts the 50-cent pick-5.

Delaware Park – Winter Melody Stakes

2012 Opening Day Feature

This Saturday is opening day for the 2012 Delaware Park meet with the Winter Melody Stakes headlining the card. The $50,000 mile and one-sixteenth race drew a field of six; let’s take a look.

The morning line favorite at 8-5 is the Tony Dutrow-trained Bahama Bound, who is making her second start for the trainer. In her first race for Tony the Empire Maker-mare ran a very good third in the Grade 2 Top Flight Handicap over a muddy, inner dirt track at Aqueduct. She was beaten just under five lengths by Grade 1 winner It’s Tricky, who came right back to score in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap.

Prior to coming to her current barn, Bahama Bound was under the care of Juan Carlos Guerrero, who claimed her from a win at Delaware Park. In three starts at Delaware the five-year-old mare has one win, one second and one third. She is the class of the race and the one to beat.

The second and third choices on the morning line are She Be Classy and Brushed by Love.

She Be Classy is making her first start since last October for trainer Graham Motion and absolutely loves the Delaware Park surface with three wins in four starts, which is not what Motion had originally intended.

Last year She Be Classy ran four times at Delaware Park and all four were originally scheduled for the turf. Odd thing is that her worst run in the four starts was the only race that remained on the turf. In the other three races she won for fun by a combined nine and three-quarter lengths. She is likely to be sitting just off the pace of Brushed by Love, Zesty Brew and North Freeway.

Brushed by Love is also making her first start since last October, but unlike She Be Classy is not that fond of the Delaware Park track. In four starts in the First State, Brushed by Love only has one win and that came in a six furlong maiden special weight race. Her other two career wins both came in one-turn mile races at Laurel Park.

Zesty Brew and North Freeway are the two pace-setters with North Freeway the most likely to get the lead. The four-year-old Jump Start filly is coming off of nine straight sprint races, where she has all of her seven lifetime wins. In four starts at the distance of the Winter Melody, North Freeway is winless. It’s also interesting to note that she is trained by Ton Dutrow, who may have entered her to ensure a good early pace for Bahama Bound.

Zesty Brew has never been better since being shipped south from Canada. The six-year-old mare was winless in ten starts in 2011, but has won four of five this year for her trainer Stephanie Beattie, who is a very good trainer. She won the 2011 training title at Penn National and campaigned Grade 2 winner No Advantage. Over the past year Beattie is hitting at a 27% clip.

Bahia Beach, who has done most of her running at Charles Town, and long shot Ms Vanenzza complete the field.

Post time for the opener on Saturday at Delaware Park is 1:15 ET with the Winter Melody off at 4:45, which ends the pick-4 that starts in race five.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – May 12

• Churchill Downs: Unbridled Sidney Stakes, $68,000, 3yo & up f&m, 5f turf
• Calder Race Course: Champali Stakes, $55,000, 3yo & up, 5f turf
• Calder Race Course: In Summation Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 6f
• Calder Race Course: French Village Stakes, $75,000, 3yo f, 6f
• Hollywood Park: Laz Barrera Memorial Stakes – G3, $100,000, 3yo, 7f
• Delaware Park: Winter Melody Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Golden Gate: Alcatraz Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf
• Lone Star Park: Texas Stallion Stakes, $100,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Lone Star Park: Texas Stallion Stakes, $100,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Prairie Meadows: John Wayne Stakes, $70,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• River Downs: Tomboy Stakes, $50,000, 3yo f, 8.5f turf

Sunday – May 13

• Hollywood Park: Round Table Stakes, $70,000, 4yo & up, 12f turf
• Emerald Downs: Hastings Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6f

No related posts.

Churchill Downs – Kentucky Derby

Twenty Three-Year-Olds in the Run for the Roses

The feature race at Churchill and across the country on Saturday is the 138th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby for three-year-olds going ten furlongs. It’s a deep field so let’s dive right in.

Going by post position the first contender is jockey Calvin Borel’s mount Take Charge Indy. His pedigree would suggest that the Churchill Downs surface will be his favorite and with Borel on the A.P. Indy colt is likely to start at less than his 15-1 morning line. Breaking from post three with closers around him expect Borel to get good position early on the rail.

Union Rags drew right next door in post four and that may not be ideal for the big colt. Union Rags is a runner that needs to be outside other horses. He does not have a big turn of foot, he just keeps on running. If he gets stopped at any point during the race then his chances to win are gone. From post four jockey Julien Leparoux is going to need to get out at some point, but in a field of 20 it will be difficult. In the Florida Derby he only had seven others to contend with and did not get out until too late.

Dullhan breaks from post five and that is okay because the half-brother to 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird will go right to the tail of the field. His jockey, Kent Desormeaux, is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle having won the race three times. Dullahan was fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile over the Churchill track and will love the ten furlongs. The only question will be if Desormeaux can time his run just right.

The morning line favorite Bodemeister drew post six and will likely go off as the post-time favorite for trainer Bob Baffert. Bode is coming off a dominating win in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and will try to follow in the footsteps of fellow Arkansas Derby to Kentucky Derby winners Smarty Jones. Super Saver ran second in the 2010 Arkansas Derby en route to winning the Kentucky Derby and others that ran well in both the Arkansas and Kentucky Derby’s include Curlin, Afleet Alex, Victory Gallop and Grindstone.

Creative Cause has yet to run a bad race in his eight-start career with four wins, two seconds and two thirds. He is coming off a game defeat to I’ll Have Another, who is also in the Derby and drew post 19. Both Creative Cause and I’ll Have Another are 12-1 on the morning line and both deserve a long look. I’ll Have Another may have more upside to him, but you can’t separate the two.

Daddy Nose Best is the “wise-guy” horse leading up to Kentucky Derby 138 putting in spectacular works in the mornings. He appeared to be a turf/synthetic horse leading up to his run in the Sunland Derby, but finally proved his ability on the dirt, which should have come as no surprise given his breeding. His sire, Scat Daddy, won the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and his dam sire, Thunder Gulch, won the 1995 Kentucky Derby, Florida Derby, Belmont and Travers. Garrett Gomez picks up the mount and will have the colt in a great position turning for home.

Hansen’s connections breathed a sigh of relief during the post position draw after Daddy Long Legs drew the one hole, which left Hansen in the advantageous fourteen post. Hansen will not have a horse break directly to his outside with the break in the starting gate and is drawn outside the other speed. If he can rate as well as he did in the Gotham then expect a big effort for the nearly white son of Tapit.

That brings us to this writer’s top pick Gemologist, who has been at number two in the Bet America Kentucky Derby Top 15 since its debut last year. Gemologist is a perfect two-for-two at Churchill Downs including a win in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club and his win in the wood was better than looked. The margin may have only been a neck, but Alpha was never getting by. Gemologist will have the run of the race from post 15 and can keep his perfect record intact and provide trainer Todd Pletcher his second Kentucky Derby win.

Some other notables in the race are Alpha, second in the Wood and won the Grade 3 Withers, Prospective, winner of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, Went the Day Well, winner of the Grade 3 Spiral for the same connections as last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, and El Padrino, winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star. Also don’t leave out Done Talking in the trifecta and superfecta plays. The Broken Vow colt will do his best running late in a field loaded with speed and his only bad run was in the Grade 3 Gotham over a good inner track at Aqueduct.

Rounding out the field are Daddy Long Legs (30-1), Optimizer (50-1), Rousing Sermon (50-1), Trinniberg (50-1), Sabercat (30-1) and Liaison (50-1). My Adonis (50-1) is on the also eligible list with scratch time scheduled for Friday morning.

A lot can happen between now and Saturday so keep coming back to Bet America for any late updates and final picks on all the races.

Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:24 et.

Churchill Downs – Turf Classic

Grade 1 Turf Runners

One of the best races on the day leading up to the Kentucky Derby is the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic going nine furlongs on the turf. The $500,000 race drew a field of eleven with the entrants combining for a total of 62 wins and earnings of over $6.5-million.

Last year Get Stormy was able to dictate his own pace on the firm turf course leading gate-to-wire in the Turf Classic, but he may have some company this year on the front end. Little Mike’s 2012 campaign has not been as spectacular as his 2011 was and comes in to the Turf Classic off a fourth place finish as the even money favorite in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park. Little Mike needs the lead to be at his best and from the rail will be out winging on the front end.

Turbo Compressor has run lights out in two starts this year with a third place finish on the dirt in the Sunshine Millions Classic and a win in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in his last. In the Sunshine Millions he was third behind Mucho Macho Man, who won his next start and is expected to start favored in the Alysheba at Churchill on Friday, and Ron the Greek, who came back to win the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. He is a front-runner that will be pushing the early splits under jockey Rafael Bejarano.

The horses that will be sitting just off the pace in the Turf Classic are Slim Shadey, Doubles Partner, Brilliant Speed and Papaw Bodie.

Slim Shadey has won two of four starts in the U.S. and was defeated a head by Bourbon Bay, who came right back to win his next race, in his last start, the Grade 2 San Luis Rey. Slim Shadey’s last three races were at ten or twelve furlongs so it remains to be seen if the shorter nine furlongs will be ideal.

Doubles Partner is coming off a third place finish in the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland behind Data Link and Turallure. Both those rivals are in the Turf Classic and will be positioned behind Doubles Partner in the early stages. Doubles Partner is two-for-three over the Churchill turf course and beat Data Line and Little Mike in the Canadian Turf two starts back.

Brilliant Speed and Papaw Bodie are drawn outside in the field and will need a good trip from that spot. Brilliant Speed has a win at nine furlongs and was third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf over the surface last year. Papaw Bodie also has a win at nine furlongs and was second in the Grade 2 Marvin Muniz Jr Handicap in his last start.

Turallure and Data Link are the before mentioned closers in the field and both ran very well in the Makers 46 Mile. Data Link got the better of the field that day and the Shug McGaughey barn is firing with all of their starters recently. He is a must use as is Turallure, who will be better fit in his second start off the layoff. Two of the best races of his career, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, have come at Churchill Downs.

Boxeur des Rues will likely be the longest shot on the board with Al Khali rounding out the field. Al Khali won an allowance race at Keeneland nicely in his last start, but in a similar sequence last year was eighth in the Turf Classic.

Post time for the Turf Classic is 4:44 ET.

Churchill Downs – Humana Distaff

Sassy Image Looks to Repeat

The second leg of the late pick-4 on Saturday at Churchill Downs is the Grade 1 Humana Distaff for filly and mare sprinters. The seven furlong race drew a field of nine led by last year’s race winner Sassy Image and the BC Filly and Mare Sprint winner Musical Romance.

Sassy Image came into the race last year off of three straight loses including two by a combined 32.5 lengths. However; those races were not a Churchill Downs where the filly had previously been three-for-four. Sassy Image ran the best race of her life in the Humana Distaff last year and she went on to win the Winning Colors over the track as well as the Grade 1 Princess Rooney at Calder.

