Freshman sire Speightstown (Gone West-Silken Cat, by Storm Cat) was represented by his first winner May 15 at York in England.
Thu May 15, 9:50 PM
Trainer Eric Guillot has long believed that his 3-year-old Salute the Sarge is most comfortable as a late-running sprinter. After Sarge's most recent route attempt ended in a flop at Keeneland, the grade II winner returns to the short game in the $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Memorial Stakes (gr. III) on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track May 18.
Thu May 15, 7:11 PM
There will be racing at other locations besides Pimlico on May 17, although most of the nation will be prone to forget it. At Belmont Park in the $150,000 Shuvee Handicap (gr. II), older fillies and mares head out a mile on the New York dirt just one hour before the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) goes off in Maryland.
Thu May 15, 5:19 PM
With the arrival of Big Brown and others from Kentucky and California, all the horses are at Pimlico, with the exception of Saturday arrivals Behindatthebar and Icabad Crane. This will be just an abbreviated report to set things up for Friday's column, in which we'll try to find several value plays to use in the exotics.
Thu May 15, 5:18 PM
With regular exercise rider Michelle Nevin aboard and dozens of still and video cameras recording every step, the Big Brown galloped 1 1/2 miles May 15 at Pimlico.
Thu May 15, 5:05 PM
Grade II winner Valbenny, one of the leading turf fillies on the West Coast last season, returns from an absence of more than eight months while making her first start for trainer Michael Matz in the $100,000 Gallorette Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the Pimlico lawn May 17.
Thu May 15, 5:04 PM
That Roman Emperor likes the 1 1/16-mile distance has already been proven. Whether he'll bounce back from a seventh-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial (gr. I) remains to be seen. We'll find out when the Steve Klesaris trainee leads a field of seven 3-year-olds in the $100,000 Barbaro Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
Thu May 15, 4:37 PM
Seven older sprinters will try to earn their first graded stakes score May 17 at Pimlico Race Course when they do battle in the $100,000 Maryland Sprint Handicap (gr. III) the first of 10 blacktype races on Preakness Stakes (gr. I) day.
Thu May 15, 4:25 PM
Charles Laloggia's Officer Cherrie, the lone graded stakes winner in a field of nine 3-year-old fillies, seems to have an edge in the $250,000 Selene Stakes (Can-III) May 18 at Woodbine.
Thu May 15, 4:25 PM
Just 14 days after saddling Eight Belles to a second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), trainer Larry Jones will give a leg up to jockey Gabriel Saez and the two will take Hinkle Farms' Buy the Barrel postward in the $150,000 Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (gr. II) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.
Thu May 15, 4:23 PM
Vinery Stables' Lantana Mob is the most likely choice in the $100,000 Hirsch Jacobs Stakes (gr. III) at Pimlico May 17, which is why he's been assigned the high weight of 122 pounds in a nine-horse field. But several 3-year-olds looking for graded stakes-winning status could step up to provide a challenge in this Preakness undercard event.
Thu May 15, 2:42 PM
The top-weighted runner in the $250,000 Dixie Stakes (gr. IIT) at Pimlico May 17 is coming off a sixth-place finish, while his closest competitor also ran sixth in his last start. That leaves a chance at graded earnings readily available to seven other runners in the 1 1/8-mile turf event on the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) undercard.
Wed May 14, 10:50 PM
After making a detour for the Triple Crown trail this spring, Cecil Peacock's Indian Sun gets back on the grass May 17 at Hollywood Park, facing five sophomore rivals in the $100,000 Will Rogers Stakes (gr. IIIT) at one mile.
Wed May 14, 7:08 PM
Casino Drive came out of his victory in the Peter Pan (gr. II) May 10 at Belmont Park as effortlessly and professionally as raced in his United States debut. Now, he is ready to tackle the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes (gr. I) June 7.
Wed May 14, 3:38 PM
The California Horse Racing Board has issued an advisory to explain the changing regulatory scheme of anabolic steroids.
Tue May 13, 9:39 PM