Weekend Lineup Offered By Sky Racing World: 4 Derby Preps Lead Busy Saturday – Horse Racing Information
A quartet of key races on the Street to the Kentucky Derby might be on faucet Saturday the place a number of high contenders will take the stage, together with 2-year-old Champion Forte who will make his first begin of the 12 months. Saturday’s 4 stops on the Street to the Kentucky Derby characteristic three Championship Sequence occasions – the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2), the $400,000 San Felipe (G2), and the $300,000 Gotham (G3) – that award high 5 factors on a 50-20-15-10-5 scale. Saturday additionally will shut the 21-race Prep Season with the $150,000 John Battaglia Memorial (20-8-6-4-2).
The stakes-laden card from Gulfstream Park on Saturday options 9 stakes races value $1.85 million in purses, culminating within the Fountain of Youth. The Derby prep has a discipline of 10 headlined by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and Eclipse champion Forte. The darkish bay son of Violence is a four-time winner and can have Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard for coach Todd Pletcher. His rivals embody Grade 1-winning juvenile Blazing Sevens, who can even be making his first begin of the 12 months for coach Chad Brown.
Saturday’s card at Santa Anita Park additionally consists of the $500,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and the $500,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1). The previous has attracted a discipline of 11 older horses together with Proxy, a Grade 1 winner for coach Michael Stidham. The Kilroe Mile is led by a quartet from the barn of Phil D’Amato. In the meantime, the San Felipe has drawn a discipline of 11 Triple Crown hopefuls. Tim Yakteen will saddle 5 contenders, together with Sensible Transfer, the winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), and 4 previously skilled by Bob Baffert, together with Nationwide Treasure, who completed third within the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).
Jerome Stakes winner Lugan Knight will make his journey again to Aqueduct for coach Michael McCarthy and headline the Gotham, going through an over-subscribed discipline of 14 plus one also-eligible. Scoobie Quando, a debut winner within the $125,000 Turfway Prevue Stakes, will headline an over-subscribed discipline of 14 3-year-olds that entered the $150,000 John Battaglia Memorial (Listed) at Turfway Park.
Different important stakes motion across the nation on Saturday consists of three Kentucky Oaks prep races, with the Busher at Aqueduct, the G2 Davona Dale at Gulfstream, and the Cincinnati Trophy at Turfway; a trio of $75,000 turf stakes at Honest Grounds, and two $150,000 Arkansas-bred stakes at Oaklawn.
Sunday’s motion consists of the G3 San Simeon down the hill and the G3 Santa Ysabel, a 50-point Oaks prep, each at Santa Anita.
Saturday
4:56 p.m. – Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct
Lugan Knight will make his graded stakes debut for coach Michael McCarthy in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack. The bay son of Goldencents enters from a triumphant stakes debut within the $150,000 Jerome on Jan. 7 on the Massive A the place he bested twin graded stakes-placed Arctic Conceitedness going the Gotham distance over an excellent fundamental monitor.
West Coast shipper Carmel Street will make his first outing for coach Tim Yakteen on the heels of a pacesetting second-place end within the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 17 for Bob Baffert. Carmel Street is in quest of his first stakes victory in his first attempt at a one-turn mile. Carmel Street’s lone victory got here in a dominant second-out commencement, setting the tempo in a two-turn mile maiden in August at Del Mar and bounding away to an 8 3/4-length victory.
Two undefeated contenders with 4-for-4 data will make their graded stakes debuts by means of Parx Racing. Recruiter [post 14, Angel Cruz] will make the second outing of his sophomore marketing campaign for coach Cathal Lynch whereas Howgreatisnate [post 2, J.D. Acosta] makes his seasonal debut for conditioner Andrew Simoff.
Debut maiden winner Uncorrelated [post 4, Manny Franco] makes his first stakes look for four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown on the heels of an expert 2 1/2-length victory on Jan. 6 over a sloppy and sealed Massive A fundamental monitor. The son of Arrogate tracked in fourth one size off the tempo beneath Manny Franco and pounced to the lead on the half-mile name, sustaining his benefit at every level of name and finishing the six furlongs in a remaining time of 1:12.35. The trouble garnered a 69 Beyer.