The Princess Rooney win was spectacular. She was left at the gate, but jockey Mike Smith did not panic and she came with a huge late move to get up by a neck. Trainer Dale Romans then shipped her to Saratoga where she bore out around the turn and finished last. Off since then Sassy Image returns to her favorite track with a set of bullet workouts behind her.

Musical Romance is also very fond of the track having won the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. The Florida-bred was second behind Sassy Image in last year’s Princess Rooney and is three-for-five at seven furlongs. Her win in the BC came after a prep at Keeneland, which is how the connections enter this year’s Humana Distaff.

The pace of the race this year is an interesting one with no true front-runner in the field. Historically the Humana Distaff has been won from off-the-pace, but Mildly Offensive may be able to break that trend. She has been first or second at the second call in all her races and jockey Joel Rosario is one to take advantage of a race with little to no pace. She is the pick to take the wire-to-wire in an upset.

The other California-based mare in the race is Switch, who is returning for her first start since finishing second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. In two starts at Churchill Downs the Quiet American mare has two seconds. New rider Mike Smith will let her roll late.

Should Mildly Offensive not make the lead then Fantasy of Flight may take up the early running. She is better sitting off the pace, but from post two jockey John Velazquez may be forced to put her in the early mix. Her sire, Tiznow, loved the Churchill Downs surface.

Groupie Doll exits an easy three-length win in the Grade 1 Madison in her last start and has won at Churchill in the past. She is very versatile with wins on her past performances from both on and off-the-pace.

Magical Feeling, Salty Strike and Hot Summer round out the field and each of the fillies are good in their own rights, but they have yet to be competitive in Grade 1 races. Salty Strike is four-for-five at Churchill with her biggest win coming in the Grade 3 Dogwood at one mile last June.

The filly and mare sprinters head to the post at 3:49 ET.

Churchill Downs – Distaff Turf Mile

Marketing Mix and Daisy Devine Headline

The start of the Derby day late pick-4 on Saturday is the Distaff Turf Mile, which drew a field of ten. The top two fillies in the Grade 2 race is Marketing Mix and Daisy Devine, who are both coming off of impressive wins at Keeneland.

Marketing Mix made her first start since November last month in an allowance race over the turf at Keeneland. She was coming off an impressive 2011 campaign that included wins in the Grade 3 Pucker Up and Grade 2 Mrs. Revere. She was also second to the European-shipper Together in the Grade 1 QEII Cup.

In the allowance race, Marketing Mix was sent off as the 3-2 favorite and was never in danger of losing. Her rivals, which included last year’s Queen’s Plate winner Inglorious, came up to her entering the stretch, but Marketing Mix was game and won by a measure length and a quarter. She will improve in her second start off the layoff and will need a top effort to defeat Daisy Devine.

Daisy Devine has won four straight races since being switched to the turf and is coming out of a win in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley over the Keeneland turf course. She can either be on the lead or just off and jockey James Graham is deadly with turf front-runners.

Everyone looks to defeat the favorites on big days so let’s check out the other contenders.

Tapitsfly and Heavenly Landing were third and fourth behind Daisy Devine in the Jenny Wiley and will need to improve. The last two wins for Tapitsfly came at Gulfstream Park while Heavenly Landing won an allowance race over the Churchill turf in November.

Hooh Why drew post two and is entered in a race at Tampa Bay Downs on Friday, but if she goes here expect her to set the early pace. She has won three of seven races overall on the turf including two of her last three.

Aruna was second in the Distaff Turf Mile behind Aviate, but was nearly four lengths behind Daisy Devine in the Jenny Wiley. Of course that was probably due to jockey Ramon Dominguez being too patient with the mare in the early stages while Daisy Devine was carving out easy fractions. With a better pace Aruna will be back on her game.

La Reine Lionne was five-for-nine last year with all her wins in allowance races and on the step up to stakes-company in her last two she has been second and third by a combined length. She runs close to the pace and will get first run if and when the front-runners fade.

Hungry Island was third behind Marketing Mix and was seven wide coming into the stretch. Here is another Shug McGaughey-trainee that might be a must use solely based on that. She needs a very fast pace to be at her best and the mile distance may be too short.

Completing the field are long shot Annabel Lee and City to City. City to City has a pair of Grade 2 wins on her resume, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer does not ship to Churchill to just run around the track and she does get a top turf jock in Corey Nakatani, but the feeling is that the California-based turf fillies are a cut below their East coast counterparts.

Of course that may have just put City to City in the winner’s circle. Find out when the Distaff Turf Mile goes to post at 2:59 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – May 5

• Churchill Downs: Kentucky Derby – G1, $2,000,000, 3yo, 10f
• Churchill Downs: Turf Classic – G1, $500,000, 4yo & up, 9f turf
• Churchill Downs: Humana Distaff – G1, $300,000, 4yo & up f&m, 7f
• Churchill Downs: Distaff Turf Mile – G2, $200,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Churchill Downs: Churchill Downs Stakes – G2, $400,000, 4yo & up, 7f
• Churchill Downs: Turf Sprint Stakes – G3, $125,000, 4yo & up, 5f turf
• Hollywood Park: Mervyn LeRoy Handicap – G2, $150,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Hollywood Park: Senorita Stakes – G3, $100,000, 3yo f, 8f turf
• Hollywood Park: Cool Frenchy Stakes, $70,000, 3yo & up, 5f
• Hollywood Park: Golden Poppy Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf
• Pimlico Stakes: Cananero II Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Beulah Park: Babst / Palacios Memorial Handicap, $50,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• SunRay Park: SunRay Park and Casino Handicap, $50,000, 3yo, 8f

Sunday – May 6

• Hollywood Park: Time to Leave Stakes, $70,000, 3yo & up f&m, 5f

No related posts.

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

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – April 20, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – April 13, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – April 6, 2012

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

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – April 27, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – April 13, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – April 6, 2012

Oaklawn Park – Arkansas Derby

Baffert’s Dynamic Duo Headlines the Field

There are three graded stake races on the Saturday card at Oaklawn Park with the $1,000,000 Grade 1 Arkansas Derby the feature. A field of eleven will line up for the nine-furlong race with the Bob Baffert uncoupled entry of Secret Circle and Bodemeister the ones to beat.

Of the two Baffert trained horses Secret Circle is the more accomplished. The Eddington colt has run six times in his career with five wins and a second. His only loss was in the Grade 3 Sham in early January at Santa Anita.

After the Sham, Baffert shipped his top three-year-old east to Oaklawn Park to run in the Grade 3 Southwest, which he won, and the Grade 2 Rebel, which he also won. The concern for Secret Circle going into those races was distance, but he proved everyone wrong. The nine furlongs of the Arkansas Derby may be secondary on the concern-list come Saturday. First may be his stablemate.

Bodemeister has only run three times in his brief career, but the three races have been outstanding. He was second in his debut to a loose on the lead winner going five and one-half furlongs then stretched out to a mile and dominated the eight-horse field. After that win he was thrown to the wolves and was game in defeat in the Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita. The horse that beat him, Creative Cause, came right back to be a good second in the Santa Anita Derby and is expected to be one of the favorites for this year’s Derby.

Both Bodemeister and Secret Circle have their eye on a run in the Kentucky Derby, but Bodemeister must finish first or second if he is to jump up inside the top 20 on the graded earnings list.

An interesting aspect about the race is both colts have early speed. Secret Circle has learned to rate in his last two races, but is now drawn inside of Bodemeister, who drew post eleven. Also the blinkers go off of Bodemeister and new pilot Mike Smith takes the call.

Should the two create a fast pace, and they could be joined by the Todd Pletcher-trained Stat or the New Mexico shipper Isn’t He Clever, then look out for Najjaar and Optimizer, who both finished behind Secret Circle in the Rebel.

Optimizer finished second and Najjaar finished sixth, but let’s start with Najjaar. By Jazil, the colt is bred to run all day long and he came into the Rebel off of back-to-back wins at Oaklawn, but was hopelessly left and trailed the field by twenty lengths during the early stages. Jockey Calvin Borel just waited and waited then turned him loose and he made an eye-catching run on the outside to finish sixth. The gallop out was awesome and the extra sixteenth of a mile will suit him very well.

Optimizer also ran on late in the Rebel and that was the first good race he had ever run on the dirt in five previous starts. Could the two late-running horses have looked better because everyone else was fading or are they legitimate threats to the Baffert horses? That will be a tough question to answer when handicapping the race.

Rounding out the field are Cozzetti, Jake Mo, Atigun, Sabercat and Raconteur. Sabercat is still a top prospect and will run in the Kentucky Derby, but his run in the Rebel was atrocious. Yes it was a prep race, but how cranked will he be when the goal is the next race?

Post time for the Arkansas Derby on Saturday is 6:45 ET.

Keeneland – Blue Grass

Hansen Morning Line Favorite

Keeneland’s Saturday card is one of the best cards one can find this weekend across the country with the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, Grade 2 Commonweath, Grade 3 Shakertown and the feature of the day, the Grade 1 Blue Grass for three-year-olds.

All eyes in Lexington and throughout the world will be on the flashy nearly-white colt breaking from post four. Hansen has done little wrong in his career with four wins and a second in five career starts. His only loss came on a sloppy, sealed track at Gulfstream Park in late January to Algorithms.

Hansen will be returning to a synthetic surface, which he ran on at Turfway Park en route to a maiden win by over twelve then a stakes win by over thirteen. The one-time front-runner showed a new dimension in his last race, the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct, when he stalked the early pace from the outside.

Hansen didn’t get any help with the draw for the Blue Grass with post four, but there are a couple of horses inside of him that could gun for the lead. Heavy Breathing drew the rail and is coming off a third place finish in the Grade 3 Spiral at Turfway Park after winning his first two starts at Gulfstream Park.

Those looking to beat the favorite will look to Prospective, Dullahan, Holy Candy and Howe Great.

Prospective exits a game win in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and horses that run well over the Tampa track often out run their odds at Keeneland. He is likely to be taken off the pace by jockey Luis Contreras and will be making his run late.

Howe Great and Dullahan just ran one-two in the Grade 3 Palm Beach over the turf at Gulfstream Park with Howe Great very impressive in victory. Howe Great broke his maiden on the dirt and is three-for-three on the turf so the synethic surface should not pose a problem. Breaking from post ten Howe Great is likely to stalk the early pace and will get first run on the closers.

Dullahan runs for the same connections as Paddy O’Prado and won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity over the Keeneland track last October. The Even the Score colt will need some pace up front, which he should get, as he does his best running late.

Holy Candy is another closer in the race and may have the most potential in the group. It hasn’t been easy to catch front-runners on the Santa Anita track this meet and Holy Candy should know. He tried twice to do just that, but couldn’t. Then in his last start he was behind a slow early pace and was set up to finish second again. Then the Candy Ride colt found a new gear and powered away to win by over three.

