Each week BloodHorse.com looks forward to the weekend's biggest races. Consider this your weekly guide to the best stakes races in North America. This week we have a trio of big races at Oaklawn Park, a grade 1 at Santa Anita Park, and more. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern) and full previews can be found through the hyperlink for each race.
Saturday, March 18
4:50 p.m.—$125,000 Correction Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Grade 3 winner Hot City Girl returned to the winner's circle last time out Feb. 18 in the Broadway Stakes and the City Zip filly will look to secure back-to-back wins for the first time since late in 2015, when she won the Charles Town Oaks (G3), an allowance at Belmont Park, and the Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel Park in succession.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, March 18, 2017, Race 8Entries: Correction S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Kalabaka (KY) J. D. Acosta 119 Richard A. Violette, Jr. 6/1 2 2Disco Chick (PA) Angel S. Arroyo 121 Mario Serey, Jr. 5/1 3 3Clothes Fall Off (KY) Rajiv Maragh 121 Kiaran P. McLaughlin 2/1 4 4Ultimate Holiday (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 115 Michelle Nevin 10/1 5 5Hot City Girl (NY) Manuel Franco 121 Linda Rice 9/5 6 6Splendid Gold (NY) Rosario Montanez 115 Bruce N. Levine 20/1 7 7Jet Majesty (NY) Cornelio H. Velasquez 117 David Jacobson 15/1
5:10 p.m.—$100,000 Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park
One of five stakes on the Laurel card, the Private Terms for 3-year-olds features impressive last-out Miracle Wood Stakes winner O Dionysus. The Bodemeister colt stalked the pace and pulled away late to win the one-mile test Feb. 18 and will stretch out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the Private Terms.
Laurel Park, Saturday, March 18, 2017, Race 9Entries: Private Terms S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Twisted Tom (NY) Feargal Lynch 118 Chad C. Brown 3/1 2 2High Roller (FL) Trevor McCarthy 116 Dale Capuano 5/1 3 3No More Talk (MD) Victor R. Carrasco 116 Francis Abbott, III 10/1 4 4Dharmaster (KY) Alex Cintron 116 Michael J. Trombetta 8/1 5 5Hashtag Alex (KY) Jorge A. Vargas, Jr. 118 John C. Servis 4/1 6 6O Dionysus (MD) Jevian Toledo 122 Gary Capuano 9/5 7 7Greek Prince (FL) Steve D. Hamilton 116 Georgia D. Andreadakis 15/1
5:21 p.m.—$350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park
Unbeaten in five starts at Oaklawn, Terra Promessa puts her status as the house horse on the line. Outside of her maiden win at Churchill Downs in November of 2015, all of Terra Promessa's wins have come in Arkansas, including her most recent triumph in the Feb. 18 Bayakoa Stakes (G3), when she bested fellow Azeri entrant Power of Snunner in front-running fashion.
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, March 18, 2017, Race 7Entries: Azeri S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Miss Mo Kelly (KY) Channing Hill 119 Paul E. Holthus 20/1 2 2Terra Promessa (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Steven M. Asmussen 3/5 3 3Tiger Moth (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 117 Brad H. Cox 12/1 4 4She Mabee Wild (IN) Jon Kenton Court 117 Mark Danner 20/1 5 5Power of Snunner (PA) Christopher A. Emigh 113 Joe Sharp 8/1 6 6Eskenformoney (KY) Javier Castellano 119 Todd A. Pletcher 3/1 7 7Streamline (IL) Chris Landeros 117 Brian Williamson 10/1
5:39 p.m.—$200,000 Inside Information Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Curlin's Approval will turn back in distance to run in the seven-furlong Inside Information, after she won her first attempt at navigating two turns in the 1 1/16-mile Royal Delta Stakes (G2) Feb. 18 at Gulfstream Park.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 18, 2017, Race 11Entries: Inside Information S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Wheatfield (LA) Edgar S. Prado 121 Danny Pish 20/1 2 2Summer Reading (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 117 James A. Jerkens 20/1 3 3Danessa Again (KY) Emisael Jaramillo 117 Gilberto Zerpa 30/1 4 4Mia Torri (FL) Joel Rosario 121 Jorge Navarro 8/1 5 5Dearest (KY) Edgard J. Zayas 123 Gilberto Zerpa 5/1 6 6Distinta (KY) John R. Velazquez 117 Victor Barboza, Jr. 10/1 7 7Moment of Delight (FL) Paco Lopez 121 David Fawkes 6/1 8 8Curlin's Approval (KY) Luis Saez 123 Martin D. Wolfson 3/5
5:40 p.m.—$100,000 Caesar's Wish Stakes at Laurel Park
Laurel's stakes for 3-year-old fillies Saturday features four undefeated females—Jenda's Agenda, Shacklefords Lady, Sine Wave, and Tickled Pink. Sine Wave and Tickled Pink both won their debuts at Laurel, while Shacklefords Lady is shipping in from Parx Racing, where she won her first two starts, and Jenda's Agenda hails from Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, where she won her first two races.
