Jayeff B Stables' Awfully Smart took command in upper stretch and rolled to a 5 1/2-length win in the $300,300 Leonard Richards (gr. IIIT) at Delaware Park Sunday.
Sunday, July 16, 2006Puglisi Stables and Steve Klesaris' Cat Criminal will get his first stakes test in the $300,000 Leonard Richards (gr. III) for 3-year-olds at Delaware Park Sunday.
Friday, July 14, 2006High Cotton rebounded off a dull effort in last month's Arkansas Derby (gr. II) to draw away to the easiest kind of win in the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico May 20.
Saturday, May 20, 2006Put up or shut up; now or never; do or die. You get the picture. With the running of Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and Arkansas Derby (gr. II), we finally will have a good idea who will be in the starting lineup for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Thursday, April 13, 2006While some top 3-year-olds were preparing for Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Barbaro settled into Barn 25 at Keeneland for some quiet relaxation before shipping to Louisville, Ky., for the May 6 Kentucky Derby.
Thursday, April 13, 2006First Samurai was installed as the 8-5 favorite when he drew post position five in the nine-horse field entered for Saturday's 82nd running of the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006Joseph Lacombe Stable's homebred Deputy Glitters seized the lead coming off the far turn and finished full of determination for jockey Jose Lezcano to deal 2-5 favorite Bluegrass Cat a two-length defeat in Saturday's $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III).
Saturday, March 18, 2006Bluegrass Cat, one of trainer Todd Pletcher's leading Triple Crown candidates, makes his second start of the 2006 season at Tampa Bay Downs in the $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) Saturday.
Thursday, March 16, 2006Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Bluegrass Cat tops of group of 36 horses nominated to the $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) that highlights the March 18 Festival Day card at the Florida track.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006Squinting into the morning sun, Nick Zito stood outside his barn mulling over his Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) chances.
Thursday, March 02, 2006What has happened to the Sam F. Davis Stakes? Saturday's race has drawn a field that in the past would have been considered a super field for the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III), for which the Davis has been an obscure prep. Perhaps the presence of so many accomplished horses can be attributed to Gulfstream Park's configuration.
Friday, February 17, 2006Saturday's one-mile Aventura Stakes at Gulfstream provides an interesting look into this year's 3-year-old picture. The 14-horse field is an indication of what a competitive group we have in Florida, and the number of trainers who can't wait to hit the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) trail.
Friday, January 06, 2006