Ever So Lucky would be one of the contenders, but is a little behind the eight ball going in to the Blue Grass. The Indian Charlie colt was a dominant winner of his debut then finished second behind Gemologist in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs last year. Since; however, he has missed some training time and has only made one start, which was a disappointing third in the seven furlong Swale at Gulfstream Park. He needs to win the Blue Grass to even make the Derby field.

Hero of Order deserves a mention after upsetting the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at odds of 109-1. He does have a previous race over the Keeneland surface and has run well on turf. He will be part of the early pace, which is setting up to be very fast.

It certainly will aid the chances of Prospective, Dullahan and Holy Candy.

Gung Ho, Russian Greek, Politicallycorrect, Midnight Crooner and Scatman complete the field.

The Blue Grass goes as race eleven on Saturday with post time at 6:18 ET.

Charles Town – Charles Town Classic

$1-million on the line in West Virginia

The Saturday stakes don’t stop around dinner time they continue through the night with the fourth running of the Charles Town Classic.

The nine-furlong race, which is around three turns, drew a full field of ten with three on the also-eligible list. The Gulfstream Park shipper Tackleberry was installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite.

Tackleberry is no stranger to the bull-ring track at Charles Town after running in the Classic last year. In that race Tackleberry was in front for a half, but could not keep pace and faded to finish fourth. He is back this year off a different schedule, which may be to his benefit. Last year the Classic was near the end of a long stretch of races without a break. This year the Classic will be his second start off the nearly year layoff.

Uh Oh Bango is the second choice on the line at 4-1 off of his third place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. Prior to that he was third in the Grade 2 San Antonio behind Game On Dude and won the Grade 2 San Pasqual. The outside post does him no favors around the compact track and jockey Aaron Gryder will have to work out a trip from there.

After the top two Tres Borrachos, Pants On Fire and Caixa Electornica are less that 10-1 on the line with Mister Marti Gras, Skipshot, Duke of Mischief, Norvsky and Redding Colliery all at 10-1 or higher.

Tres Borrachose and Pants On Fire drew best with posts one and four. Tres Borrachos just ran fourth behind Nates Mineshaft, who came back to win his next start, at Fair Grounds. Pants On Fire finished behind Nates Mineshaft in that next race. Both horses are expected to race near the front as is stretch-out sprinter Caixa Electronica, who is also entered in a race at Aqueduct on Friday.

Dueke of Mischief won last year’s Charles Town Classic, but has not won a race since then. He will need a big reversal of form to compete on Saturday night.

Norvksy is an interesting runner shipping east from California for trainer Donald Warren. The six-year-old gelding won at nine-furlongs around the bull-ring Fairplex track in California so he should have no troubles navigating the Charles Town turns. He has tactical speed and should get a good pace up front.

Redding Colliery is also entered in the same race as Caixa Electronica is so check the scratches to see if they will run. Redding Colliery was third in the race last year and made the lead coming into the stretch before being run down late. With a more patient ride he may have won.

The Classic is race twelve on the thirteen-race card with a post time of 10:30 ET. It is the last leg of the $50,000 guaranteed pool pick-4, which starts with the Webb Snyder stakes and includes the $250,000 inaugural Robert Hilton Memorial and the $200,000 Sugar Maple.

Santa Anita – Las Cienegas Handicap

Mizdirection Takes on Unzip Me

With all the Grade 1’s and million-dollar races going on this weekend the Las Cienegas Handicap at Santa Anita may get overlooked, but it’s one of the best races on Saturday.

The Grade 3 downhill turf race only drew a field of six, but it’s a deep field. The fillies and mares in the race have combined for 46 wins and earnings of over $2.1-million.

Headlining the field is the ultra-race mare Unzip Me, who will be making her twelfth career start on the Santa Anita hillside turf course. In her previous eleven races she has seven wins, one second and one third. She is now six and perhaps not the runner she once was, but she can still compete with the best.

Mizdirection may be headed for Unzip Me like statistics coming into the race off of back-to-back-back victories, two of which came down the hill. Mizdirection has only finished worse than second once in her career, which was in the Grade 2 Raven Run on the Polytrack at Keeneland last year.

The two have run against each other in the past with Mizdirection getting the better of her in the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes in early January. Mizdirection won that race from off-the-pace under jockey Garrett Gomez, but now David Flores takes the call. Flores is likely to put the Mizzen Mast-filly on the lead and will make Unzip come and catch her.

Broken Dreams has beat Unzip Me in the past and has a win over the course in the Grade 3 Ken Maddy last September. The Las Cienegas will be the second start of her off a four month layoff so expect improvement off the sixth place finish in her last. She is another closer looking for someone to put some pressure on Mizdirection.

Teroda may be the filly to do that with Martin Garcia taking over the mount for jockey Joel Rosario. Teroda has not run since winning an allowance race over the course in mid-February and has two wins in five starts down the hill. She was second, beaten just a half length, to Unzip Me in the Wishing Well in late January.

Saanneen and La Nez round out the field and both are coming off long layoffs. Saanneen has not run since June 2011 and has two wins and two seconds in four starts on the downhill course. La Nez beat Saanneen over the course in the Irish O’Brien in 2011 and has not run since April 2011. She is also entered in a race at Turf Paradise.

Post time for the Las Cienegas on Saturday is 7:07 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 14

• Oaklawn Park: Arkansas Derby – G1, $1,000,000, 3yo, 9f
• Oaklawn Park: Oaklawn Handicap – G2, $350,000, 4yo & up, 9f
• Oaklawn Park: Count Fleet Sprint Handicap – G3, $200,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• Oaklawn Park: Northern Spur, $100,000, 3yo, 8f
• Keeneland: Toyota Blue Grass – G1, $750,000, 3yo, 9f
• Keeneland: Jenny Wiley – G1, $300,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Keeneland: Commonwealth – G2, $175,000, 3yo & up, 7f
• Keeneland: Shakertown – G3, $100,000, 3yo & up, 5.5f turf
• Charles Town: Charles Town Classic – G2, $1,000,000, 4yo & up, 9f
• Charles Town: Robert Hilton Memorial, $250,000, 3yo, 7f
• Charles Town: Sugar Maple Stakes, $200,000, 4yo & up f&m, 7f
• Charles Town: Webb Snyder Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 4.5f
• Calder: Calder Derby, $150,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Pimlico: Primonetta Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up f&m, 6f

Sunday – April 15

• Keeneland: Beaumont Stakes – G2, $150,000, 3yo f, 7f
• Sunland Park: Sunland Park Handicap, $100,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Santa Anita: Santa Lucia Stakes, $70,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f

Related posts:

1. Thoroughbred Racing Action
2. Thoroughbred Racing Action
3. Players Edge Newsletter – April 15, 2011

Santa Anita – Santa Anita Derby

Ten in the So Cal Kentucky Derby Prep

Four stakes races, three graded, on this Saturday’s card at Santa Anita with the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby headlining them all. The $750,000, nine-furlong race drew a field of ten led by the winner of the Grade 2 San Felipe, Creative Cause.

Creative Cause is the most accomplished three-year-old on the west coast and is looking to pad his resume with a win in the Santa Anita Derby en route to a start at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby. The Giant’s Causeway-colt has won four of seven races and has never been worse than third.

He is the class of the race and the one to beat, but this is still a horse race and there is a bounce factor and he will be racing without blinkers for the first time.

If it’s a stakes race for three-year-olds one cannot analyze a race without considering the Bob Baffert charge and this year the Hall-of-Fame trainer sends three looking to upset the favorite.

Liaison is the most accomplished of the trio with three wins including the Grade 1 Cash Call Futurity at Hollywood Park last December. He hasn’t done much in two starts since then, but is making his third start off the layoff and the added sixteenth of a mile should help. He must prove; however, that he can be as effective on dirt.

Blueskiesnrainbows broke his maiden in the claiming ranks then won a starter allowance before finishing third behind Fed Biz and Consulado in his last. He steps was up in class and wouldn’t be mentioned if not for his trainer.

Paynter is the least accomplished of the three with only a maiden win on the resume, but stable-rider Martin Garcia has the mount and he is likely to take him straight to the lead. By Awesome Again out of a Cee’s Tizzy mare, Paynter should be able to get the distance.

The likely second choice in the wagering will be I’ll Have Another, who is coming off an upset victory in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis in early February. He was sent off at odds of 43-1, stalked the early pace then drew off down the stretch to win by almost three. Jockey Mario Gutierrez may need to use his mount early as I’ll Have Another is drawn inside of Paynter.

Holy Candy just broke his maiden in career start number four, but may the most potential in the field. He has been favored in every single race and even though he only has one win, he has run four winning races. The problem for Holy Candy is that he is a closer on a track that does not always play fair. If he gets a good pace to run at and is put in a good spot turning for home then Holy Candy has the ability to run by them all.

Longview Drive, sixth in the Southwest at Oaklawn Park, Senor Rain, winner of an allowance sprint at Santa Anita, Midnight Transfer, third in the San Felipe, and Brother Francis, two seconds and two thirds in four starts, complete the field.

Of the four Brother Francis may be the long shot to use underneath. He has yet to win, but was second in the Grade 3 Prevue and third in the Grade 1 Cash Call Futurity at Hollywood Park. His debut was on the dirt and that was a fast-closing second in a sprint race.

The 75th running of the Santa Anita Derby goes to post at 5:30 ET on Saturday and kicks off the pick-6 that also includes the Grade 3 Providencia, Grade 2 Potrero Grande and American Beauty stakes.

Hawthorne – Illinois Derby

Graded Earnings on the Line

The Illinois Derby is not considered as strong a Kentucky Derby prep race as it once was, but there there is $300,000 on the line to the winner, which basically guarantees a spot at Churchill.

This year’s Illinois Derby drew a field of fourteen, with three on the also-eligible list, led by morning line favorite Currency Swap.

Currently Swap is the lone graded stakes winner in the field having won the Grade 1 Hopeful over a sloppy Saratoga track last September. He was off from then until mid-March when he was a distant second to Gemologist in an allowance race. Gemologist currently ranks number two in the BetAmerica Top 15 and is expected to start as the favorite in Saturday’s Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

Distance will be a concern for the favorite, but it won’t be for the Todd Pletcher-trainee Our Entourage. Last year Mike Repole had both Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty on the Derby trail and this year Our Entourage is looking to one-up his former stablemates. Our Entourage was fifth in the Grade 2 Remsen last November and fifth in the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland last October.

Pretension and Hakama are the third and fourth choices and both have a similar up close running style. The only two wins for Hakama came in gate-to-wire fashion while Pretension has wins from a length off the pace after a half-mile.

It certainly looks there will be a lot of pace for the nine-furlong race, which helps several in the field.

Romancing the Gold won his last race from just off the pace, but that was with a slow pace. Three starts back he won from eight lengths back at the first call and has a very patient rider in Irad Ortiz in the irons.