5:30 p.m. – Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita
One in all 4 former Bob Baffert trainees that might be saddled for the primary time by Tim Yakteen, Hejazi heads an impressive discipline of 11 sophomores going 1 1/16 miles in Saturday’s $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita. Though as but unproven going a route of floor, New York-bred Hejazi has been close to sensible on two events and with a $3.5-million price ticket as a 2-year-old in coaching this previous Could, will hope to be a show-stopper within the San Felipe with Mike Smith again aboard.
Yakteen can even saddle Nationwide Treasure, who was a powerful first-out maiden winner going 6 ½ furlongs at Del Mar Sept. 3, then second within the American Pharoah and third within the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 4 at Keeneland/ The colt was most just lately third, crushed one size because the 3-5 favourite by stablemate Reincarnate, going one mile within the Sham Stakes (G3) on Jan. 8 at Santa Anita.
The opposite two former Baffert trainees are Fort Bragg, third within the Los Al Futurity (G2), and last-out maiden winner Mr Fisk. Though Yakteen might be busy pinch hitting for Baffert 4 starters, he’ll even be saddling Sensible Transfer, who he despatched out to a useful 3¼-length victory within the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) on Dec. 17.
A well-beaten third as a maiden three begins again within the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G1) Sept. 11, Skinner was then distanced within the American Pharoah, however was an ultra-impressive 3 ¼ size one mile maiden winner off the bench right here on Feb. 12 and thus looms a significant contender in Saturday’s San Felipe. Educated by John Shirreffs and ridden by Victor Espinoza, Skinner was subsequent to final early in his maiden win and rallied like an A-Checklist Derby hopeful in his maiden rating whereas incomes a 95 Beyer Velocity Determine.
With Flavien Prat again within the saddle, Richard Mandella’s speedy Geaux Rocket Trip, a superb 5¾-length first-out maiden winner going six panels on Jan. 29 at Santa Anita, takes an enormous leap on Saturday in what might be solely his second begin.
5:43 p.m. – Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Forte is slated to make his 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park, in search of to construct on his championship juvenile season. The son of Violence is scheduled to fulfill 9 rivals within the 76th operating of the Fountain of Youth whereas making his first begin since clinching the 2-year-old title with a 1 ½-length victory over closely favourite Cave Rock within the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland.
Rocket Can (Put up No. 8; 8-1) enters the Fountain of Youth off a gutsy half-length victory within the Feb. 4 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream. Educated by Corridor of Famer Invoice Mott, the son of Into Mischief raced significantly extensive thorough the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull however kicked in by way of the stretch to win by three-quarters of a size beneath Junior Alvarado in his 2023 debut.
Shadow Dragon can be scheduled to symbolize the Mott steady within the Fountain of Youth after closing quick to complete second within the Holy Bull, only a half-length behind Rocket Can. The New York-bred son of Military Mule had beforehand gained his debut and completed off-the-board in opposition to state-breds at Aqueduct final fall.
Blazing Sevens, who completed fourth within the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after encountering hassle at first, is scheduled to tackle Forte once more whereas making his 2023 debut within the Fountain of Youth. The Chad Brown-trained son of Good Magic captured the mile Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct previous to the Juvenile. Blazing Sevens gained impressively at first asking at Saratoga earlier than ending 12 lengths behind Forte whereas ending third within the Hopeful (G1).
Common Jim, who recovered from early bumping to seize the seven-furlong Swale (G3) on the Holy Bull undercard, is scheduled to stretch out round two turns within the Fountain of Youth, for which he drew the No. 1 publish place. The son of Into Mischief gained twice and completed third in a stakes round two activates turf in New York final 12 months. Common Jim, who lacked room whereas ending fourth in his 3-year-old debut within the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man, raced with blinkers for the primary time within the Swale.
8:00 p.m. – Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita
Led by a four-horse contingent for coach Phil D’Amato, each entrant within the nine-horse Kilroe Mile is a stakes winner with eight of these scoring on the graded degree. D’Amato’s quartet is comprised of Irish-bred Hong Kong Harry and Irish-bred Gold Phoenix, each of whom return from layoffs for his or her seasonal bows; Irish-bred Balnikhov, who most just lately was second by a nostril as the favourite within the G2 Mathis Mile on Dec. 26; and Masteroffoxhounds, who was second by a neck most just lately within the G3 San Marcos going 1 ¼ miles on Feb. 5.