Saturday Launch makes his second start on the dirt and first since his debut in July 2011. Since then he has run on synthetic and turf with a closing style that would play well in the Illinois Derby. He is cross-entered for a race at Keeneland on Friday so be sure to check the late scratches.

Done Talking is 20-1 on the morning line and that is probably due to his tenth place finish in the Grade 3 Gotham a month ago. Prior to that he won back-to-back races before finishing fourth, beaten a length, in the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct.

Z Rockstar was sixth in the Southwest won by Secret Circle, who came right back to score in the Rebel, and has a speed figure that would be good enough to win the Illinois Derby. In his prior races he didn’t appear to want to pass horses, but he won by open lengths in his last and may have turned the corner.

Ring It Up, Skyring, Fastestwhogetspaid, Frankie Is Rock, Morgan’s Guerrilla and Slamit round out the main body of the field with Explain, Arm Force and Defiant Flyer stuck on the AE.

Post time for the Illinois Derby on Saturday is 6:46 ET.

Keeneland – Ashland Stakes

Three-Year-Old Fillies on the Poly

This weekend’s feature race at Keeneland is the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes for three-year-old fillies. This Saturday’s running is the 75th time the eight and one-half furlong race will be run.

A field of seven will line up for the race with Stephanie’s Kitten installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite for trainer Wayne Catalano.

Stephanie’s Kitten is owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who are no strangers to the winner’s circle at Keeneland. They are always at or near the top of the owners standings during the meet and they can start off their 2012 on a winning note.

Stephanie’s Kitten has not run since winning the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill last May, but she was an easy winner of the Grade 1 Alcibiades over the Keeneland track last year and if she is ready to roll off the layoff she will be tough to beat.

After Stephanie’s Kitten the race opens up as all of the other six fillies are between 4-1 and 8-1 on the morning line.

Heart of Destiny and Karlovy Vary just ran against each other in an allowance race over the grass at Gulfstream Park with Karlovy Vary getting the better of her foe, but on the line Heart of Destiny is favored.

It’s possible that Heart of Destiny is a tick below her rival due to the second place finish to Stephanie’s Kitten in the Alcibiades last year. Also the one win of her career was in her second start and the Ashland will be her second start off a layoff.

Karlovy Vary; however, has yet to run on a synthetic surface with four runs on the turf and one on the dirt. Her dirt run was atrocious and she has two works over the Keeneland track. She could be dangerous and must not be overlooked.

Hard Not to Like was three lengths behind Stephanie’s Kitten in the Breeders’ Cup and won three of four starts on the turf at Woodbine. More than likely she trained over the Polytrack at Woodbine and is by a sire who did not mind the synthetics.

Lotta Lovin has won three straight at Turfway Park and could be a cut below the others on class, but she looks like a synthetic specialist. Another synthetic specialist is Dixie Strike from the Mark Casse barn. The Dixie Union-filly has four starts over the Poly at Woodbine with two wins and two seconds.

Goldrush Girl is 8-1 on the morning line and if she goes off at that price may be worth a bet. The Political Force-filly is coming off a game win in an allowance race over the main track at Gulfstream Park and two back finished third to Zo Impressive and the next-out winner In Lingerie.

Last year Goldrush Girl started two times at Keeneland with a win and a second. Also her maiden victory was in her third start and the Ashland will be her third start off the layoff. Win or lose she will outrun her odds.

Post time for the Ashland on Saturday is 4:45 ET.

Santa Anita – Providencia Stakes

Three-Year-Old Turf Fillies

Another one of the graded stake races at Santa Anita on Saturday is the Grade 3 Providencia going nine furlongs on the turf. The $150,000 race drew a field of seven led by China Doll Stakes winner Lady of Shamrock.

Lady of Shamrock ran a very impressive race in the China Doll. She was seven lengths off the early pace then made a run to get within a length after half then won going away. That win brought her career record on the turf to three wins in five starts. The added furlong in the Providencia only helps her late-running style and the pace should be just as quick.

Indigo River was the pacesetter in the China Doll and is likely to be out winging on the front-end again. That was her first start around two-runs and it did not appear she wanted any part of a route race. Her previous two wins were both on the downhill turf course and may be best as a late-running sprinter.

Killer Graces, Charm the Maker and Ms Pianist are all making their first start on the turf after runs on the dirt and synthetic. Ms Pianist looks least likely of the three based on her resume, but do note that her sire More Than Ready has been an outstanding turf-sire.

Killer Graces and Charm the Maker were knocking heads against the best three-year-old fillies on the Kentucky Oaks trail, but both have disappointed in their last. Killer Graces is a Grade 1 winner having won the Grade 1 Starlet at Hollywood Park. Charm the Maker was second in that race and was third in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf at Santa Anita last October.

Both fillies have the right to improve on the switch to turf. Killer Graces probably needs to be put in the race early and the slower turf pace may suit her well. Charm the Maker is by Empire Maker out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, which should make the switch to turf an easy transition.

Byrama came to the U.S. for the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trainer Simon Callaghan and finally put it all together in her third start with a win down the hill. In her stateside debut she was third behind Lady of Shamrock in the Blue Norther. New jockey Garrett Gomez should have the English-bred filly in a good spot turning for home looking.

Island Paradise is a ridiculous 12-1 on the morning line, but has just as much claim on the top spot as the favorite does. The Irish-bred filly made two starts over the synthetic track at Kempton in England then came over and was a good third in the Grade 3 Miesque last November. She was bet down to 5-2 in that race and now off the layoff is nearly four and one-half times that price. With a string of good workouts coming in to the race on Saturday she is one to watch.

The Providencia kicks off the late pick-4 on Saturday, which also includes the Grade 2 Potrero Grande and $75,000 American Beauty stakes.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – April 7

• Santa Anita: Santa Anita Derby – G1, $750,000, 3yo, 9f
• Santa Anita: Providencia Stakes – G2, $150,000, 3yo f, 9f turf
• Santa Anita: Potrero Grande Handicap – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 6.5f
• Santa Anita: American Beauty Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Hawthorne: Illinois Derby – G3, $500,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Keeneland: Central Bank Ashland – G1, $500,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Oaklawn Park: Bachelor Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 6f
• Pimlico: Mister Diz Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 5f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Ocala Breeders’ Sale Sophomore, $75,000, 3yo, 7f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Hilton Garden Inn Sprint, $75,000, 4yo & up, 6f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Turf Distaff, $75,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8f 70f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Vinery Turf Classic, $75,000, 4yo & up, 9f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Stonehenge Farm South Sophomore Fillies, $75,000, 3yo f, 7f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Dayton Andrews Dodge Sophomore Turf, $75,000, 3yo, 8.5f turf

Sunday – April 8

• Gulfstream Park: Wait a While Stakes, $60,000, 3yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – April 27, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – April 20, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – April 13, 2012

Gulfstream Park – Florida Derby

Union Rags takes on El Padrino

Saturday’s feature race at Gulfstream Park is the Grade 1, $1-million Florida Derby for three-year-olds. The nine-furlong race drew a field of nine led by the top three-year-old in the country, Union Rags.

Union Rags is currently at the top of the BetAmerica Kentucky Derby Top 15 and will stay there with a win on Saturday. He has run five times in his career and is only a head short of being a perfect five-for-five. Of course that was in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile when he had a four-wide trip.

The Dixie Union-colt is coming out of perhaps his most impressive victory in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth over the track last month. The margin of victory was not equal to his wins in the Grade 1 Champagne or Grade 2 Saratoga Special, but it was the way in which he cruised up to the leaders then effortlessly drew off to win by four. It was the first start since the BC in November and if he improves as expected then Union Rags will be very tough in the Florida Derby.

Of course races are not run on paper and Union Rags will have a tough customer to beat in the Todd Pletcher-trained El Padrino, who is coming off a win in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds.

In the Risen Star, El Padrino was sent off as the 4-5 post-time favorite and ran a game race, prevailing by a nose over Louisiana Derby bound Mark Valeski. Pletcher decided to keep his top three-year-old at Gulfstream Park to face Union Rags and what may be an easier shot at graded earnings.

Post position draw would favor El Padrino having drawn post eight with Union Rags in post six. Jockey Javier Castellano can stalk the favorite or if the pace is too slow then he can open up the race before Julien presses the button on Rags.

The probable third choice in the wagering is the regally-bred Take Charge Indy from the Patrick Byrne barn. Take Charge Indy was supposed to run in the Tampa Bay Derby, but was scratched when they drew post ten. Now off since late-January the colt will need a top effort off the layoff to split the top pair. He is a candidate to run well in the Derby, but may be up against it on Saturday.

Three other runners; Fort Loudon, News Pending and Neck ‘n Neck, also exit the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and will be running for the minor placings. Z Camelot may be the pace of the race for trainer Dale Romans, who is also the trainer of News Pending. Remember last year Romans almost upset the apple cart in the Florida Derby with long shot, front-runner Sir Shackleton.

The final two colts in the field are Bartolome and Reveron. Reveron was third in the Grade 2 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs and would be a candidate for the lead, but takes the blinkers off for the first time in his six-race career.

The Florida Derby is part of the Gulfstream Park Saturday card, which includes the Grade 3 Rampart, Grade 3 Orchid, Grade 3 Appleton, Grade 3 Skip Away and Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks.

Post time for the Florida Derby is 5:40 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Gulfstream Oaks

Grace Hall Looks to Rebound

One race before the three-year-old colts and geldings go to post in the Florida Derby the three-year-old fillies get their shot in the Gulfstream Park Oaks. A field of eight will line up for the nine-furlong Grade 2 with Grace Hall the filly to beat.

Grace Hall was 4-5 in the Grade 2 Davona Dale late last month and was expected to get back in the winner’s circle after a second to My Miss Aurelia in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November, but Yara had other plans and was able to run down the favorite and win by a neck.

In the Davona Dale, Yara was 64-1 and put in the best race of her career. Of course if she duplicates that effort she will be right there, but the feeling is that there will be a regression while Grace Hall will improve.

Grace Hall has run five times in her career going in to the race on Saturday with three wins and two seconds. She won the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga last September and is the class of the Gulfstream Oaks field. The Empire Maker-filly drew post two last time which may have forced the hand of jockey Ramon Dominguez, but now new jockey Javier Castellano can break and stalk the pace from the five-hole. She filly Javier may end up stalking is the filly that poses the biggest danger.

Zo Impressive has been just that in her two career starts. She won her debut race at odds of 11-1 by over six lengths then came right back to score by four and one-half in an allowance race. The allowance race was a one-turn mile so the added distance and two turns will be new to her. Adding to her appeal is that both the second and third place fillies in the allowance race came back to win their next start.

The most impressive thing about Zo Impressive may be her breeding. She is by Grade 1-winner Hard Spun out of a mare, Zofting, that was also a Grade 1 winner.

Captivating Lass and The Cat’s All That finished third and fifth in the Davona Dale and Captivating Lass could be a long shot option to upset the top two. Captivating Lass makes her second start off the layoff and keeps high percentage jockey John Velazquez in the irons.

Hearts of Red and Emma’s Encore have won back-to-back races and are moving up in class for their first start against stakes company. Hearts of Red has the advantage with a win around two-turns on her resume.

And Why Not is the new face in the race making her first start since a second place finish to the multiple stakes winner On Fire Baby in the Grade 2 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs in October. She is a stone-cold closer and while the distance of the race suits her the pace may not. With a good run here she may be one to watch in the Kentucky Oaks.

Post time for the Gulfstream Oaks is 5:03 ET and is the start of the pick-4, which also includes the Florida Derby and Grade 3 Orchid stakes for fillies and mares going twelve-furlongs on the turf.

Fair Grounds – Louisiana Derby

Larry Jones Duo Tops the Field of 14

The Sunday card at Fair Grounds this weekend is one of the best across the country. There are seven stake races overall with the last three being Grade 2’s. The feature on the day is the $1-million Louisiana Derby for three-year-old colts and geldings.

This year’s renewal drew a full field of 14 with one coupled entry and it’s the coupled entry that is expected to be the post-time favorite.

Headlining the two is Mark Valeski, who is coming off of a game effort in the Grade 2 Risen Star. It was the first stakes race and first around two-turns for the Proud Citizen-colt, but he responded well and just fell a nose short to the highly regarded El Padrino. Valeski has come back to work a bullet five furlongs since that race and will be tough to beat.

Stablemate Mr. Bowling also ran in the Risen Star and was the more accomplished of the two colts, but did not run a step and finished eleventh, beaten over 14 lengths. Expect an improved effort from the colt, who will break from the gates right next to Mark Valeski in posts seven and eight.

Shared Property, Z Dager and Afford are the others coming out of the Risen Star with Z Dager the preferred of the three. Z Dager was second behind Mr. Bowling in the Grade 3 LeComte then was third in the Risen Star. The Steve Asmussen trainee will need to make up five lengths on Mark Valeski if he is to compete for the win on Sunday.

Cigar Street and Comisky’s Humor are interesting plays with experience over the Fair Grounds track. Comisky’s Humor will try to step way up in class and take his speed two-turns for high percentage trainer Ron Faucheux while Cigar Street comes in the best speed figure in the group.

Cigar Street was highly regarded in his debut as he was sent off as the 2-1 favorite, but had a troubled trip and finished fifth. No worries though and he make his next start a winning one, drawing off by just under fourteen lengths in wire-to-wire fashion. He may be the front runner, but nine furlongs in only his third start in a Grade 2 may be asking a bit much of the colt.

The top new shooters to the Fair Grounds in the Louisiana Derby are Windsurfer, Finnegans Wake and Rousing Sermon.

Windsurfer goes for the mighty Todd Pletcher stable and is making his fourth career start and first outside of the maiden ranks. On speed figures he needs to step up, but Pletcher is the man who can do it.

Finnegans Wake comes out of a third place finish to Hansen in the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct while Rousing Sermon exits a disappointing fifth in the Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita. Both colts are closers on a closers-track with what should be a decent pace up front.

Rounding out the field are Fire Alarm, Flashy Sunrise, Arm Force and Hero of Order.

The Louisiana Derby goes as race ten on the fourteen-race card with post time scheduled for 5:55 ET. It is the last leg of the $150,000 guaranteed pool pick-4, which starts in race seven and includes the New Orleans and Marvin H. Muniz Memorial Handicaps.

Santa Anita – Santa Anita Oaks

The Rematch Between Eden’s Moon and Reneesgotzip

The Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks is the feature race on Saturday at Santa Anita Park, but with the short field and short prices on Eden’s Moon and Reneesgotzip it was carded as the fourth race. Only a field of five was drawn for the Oaks with two fillies only having maiden victories on their resume and Willa B Awesome, who just finished six and one-half lengths behind the top two in the Las Virgenes.

With that said the way to wager on the Santa Anita Oaks is to play the 50-cent Pick-5, which starts in race 1, post time 3:30 ET.

The first is a maiden claiming race for three-year-olds going five and one-half furlongs on the main track. Patriotic Lion, Dutch Courage and Deejenerit are the speed figure plays but are a combined 0-for-18.

Zander, Givimaway and Lightning McQue will be competitive with improvement and check the tote board for first-time-starters Chicago Hero and Divorce Ahead.

Race two is a maiden special weight for Cal-bred or sired fillies and mares on the downhill turf course and drew a full field of twelve.

The fillies to watch are both drawn on the outside with Zanbo making her second career start and first since December for trainer Mike Puype and Best Present Ever from the Eric Kruljac barn. Best Present Ever makes her second start off the layoff and gets Garrett Gomez in the irons.

Angel’s Moon is drawn outside of her pace rival and is coming off a solid second place finish down the hill in mid-February. Saturday Nite Wish is the aforementioned pace rival and from post four jockey Martin Pedroz may gun her to the lead. Lil Swiss Echo is the wacky upsetter in the race making her second start for trainer Vladimir Cerin and top apprentice rider Eswan Flores.

Four-year-olds and upward go six and one-half furlongs in race three and Siempre Mio looks like the one to back dropping in class for trainer Doug O’Neill. The gelding’s jockey does not win often on this circuit so tread lightly.

Others to use are Blake, third in his last start and is making his second start off a layoff, and Goux Would Do, who just broke his maiden by nine and one-quarter lengths.

Race four is the Oaks, leaving the finale race five, which is another down the hill turf race.

Husband’s Folly looks to be the horse to beat making his third straight start at this class level. He was one length back in his last and with another step forward can win under jockey David Flores.

Warren’s Dr. Yang has a win down the course in open claiming company. Star Nicholas will be flying late for Joel Rosario, who is riding very well lately. Nofty is an interesting horse shipping south for Gary Mandella. Garrett Gomez takes the right and Nofty was second over the course last year.

He Flies a Banner and Titian are going route-to-sprint, which plays very well down the hill.

The pick-5 has been a great wager at Santa Anita this meet and the Saturday one looks very strong and even with the short prices in the Oaks it will pay well.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – March 31

• Gulfstream Park: Florida Derby – G1, $1,000,000, 3yo, 9f
• Gulfstream Park: Gulfstream Park Oaks – G2, $300,000, 3yo f, 9f
• Gulfstream Park: Rampart Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 9f
• Gulfstream Park: Orchid Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 12f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Appleton Stakes – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up, 8f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Skip Away Stakes – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up, 9.5f
• Gulfstream Park: Sir Shackleton Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, 6.5f
• Fair Grounds: Fair Grounds Oaks – G2, $500,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Fair Grounds: Bayou Handicap, $100,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Fair Grounds: Crescent City Oaks, $75,000, 3yo f, 8f 70y
• Fair Grounds: Red Camelia Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f turf
• Santa Anita: Santa Anita Oaks – G1, $300,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Santa Anita: Echo Eddie Stakes, $200,000, 3yo, 6.5f
• Santa Anita: Evening Jewel Stakes, $200,000, 3yo f, 6.5f
• Oaklawn Park: Rainbow Stakes, $50,000, 3yo, 6f
• Oaklawn Park: Rainbow Miss Stakes, $50,000, 3yo f, 6f
• Pimlico: Shine Again Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f
• Turfway Park: Fairway Fun Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f

Sunday – April 1

• Fair Grounds: Louisiana Derby – G2, $1,000,000, 3yo, 9f
• Fair Grounds: New Orleans Handicap – G2, $400,000, 4yo & up, 9f
• Fair Grounds: Mervin H. Muniz Memorial Handicap – G2, $400,000, 4yo & up, 9f turf
• Fair Grounds: Duncan F. Kenner Stakes, $150,000, 3yo & up, 6f
• Fair Grounds: Crescent City Derby, $75,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Fair Grounds: Costa Rising Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f
• Fair Grounds: Bayou St. John Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, 5.5f turf
• Santa Anita: Sidd Finch Stakes, $70,000, 4yo & up, 8f turf
• Oaklawn Park: Arkansas Breeders’ Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – March 2, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – March 23, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – March 9, 2012

Turfway Park – Vinery Spiral Stakes

Twelve Three-Year-Olds Look for Graded Earnings

The feature race this weekend at Turfway Park and across the country is the 41st running of the Grade 3 Vinery Spiral Stakes for three-year-olds looking to make a run for the roses. The nine-furlong race drew a field of twelve with a pair of Pletchers and a Graham Motion the ones to watch.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has two runners in the Spiral, Heavy Breathing and Holiday Promise. Of the two, Heavy Breathing will be the favorite. Heavy Breathing is another in a long line of Giant’s Causeway three-year-olds who are making a run at the Kentucky Derby.

Heavy Breathing is a perfect two-for-two in his career with daylight victories in a maiden race and an allowance race at Gulfstream Park. The allowance race was at nine-furlongs and was an impressive winning run. If he translates that form to the Polytrack then consider Heavy Breathing gone at short odds.

Went the Day Well is looking to follow the footsteps of his stable mate Animal Kingdom, who used this same route to upset the Kentucky Derby last year. Where they differ is that Went the Day Well is coming off a maiden victory while Animal Kingdom had just finished a good second in an allowance race on the turf. Animal Kingdom had also won over a synthetic surface and this will be the first start for Went the Day Well over similar. Went the Day Well did; however, finish second in two turf races in England before coming over for Team Valor International.

The connections have pegged jockey John Velazquez to ride, who was aboard Animal Kingdom during that storied Triple Crown run.

Contention does not just run three deep in Spiral as there are several others with upset on their mind.

Russian Greek drew the rail for the Spiral and is coming off a fifth place finish in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate. Russian Greek is another Giant’s Causeway colt and has won three of five starts.

The El Camino Real Derby book ends the field with Russian Greek in post one and Handsome Mike in post twelve. Top Southern California jockey comes to Kentucky to ride the son of Scat Daddy, but the distance is still a concern. The only win Handsome Mike has on his resume is a turf sprint down the hill at Santa Anita.

Ill Conceived is an interesting long shot for the trainer/jockey team that won the Kentucky Derby with Smarty Jones in 2004. The Pennsylvania-bred colt ran in the local prep race, the John Battaglia Memorial, in his last and was a good second in the $75,000 stakes. He is likely to be part of the early pace and breaks from post seven.

Tizanexpense was one to watch going into the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds last month, but did not run a step and finished seventh, beaten eleven lengths. One more time the son of Tiznow will get a mention for a trainer who owns Turfway Park. Mike Maker is hitting at a robust 31% at the meet with almost 65% of his horses finishing in the top three.

Mr. Pankster was the post-time favorite for the Battaglia at Turfway and after racing five-wide in the early going he faded down the lane and was eleven lengths behind Ill Conceived. Prior to that the It’s No Joke-colt won back-to-back stakes races over the track and could hit the board if he runs back to those races.