A number of horses within the Kilroe are exiting an exhilarating version of the G3 Thunder Street on Feb. 4, together with runner-up Du Jour and third-place finisher Air Drive Crimson.
Du Jour returned from greater than 14 months on the sidelines within the one-mile Thunder Street and was crushed only a nostril when uncorking a livid rally beneath Umberto Rispoli. Educated by Bob Baffert and owned by Natalie Baffert and Debbie Lanni, Du Jour in 2021 was a graded stakes winner and in addition Grade 1-placed. Jockey Frankie Dettori will trip Du Jour for the primary time on Saturday.
Air Drive Crimson was up close to the tempo within the Thunder Street earlier than getting edged by a neck for the highest prize. Previous to that effort the 5-year-old Air Drive Blue ridgling gained the G2 Joe Hernandez on the downhill turf course Dec. 31. Air Drive Crimson is skilled by Leonard Powell; Santa Anita main rider Juan Hernandez, who was aboard in each the Joe Hernandez and Thunder Street, once more has the mount on Saturday.
8:30 p.m. – Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita
Defunded and Newgrange head a discipline of 11 older horses going a mile and one quarter within the 86th operating of the Grade 1, $500,000 Santa Anita Handicap.
Defunded was second final out, crushed 4 ½ lengths at 5-2 going a mile and one eighth within the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park. The Bob Baffert trainee, who in his solely profession attempt at a mile and one quarter, completed second six begins again within the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup on Could 30 of final 12 months, looms the seemingly favourite with main man Juan Hernandez, who takes off of Newgrange to trip Defunded for the primary time.
Phil D’Amato, a San Pedro native who was Santa Anita’s main Winter/Spring Meet coach a 12 months in the past, might be in search of his first Massive Cap win as will European legend Frankie Dettori, who climbs aboard Newgrange for the primary time. Newgrange, contemporary off an authoritative one-length tally over Baffert’s Hopper within the mile and one eighth San Pasqual when ridden for the primary time by Hernandez, was a two-time graded stakes winner final 12 months at age three when conditioned by Baffert. Transferred to D’Amato previous to operating third within the ungraded Shared Perception Stakes going a flat mile at Del Mar 4 begins again on Sept. 3, Newgrange put all of it collectively in a 5 ½-length one mile allowance rating right here on Nov. 6, incomes a career-top 97 Beyer Velocity Determine. He tries a mile and 1 / 4 for the primary time within the Massive ‘Cap.
Though second crushed a size by Newgrange because the 7-5 favourite on Jan. 28, Baffert’s Hopper had been idle since operating away with the G3 Affirmed Stakes by 5 ¼ lengths on June 11 and will little question profit from a latest race. A 4-year-old colt by Declaration of Warfare out of the Caesour mare Irridescence, Hopper earned a 95 Beyer off the bench within the San Pasqual and with an abundance of pure velocity, looms harmful with Mike Smith taking on for the primary time.
A winner of the G1 Clark Stakes at Churchill Downs going a mile and one eighth two begins again, coach Michael Stidham’s Proxy was most just lately fifth, crushed 7 ½ lengths within the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 28 and ships west for the primary time from Honest Grounds in New Orleans. Ridden by eastern-based Joel Rosario in his final three begins, Proxy will get the companies of John Velazquez within the Massive ‘Cap.
A winner of final 12 months’s G1 Hollywood Gold Cup three begins again right here on Could 30, coach Michael McCarthy’s There Goes Harvard charges a giant likelihood at a worth and might be ridden for the primary time by Japanese sensation Kazushi Kimura.
After ending second by a head in final 12 months’s Massive ‘Cap, jap invader Warrant will attempt to do one higher on Saturday. Warrant prepped for his second Massive Cap with an allowance win at Honest Grounds on Jan. 26. That effort adopted virtually seven months on the sidelines, which coach Brad Cox stated was the results of him “simply being a bit drained” the second half of the season. Previous to final 12 months’s Massive Cap, Warrant was third within the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes at Honest Grounds on Jan. 22.
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