Stealcase is owned by John Oxley and trained by Mark Casse, who teamed up to win the Tampa Bay Derby early this month and are looking to continue their hot hand with their Lawyer Ron-colt. Stealcase was just under eleven lengths behind Hansen in the Grade 3 Gotham in his last start and now puts the blinkers on for the first time. From post eleven jockey Rajiv Maragh is going to have to work out a good trip if Stealcase is to upset the field.

Red Jack, All Squared Away and Coach Royal may be good horses down the road, but appear to be up against it in the Spiral.

The Saturday card is a great one at Turfway Park with a total of six stakes races that also includes the Grade 3 Bourbonette Stakes. Stay tuned to the BetAmerica Blog for analysis of that race for the three-year-old fillies.

Post time for the Spiral is 5:45 ET.

Sunland Park – Sunland Derby

Shippers Hold the Key in New Mexico

Sunday’s feature race at Sunland Park and the second of two major three-year-old prep races this weekend is the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby. The nine-furlong race drew a field of eight led by five out-of-towners.

Headlining the list of shippers is Castaway, who is coming off a daylight win in one division of the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park. By comparison the division of the Southwest that Castaway won looked like the better of the two. That; however, was not the case on the track. The winning time by Castaway was a full second slower than the division won by his stablemate Secret Circle. Of course the way in which Castaway won suggests that he can be the next star for trainer Bob Baffert.

Baffert has a history of sending out winners to the New Mexico track and has two in the Sunland Derby. In addition to Castaway he also has recent maiden winner Stirred Up. Stirred Up was the rare Baffert trainee that was not favored in his maiden breaker and two starts back he was third behind Bodemeister, who just finished second in the Grade 2 San Felipe.

Castaway and Stirred Up have two different running styles with Castaway having much more early speed than Stirred Up. Castaway drew the rail for the Sunland Derby, which may force the hand of jockey Rafael Bejarano. His main pace foe, Ender Knievel, is drawn just to his outside in post two.

Ender Knievel exits a maiden race in which he led gate to wire en route to a seven and three-quarter length victory. He finished second to stakes winner Thunder Moccasin two starts back and is bred to be a good one. Trainer Todd Pletcher has tabbed his go-to jockey John Velazquez for the ride.

Daddy Nose Best is the third California shipper coming in for trainer Steve Asmussen. The Scat Daddy-colt will be making his first start on conventional dirt since a seventh place finish in a maiden race at Churchill last July. Since that race Daddy Nose Best had run exclusively on turf until winning the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate in mid-February. Daddy Nose Best was best that day by a nose and if he is ready for the Sunland dirt then he could be heard from late.

The final shipper is No Spin for trainer Tim Ice. No Spin was sixth behind Castaway in the Southwest and was beat over fifteen lengths in the Smarty Jones prior to that. He is a long shot and may be better on the turf.

The best of the local horses is Isn’t He Clever, who is coming off a score in the local prep race the Borderland Derby. Isn’t He Clever is not a stranger to Southern California as trainer Henry Dominguez shipped him to Santa Anita for the Robert B. Lewis in early February. The Lewis is the only race of his six-start career in which he was not first or second. Note the jockey change to Luis Contreras, who has won graded stakes races from Canada to Florida over the past year.

Completing the field are Tequila Factor and Justanoldsong.

The Derby is scheduled as race twelve on the thirteen-race card with a post time of 6:45 ET. Also on the card is the Sunland Park Oaks, which Bob Baffert is expected to win for the second straight year with Princess Arabella.

Gulfstream Park – Pan American Stakes

Newsdad and Simmard Back to Battle Again

The Saturday feature at Gulfstream Park is the twelve-furlong Pan American Stakes, which will be the rematch between Newsdad and Simmard, who were separated by a nose last month in the Grade 3 Mac Diarmida.

Newsdad broke from the gate in the Mac Diarmida as the favorite, but Simmard proved to be a stubborn foe down the lane. Newsdad was coming off one of the best races in his career, winning an allowance race on the turf by just under seven lengths. The four-year-old Arch colt had never won back-to-back races and still hasn’t.

Simmard, on the other hand, was not even the favorite in his stable for the Mac Diarmida. In addition to Simmard, trainer Roger Attfield also sent out Grade 2 winner Musketier. Simmard finally got the better of his stable mate, who was not entered for the Pan American.

One thing to note about Simmard on Saturday is that with jockey Javier Castellano out of town Patrick Husbands will take the mount. Husbands is an excellent jockey, but is winless in four starts on Simmard.

Center Divider also exits the Mac Diarmida having finished fourth after setting the early pace. Jockey Joe Bravo will more than likely decide to take back having drawn the outside post. This will be the third start off the layoff for Center Divider so expect a top effort.

Three new foes will take aim at the favorites with the Bill Mott-trained Harrods Creek leading the trio.

Harrods Creek will be making his first start since finishing second in a Grade 3 on the Polytrack at Woodbine in early December. He does own a win at the distance and was fifth in the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Turf at the distance at Kentucky Downs in September. Jose Lezcano takes the mount aboard the five-year-old horse and may try to steal it on the front end.

Hailstone and Cause of Freedom are the other two horses in the field, but will need to step up their game to compete on Saturday.

Post time for the Pan American is 5:35 ET and is the third leg of the pick-4, which starts in race eight at 4:35.

Santa Anita – Tokyo City Cup

Breeders’ Cup Marathon Hopefuls

It’s only March, but it’s not too early to start thinking about the Breeders’ Cup in November especially when a stakes race is run where the two-day event will take place. On Saturday those horses with an eye on the Marathon are the stars.

The Tokyo City Cup is not a “Win and You’re In” race, but it did draw the 2010 winner of the BC Marathon, Eldaafer. Eldaafer has won nearly one-third of his career races with over $750,000 in earnings, but may be winding down.

Since his win in the Marathon in 2010 Eldaafer has two wins in ten starts, but is winless in his last four. After a good second place finish at Delaware Park in September the seven-year-old gelding has lost the last three by a total of 35 lengths.

The biggest gamble in the race may be the Irish-bred Dhaamer, who is making his first start in the U.S. for trainer Mike Mitchell after a campaign in England. The five-year-old gelding never ran in graded stakes across the pond, but did win a stakes race at Haydock in August 20011. Dhaamer finished seventh, beaten over thirteen lengths, in his only start at twelve furlongs. If any trainer can reverse that form and win first time on the dirt its Mike Mitchell.

Four horses exit races in which they finished first or second and are contenders in the Tokyo City.

Skipshot and Coluda won their last start with Skipshot taking an allowance race at Golden Gate on the Tapeta surface and Coluda having won a claiming race at Santa Anita. Skipshot appreciated the drop in class after finding graded stakes company too tough in his two prior races.

Coluda, like Dhaamer, is trained by Mike Mitchell and is likely to set the pace for his stable mate in the marathon race. Eswan Flores takes the mount for Joel Rosario, who will ride Dhaamer.

Graeme Crackerjack and Highway Bandit finished second in their last race with Graeme Crackerjack the preferred choice. The four-year-old Graeme Hall gelding is a stone-cold closer, who would seemingly love the added distance. He has no early speed, but closes with a rush.

Dynamic Host finished third in his last race and has finished in-the-money in 17 of his 26 career starts.

That leaves Twice the Appeal, who may have the biggest upset in the group. Twice the Appeal exits the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap and was a respectable seventh. Prior to that he was third and second in two stakes races at Oaklawn Park. Since the Big ‘Cap, Twice the Appeal has come back to work a bullet five-furlongs across town at Hollywood Park.

Twice the Appeal definitely offers more appeal than Eldaafer.

Post time for the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup is 7:07 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – March 24

• Turfway Park: Vinery Spiral Stakes – G3, $500,000, 3yo, 9f
• Turfway Park: Bourbonette Oaks – G3, $100,000, 3yo f, 8f
• Turfway Park: Rushaway Stakes, $100,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Turfway Park: Hansel Stakes, $50,000, 3yo, 6f
• Turfway Park: Queen Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up f&m, 6f
• Santa Anita: Tokyo City Cup Stakes – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up, 12f
• Gulfstream Park: Pan American Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up, 12f turf
• Fair Grounds: Happy Ticket Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up f&m, 5.5f turf
• Laurel Park: Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 9f
• Oaklawn Park: Hot Springs Stakes, $75,000, 4yo & up, 6f

Sunday – March 25

• Sunland Park: Sunland Derby – G3, $800,000, 3yo, 9f
• Sunland Park: Sunland Park Oaks, $200,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Sunland Park: La Coneja Stakes, $110,000, 4yo & up, 5.5f
• Sunland Park: Harry W. Henson Handicap, $100,000, 3yo & up, 8f
• Sunland Park: NM Breeders’ Derby, $110,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Sunland Park: NM Breeders’ Oaks, $110,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Sunland Park: Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes, $100,000, 3yo & up, 6.5f
• Santa Anita: Santa Ana Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 9f turf
• Santa Anita: San Luis Rey Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 12f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Touch Gold Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, 5f turf
• Oaklawn Park: Arkansas Breeders’ Stakes, $50,000, 3yo & up, 8.5f

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – March 16, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – March 2, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – March 9, 2012

Oaklawn Park – Rebel Stakes

Secret Circle Back in Hot Springs

This weekend all eyes will be on Oaklawn Park and the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes for three-year-olds that are on the Kentucky Derby trail. This year’s Rebel is just one in a long line of competitive three-year-old prep races at the Hot Springs, Arkansas track.

The $500,000 race drew a full field of thirteen with one coupled entry and an amazing nine horses coming out of one of the two divisions of the local prep race, the Southwest.

Secret Circle and Scatman both ran a winning race in their division of the Southwest, but at the wire it was the Bob Baffert-trained Secret Circle pulling ahead. Secret Circle came into the Southwest as the probably pace-setter, but instead it was Scatman making the early lead. Jockey Rafael Bejarano did not panic and sat just off the lead before taking the advantage away in deep stretch.

A half-length separated the top two, but it was five and one-half lengths back to the third place horse, Adirondack King, who is back on Saturday to try to close that gap. The distance is still a concern to both colts, but they are likely to be the betting choices when the gates open. It may be a similar race with Secret Circle drawing near the outside of the field.

The other colts exiting the Secret Circle-Scatman race are the fourth and fifth place finishers Pee H Dee and Cyber Secret.

Coming out of the other division, which was about a full second slower than what Secret Circle ran, are Unbridled’s Note, Jake Mo, Reckless Jerry and Ring It Up. Bob Baffert’s Castaway took this division, but he is now being pointed to the Sunland Derby at Sunland Park. These four will need to step way up to contend for the win.

The new shooters to the field are Optimizer, who looks to be a terror in the morning, but has yet to put it together for a major race in the afternoons, as well as Sabercat, Antigun and Najjaar.

If ready to run off the layoff, Sabercat looks to be the biggest danger to the Secret Circle-Scatman duo. Sabertcat currently sits in the Top 10 on the BetAmerica Kentucky Derby Top 15 list and is coming off a four-length victory in the Grade 3 Jackpot at Delta Downs. That race; however, was in mid-November and he has not made a start since. This is truly a prep-race for bigger and better things, but he cannot be overlooked in the wagering.

Atigun and Najjaar are both Oaklwan Park-based colts who have wins over the track. Atigun won an allowance race in mid-January, which was his first start since finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs in late November.

Najjaar is a perfect two-for-two over the track and his late running style fits jockey Calvin Borel to a “T.” Both Atigun and Najjaar are closers, but there could be enough speed to set up their late kick. The Southwest was at a flat mile, which has a finish line in mid-stretch.

Secret Circle and Scatman may find that extra sixteenth of a mile just a bit too far.

Post time for the Rebel on Saturday is 6:48 ET and goes as race ten on the eleven-race card.

Gulfstream Park – Inside Information

Filly and Mare Sprinters go Seven

The feature race on Saturday at Gulfstream Park is the Grade 2 Inside Information stakes for fillies and mares, four-year-olds and upward. The seven-furlong race drew a field of eleven, which includes four graded stakes winners.

The best of the four are the two Grade 1 winners, Musical Romance and Her Smile.

Musical Romance had a great 2011 campaign with five wins, three seconds and a third in 14 starts. The year was capped off with a victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Prior to that she won the Grade 2 Masters at Presque Isle Downs and was second in both the Grade 2 TCA Stakes at Keeneland and Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap at Calder.

The seven-furlong distance is not going to be a problem for the Florida-bred filly, but the track might be. In five career starts at Gulfstream Park she has yet to hit the board. In her 2012 debut she was fourth, beaten just under eight lengths, in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint.

Her Smile is the second Grade 1 winner in the field with her victory coming last year in the Prioress at Belmont Park. Her Smile does have a start over the track and was third in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie in mid-February.

The distance will be the concern for Her Smile as the Include-filly has yet to win in three starts at seven-furlongs. Her best finish was a third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint last year.

Three other fillies exit the Hurricane Bertie to run in the Inside Information including race winner R Holiday Mood.

In the Hurricane Bertie, R Holiday Mood made all the pace from post three and was able to outduel Funny Sunny, who could not get by in the lane. It was the first graded stakes win for R Holiday Mood in only her eighth career start.

Funny Sunny is back again on Saturday and will be stalking the early pace under jockey Kent Desormeaux. The other filly to exit the race is Belle of the Hall, who will need a pace meltdown if she is going to win. Belle of the Hall is a stone-cold closer, which does not always play well at Gulfstream Park.

The pace scenario seems to favor R Holiday Mood with no other true front-runner in the race. Groupie Doll has been on the lead in her last three starts, but all were at or over one mile. In three starts at seven furlongs, Groupie Doll has one win and two seconds. Jockey Rajiv Maragh should have his filly sitting just off the early pace and will get first run on the leader.

If R Holiday Mood is up to the task it could be a big year for her in the filly and mare sprint division.

Rounding out the field are Persuading, Catch a Thief, Much Rejoicing, Hot Summer and Magical Feeling with post time scheduled for 5:35 ET.

Santa Anita – Santa Margarita

Ellafitz Looks for Four Straight

Saturday’s feature race at Santa Anita is the Grade 1 Santa Margarita for older fillies and mares. The race drew a field of six with Bob Baffert holding the aces.

Ellafitzhas always had talent throughout her early career, but Baffert took his time with her against stakes competition. He shipped her to Sunland Park as a three-year-old then kept her in ungraded stakes until early December.

In the Bayakoa Handicap Ellafitz was send off at nearly 5-1, but ran like she was 1-5. Martin Garcia put the Tiznow-mare on the early lead and she never looked back, drawing off to win by just over three lengths.

Apparently the light bulb went on because Ellafitz would then go on to win the $83,000 Paseana Handicap at Santa Anita then scored the second of her graded stakes wins last out in the Grade 2 Santa Maria.

Awesomemundo is the “other” Baffert in the race and that can always be a dangerous proposition. Baffert often puts two horses in a race and several times it’s the overlooked horse that springs the upset.

By Awesome Again, Awesomemundo is a four-year-old filly that has only made six career starts. Of course she has won three of them including a seven and one-half length score in her last over the track in mid-February. Awesomemundo is owned by Baffert’s wife, Jill, and she could round out an all-Baffert exacta.

The Santa Margarita is also a sixteenth of a mile greater than the Santa Maria, which may close the gap between Ellafitz and her competitors.

Looking to split the two or even cause an upset herself is Include Me Out for trainer Ron Ellis. Include Me Out has been off since winning the Grade 2 La Canada in late-January by just over four lengths and comes in the fresh filly. The concern for her and most of the other entrants is that Ellafitz looks to be loose on the lead again.

Miss Mittagong finished in a dead-heat for second behind Ellafitz in the Santa Maria in her last race and will be making her second start off the layoff. It’s possible that jockey Mario Gutierrez will have her closer to the pace breaking from post one.

Perhaps the best race in the career of Kayce Ace was won in wire-to-wire fashion in an allowance race at Hollywood Park in November 2010. She won another race in her next start, but has yet to be better than fourth in three subsequent starts. The full-sister to Colonel John may need a synthetic surface to be at her best.

Love Theway Youare is the final filly in the field and while she is a good prospect she has no shot to win this race. With no early speed it will be hard to make enough ground late on the front-runner.

Scheduled as race eight on the nine-race Saturday card, the Santa Margarita goes to post at 7:07 ET.

Laurel Park – Private Terms

Three-Year-Olds Looking to Step Up

The major three-year-old race this weekend takes place on Saturday at Oaklawn Park, but there is another on Saturday that may be useful in handicapping the races down the road.

The $100,000 Private Terms at Laurel Park drew a field of nine with many of the connections looking to join the Derby trail or perhaps point their colt to the Preakness at Pimlico.

Raconteur and Hakama both exit graded stakes at Aqueduct won by runaway winners. Raconteur was twelve lengths behind Hansen in the Gotham while Hakama was just over fifteen lengths behind Alpha in the Withers. Both Hansen and Alpha are top colts headed for the Kentucky Derby.

The two do have a history of running together with Hakama getting the better of his foe in a maiden race at Aqueduct in mid-December.

Brimstone Island exits the $76,000 Miracle Wood Stakes, which was run at seven furlongs at Laurel. In four career starts over the track the son of Tiznow has two wins and two seconds. In the Miracle Wood, Brimstone stalked the early pace, but could not close the gap between him and the winner. He ran a winning race and looks to be a top hope for the locals.

Cop a Tude, Yo Koffy and Dangerous Lad rank next on the class list with all coming out of allowance wins.

Cop a Tude is a perfect two-for-two in his brief career with both wins coming at Laurel. He has yet to be farther than six furlongs, but at Laurel the one-mile Private Terms is around one turn.

Yo Koffy was sent off as the post-time favorite in a small stakes race over the inner dirt at Aqueduct two starts back then came right back to score by a neck in wire-to-wire fashion in his last, which was at five and one-half furlongs at Laurel. He looks to be the speed of the field and will try to take them as far as he can.

Dangerous Lad drew the outside post for Saturday and can get a great trip stalking the pace. He has not run since late January, but that was an impressive win by over four lengths in an allowance race over a muddy, sealed track at Aqueduct.

Three recent maiden winners; Romp City, Street Life and Charge are the recent maiden winners with Street Life and Charge interesting choices. Both colts are coming out of maiden races around two-turns so the distance will not be a problem. After them only Raconteur, Brimstone Island and Hakama have wins at or farther than one-mile.

It’s time these horses step up and determine their path on the Triple Crown trail.

The Private Terms is race nine on Saturday with a post time of 4:24 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – March 17

• Oaklawn Park: Rebel Stakes – G2, $500,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Oaklawn Park: Azeri Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Santa Anita: Santa Margarita Stakes – G1, $300,000, 4yo & up f&m, 9f
• Santa Anita: Irish O’Brien Stakes, $100,000, 4yo & up f&m, 6.5f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Inside Information Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 7f
• Fair Grounds: New Orleans Ladies, $100,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f
• Laurel Park: Private Terms Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 8f
• Delta Downs: Au Revoir Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, 8f
• Delta Downs: Bonnie Chance Stakes, $60,000, 4yo & up, 8f
• Turfway Park: Tejano Run Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 9f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Wayward Lass Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8.5f

Sunday – March 18

• Gulfstream Park: Honey Fox Stakes – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up f&m, 8f turf
• Santa Anita: San Luis Rey Stakes – G2, $150,000, 4yo & up, 12f turf
• Santa Anita: Santana Mile Stakes, $70,000, 4yo & up, 8f
• Sunland Park: New Mexico State University Handicap, $110,000, 4yo & up, 8f 70y

Harness Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

Watch these races all on BetAmerica.com.

Friday – March 16

• Meadowlands: Horse & Groom, $75,000, 3 & up open trot
• Meadowlands: Syrinx Hanover, $60,000, 3 filly trot

Saturday – March 17

• Meadowlands: Four Leaf Clover, $125,000, 3-5 open pace
• Meadowlands: Overbid, $120,000, 3 & up f&m pace

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – March 23, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – March 9, 2012
3. Zenyatta Goes For 13th Straight Win

Santa Anita – San Felipe

Southern California Three-Year-Olds

The feature race on Saturday at Santa Anita is an important stepping stone towards the Santa Anita Derby and also the Kentucky Derby. This year’s renewal drew a field of ten led by Creative Cause as well as Bodemeister, American Act and Liaison.

Creative Cause made his three-year-old debut in the Grade 2 San Vicente at Santa Anita in mid-February, which was a prep-race for bigger and better things. The colt by Giant’s Causeway was always expecting to improve off that effort and he is a Grade 1 winner at Santa Anita over the same distance as the San Felipe.

Also coming out of the San Vicente is American Act, second behind race winner Drill and one length in front of Creative Cause, and will be making his first start around two-turns. American Act has been on the lead in the last two races and could be there once again, but must deal with the talented Bodemeister.

Trainer Bob Baffert could have opted to put in his other talented three-year-old colt Fed Biz into the lineup, but instead decided to throw recent maiden winner Bodemeister into the fray. The Empire Maker-colt crushed his opponents in his last race winning a mile race by almost ten lengths. Do note; however, that he was second to American Act in his debut.

Liaison is the “other” Bob Baffert-trainee in the San Felipe and he could get overlooked in the wagering even though he is a Grade 1 winner. Liaison won the Grade 1 Cash Call Futurity at Hollywood Park in mid-December and did break his maiden at Santa Anita in October. The feeling is that Bodemeister and Fed Biz have passed their stable mate.

The last race for Liasion was the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita and Liaison did not have a good trip. He looked like he wanted to press on early then clipped heels when he appeared to be tiring in the lane. Blinkers go off for Saturday and jockey Martin Garcia picks up the mount.

Also coming into the San Felipe off of the Lewis are Empire Way, second, Groovin’ Solo, third, and Rousing Sermon, fourth. It is interesting that Empire Way was entered in the San Felipe as the connections are the same as Creative Cause. Perhaps while this is still a prep for Creative Cause it is to see if Empire Way can earn his way to the Derby.

Should there be an extreme pace duel up front and there could be with Midnight Transfer, stretching out off of back-to-back sprint wins, and Tiz Point, who just wired a turf field and will be making his first start on conventional dirt, then watch out for Blingo.

Blingo broke his maiden on the Hollywood Park turf course with a ferocious rally from ten-lengths off the early pace then was put into the Grade 1 Cash Call Futurity. The owner, trainer and jockey are the same team that brought us the great mare Zenyatta, who didn’t even make her first start in a Grade 1 until her fourth career start. Blingo is making his first start on the dirt and is not really bred for it, but if anyone can get them to make a successful switch, it’s trainer John Shirreffs.

Post time for the Grade 2 San Felipe on Saturday is 7:38 ET.

Tampa Bay Downs – Tampa Bay Derby

Sam F. Davis Top Two Take on Two Newcomers

The other major three-year-old prep race on Saturday is the 32nd running of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs. The mile and one-sixteenth race drew a field of 12, which features the top two horses from the local prep as well as two top contenders from Gulfstream Park.

Battle Hardened entered the Sam F. Davis as a maiden with two seconds in three starts, but left a Grade 3-winner and one step closer to the Kentucky Derby. The Giant’s Causeway-colt was one of the more fancied runners in the race going off at odds of 9-2. Jockey Julien Leparoux sat a couple of lengths off the early pace then exploded down the stretch to win going away.

Julien is back again for the mount and Battle Hardened looks like one of the top choices on Saturday, but he was pegged at 9-2 on the morning line.

Prospective finished second in the Davis and is a robust 8-1 on the morning line even though he has three wins and two seconds in six career starts. By Malibu Moon, Prospective is making his third start off the layoff after finishing last in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs in November.

Prospective is an interesting runner because it seems like the colt is done on the turn and is going to start to back up, but Woodbine-based jockey Luis Contreras gets down to riding and his colt responds. Blinkers now go on for Prospective, who after drawing the outside post in the Sam F. Davis, now drew post one.

Battle Hardened and Prospective even though they ran last out at Tampa are not stabled at the Oldsmar track. The only two horses with local works on their tab are 30-1 Fox Rules and 15-1 Cajun Charlie. Golden Ticket, Twin, Chief Energy, Tell All You Know, Cozzetti, Ravelo’s Boy and the two favorites Spring Hill Farm and Take Charge Indy all will be shipping in. Most of those train at Palm Meadows near Gulfstream Park.

Take Charge Indy is the 3-1 second choice in the Tampa Bay Derby, but is the horse to beat. The A.P. Indy colt is out of Grade 1 winner Take Charge Indy and has a fourth and fifth place finish in Grade 1 Stakes races. Spring Hill Farm, 5-2 favorite, is two-for-two in his brief career with an allowance win over a sloppy, sealed track his best race. The reason for the favoritism has to be the connections. Todd Pletcher trains, Javier Castellano rides, and George Bolton & Stonestreet Stables own.

From post ten jockey Calvin Borel aboard Take Charge Indy will be in the catbird seat. He drew just outside of Spring Hill Farm and will be able to dictate his own pace.

One of the biggest obstacles Spring Hill Farm and Take Charge Indy must overcome is the Tampa surface. Just because you are a good horse does not mean you are good at Tampa. Just ask War Pass, who finished last in the 2008 Tampa Bay Derby at odds of 1-20.

Prospective and Battle Hardened look like very attractive wagers if they stay at or around their morning line.

Upset bettors should look at the Ken McPeek trained Golden Ticket, Chad Stewart’s Tell All You Know and Cozzetti from the Dale Romans barn.

The Tampa Bay Derby goes as race 11 on the 12-race card with post time scheduled for 5:28 ET.

Gulfstream Park – Swale Stakes

Three-Year-Old Sprinters

There is one more graded stakes for three-year-olds on Saturday and that is the Grade 3 Swale stakes at Gulfstream Park. The Swale is a seven-furlong sprint and while many in the race will be using it as an opportunity for graded earnings, Ever So Lucky will be trying to kick off his journey to the Kentucky Derby.

Ever So Lucky was supposed to first run in the Grade 2 Hutcheson on February 11 then perhaps in the Fountain of Youth on February 26, but weather and minor issues have prevented him making that important 2012 debut.

At the end of 2011, Ever So Lucky was one of the highly touted two-year-olds and everyone was looking forward to how he would improve off of a maiden win and a second place finish in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Jonathan is probably better known for his turf mares, Informed Decision and you can also throw in jumpers to that mix, but the trainer proved with Ever So Lucky that he can get the two-year-olds to win.

The Indian Charlie-colt may be up against the clock to make the Kentucky Derby, but with a strong showing on Saturday he will be one step closer to that goal.

The main rivals to Ever So Lucky in the field of ten are Trinniberg, Motor City and Good Morning Diva.

Trinniberg was last seen trying to keep pace with the Bob Baffert-trained rocket ship Secret Circle in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint at Churchill Downs. Prior to that debacle he was second in both the Grade 2 Nashua and Grade 1 Hopeful. Seven furlongs may be stretching his limitations.

Motor City is too coming off a layoff having not run since winning the Grade 3 Iroquios at Churchill Downs. With Calvin Borel in Tampa on Saturday trainer Ian Wilkes has called on Edgar Prado to take over the riding. Seven furlongs should be right up his alley and if ready to run off the layoff will be a danger to the favorite.

Good Morning Diva, a colt, has something that the rest of the field does not and that is a win at seven furlongs. He broke his maiden in his last start by an emphatic three and one-quarter lengths and received a speed figure that is tops in the field, including Ever So Lucky. From post ten jockey Rajiv Maragh can get a good trip from just off the pace.

Quick Wit and Seve are two Dale Romans-trained colts who will be doing their best running at the end of the race and will need every bit of the seven furlongs to win. They could round out the trifecta or superfecta and generate a nice score.

Bahamian Squall makes his second career start after breaking his maiden by over a length in his debut, which earned a speed figure that would make him competitive on Saturday.

Rounding out the field are Silver Menace, Hello Prince and Musical Flair. Post time for the Grade 3 is 5:35 ET.

Oaklawn Park – Honeybee Stakes

On Fire Baby Returns to Face Fillies

The final three-year-old race on Saturday is not for the colts and geldings, instead it is for the fillies looking to make their mark in Hot Springs on their way to the Kentucky Oaks.

A field of eight was drawn for the 25th running of the Honeybee with the expected favorite On Fire Baby drawing post eight.

On Fire Baby was on fire last year as a two-year-old. She won three of four races with her only loss coming in the Grade 1 Alcibiades on the polytrack surface at Keeneland. She won the Grade 2 Pocahontas and Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs.

After the successful two-year-old campaign the connections decided to try the boys in the $100,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn in mid-January. The Smoke Glacken-filly was sent off as the 3-2 post-time favorite, but she could not overcome post ten and faded to be third behind Junebugred and Reckless Jerry.

Both Junebugred and Reckless Jerry could not go on to win their division of the Southwest, but On Fire Baby is dropping back to face her own sex and will be tough to beat. It is worth noting that she will be getting first-time lasix after not having run on the medication in her previous five starts.

The biggest rival to On Fire Baby is Amie’s Dini, who has three wins, a second and a third in her five career starts. Amie’s Dini won the local prep for the Honeybee, the Martha Washington, in her last start and will try to overtake the favorite late from just off the pace.

Inca Miss, Forgotten People, Rocket Twentyone, Our Doman and Silver Hustler are all fillies with similar speed figures in the 63-70 range. Any one of them could run an improved race and hit the board at a nice price.

Of the five Inca Miss is the preferred filly even though she just finished two lengths behind Our Doman in an allowance race. Inca Miss had previously won three straight over two different surfaces at Remington Park and horses trained by Donnie Von Hemel generally improve with racing.

Our Domain has been ultra-consistent in her seven starts to date. She has four wins and two seconds with her only out-of-the money finish coming in her debut over the turf at Arlington Park.

Silver Hustler was favored against Our Doman and Inca Miss in that last race even though she only had a maiden win on the resume. Blinkers go on the Political Force-filly so expect a run closer to the pace.

That brings us to the final filly in the race and that is the maiden Colonial Empress. Normally maidens would have no shot in a Grade 3 race, but Colonial Empress may just buck that trend. She cost $175,000 as a two-year-old in-training and made her debut with a good fourth place finish in the Martha Washington. She now gets the blinkers on and has a bullet drill since that last race. It will be interesting to see what kind of filly she becomes for trainer Wayne Lukas.

The Honeybee goes as race seven on Saturday, which kicks off the pick-4 that also includes the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap for older horses, with a post time of 5:03 ET.

Thoroughbred Racing Action

Weekend Stakes Action

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

Saturday – March 10

• Santa Anita: San Felipe – G2, $300,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Santa Anita: China Doll Stakes, $75,000, 3yo f, 8f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Tampa Bay Derby – G2, $350,000, 3yo, 8.5f
• Tampa Bay Downs: Hillsborough Stakes – G3, $150,000, 4yo & up f&m, 9f turf
• Tampa Bay Downs: Suncoast Stakes, $100,000, 3yo f, 8f 70y
• Gulfstream Park: Swale Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo, 7f
• Gulfstream Park: Gulfstream Park Handicap – G2, $300,000, 4yo & up, 8f
• Oaklawn Park: Honeybee Stakes – G3, $125,000, 3yo f, 8.5f
• Oaklawn Park: Razorback Handicap – G3, $125,000, 4yo & up, 8.5f
• Fair Grounds: Black Gold Stakes, $75,000, 3yo, 7.5f turf
• Fair Grounds: Allen Lacombe Memorial Handicap, $75,000, 3yo, 7.5f turf
• Laurel Park: Conniver Stakes, $75,000, 3yo & up, 7f
• Sunland Park: Mt. Cristo Rey Handicap, $110,000, 3yo & up, 4.5f
• Turfway Park: Wintergreen Stakes, $50,000, 4yo & up, 8f

Sunday – March 11

• Gulfstream Park: Palm Beach Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo, 9f turf
• Gulfstream Park: Herecomesthebride Stakes – G3, $150,000, 3yo f, 9f turf
• Santa Anita: Las Flores Stakes – G3, $100,000, 4yo & up f&m, 6.5f

Related posts:

1. Players Edge Newsletter – March 2, 2012
2. Players Edge Newsletter – March 30, 2012
3. Players Edge Newsletter – March 16, 2012