Laurel Park, Saturday, March 18, 2017, Race 10Entries: Caesar's Wish S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sine Wave (KY) Mychel J. Sanchez 116 Benjamin W. Perkins, Jr. 15/1 2 2Aspen Hilltop (KY) Jevian Toledo 116 Gary C. Contessa 12/1 3 3Tickled Pink (KY) Feargal Lynch 116 H. Graham Motion 8/1 4 4Star Super (KY) Trevor McCarthy 116 Cathal A. Lynch 9/2 5 5Shacklefords Lady (FL) Tyler Conner 116 Michael W. Salvaggio, Jr. 6/1 6 6Crabcakes (MD) Angel R. Rodriguez 116 T. Bernard Houghton 5/1 7 7Forever Liesl (FL) Victor R. Carrasco 116 Michelle Nevin 10/1 8 8Jenda's Agenda (KY) Gabriel Saez 116 J. Larry Jones 7/5
5:57 p.m.—$250,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park
Mor Spirit looks to regain winning form in his third start off the layup in the Essex for trainer Bob Baffert. The grade 1 winner returned from time off with a fourth in the Malibu Stakes (G1) in December, and in his 4-year-old debut finished second by a length to fellow Baffert trainee Hoppertunity in the Feb. 4 San Antonio Stakes (G2).
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, March 18, 2017, Race 8Entries: Essex H.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Shotgun Kowboy (OK) Alex Birzer 117 C. R. Trout 5/1 2 2Mor Spirit (PA) Mike E. Smith 121 Bob Baffert 7/5 3 3Dazzling Gem (KY) Shaun Bridgmohan 116 Brad H. Cox 8/1 4 4Dalmore (FL) Victor Espinoza 116 J. Keith Desormeaux 6/1 5 5Secret Passage (KY) Joseph Rocco, Jr. 113 Donnie K. Von Hemel 15/1 6 6Fear the Cowboy (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 114 Efren Loza, Jr. 20/1 7 7Domain's Rap (IL) Ramon A. Vazquez 116 Federico Villafranco 8/1 8 8Madefromlucky (KY) Javier Castellano 117 Todd A. Pletcher 7/2
7:06 p.m.—$900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park
Trainer Bob Baffert will look to win his seventh Rebel in eight years with American Anthem, who finished a game second to grade 1 winner Gormley in the Sham Stakes (G3), his two turn debut and first stakes try. The Bodemeister colt won his debut at Del Mar in December by a neck going six furlongs.
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, March 18, 2017, Race 10Entries: Rebel S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Silver Bullion (KY) Ramon A. Vazquez 115 D. Wayne Lukas 30/1 2 2Uncontested (KY) Channing Hill 122 Wayne M. Catalano 10/1 3 3Sonneteer (KY) Richard E. Eramia 115 J. Keith Desormeaux 30/1 4 4Petrov (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 115 Ron Moquett 9/2 5 5Untrapped (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 115 Steven M. Asmussen 8/1 6 6Malagacy (KY) Javier Castellano 115 Todd A. Pletcher 4/1 7 7American Anthem (KY) Mike E. Smith 115 Bob Baffert 2/1 8 8Silver Dust (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 115 Randy L. Morse 15/1 9 9Appalachian Gem (KY) Gary L. Stevens 115 Jack C. Van Berg 30/1 10 10Royal Mo (KY) Victor Espinoza 122 John A. Shirreffs 9/2 11 11Lookin At Lee (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 117 Steven M. Asmussen 15/1
7:30 p.m.—$400,000 Santa Margarita Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park
Although all five of her wins have been sprinting, Finest City's form going two has been good enough to further encourage trainer Ian Kruljac to give the versatile 5-year-old options during her 2017 campaign. Now she'll take on Vale Dori, who is seeking her fourth straight graded victory, all around two turns.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, March 18, 2017, Race 9Entries: Santa Margarita S. (G1)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Autumn Flower (KY) Martin A. Pedroza 120 Dan L. Hendricks 20/1 2 2Vale Dori (ARG) Rafael Bejarano 122 Bob Baffert 9/5 3 3Finest City (PA) Tyler Baze 120 Ian Kruljac 8/5 4 4Show Stealer (KY) Kent J. Desormeaux 120 Art Sherman 8/1 5 5Lady Tapit (KY) Mario Gutierrez 120 Peter Eurton 20/1 6 6Perfect Pic (ON) Santiago Gonzalez 120 James M. Cassidy 5/1 7 7Wild At Heart (KY) Flavien Prat 120 Richard E. Mandella 6/1 8 8Estrechada (ARG) Stewart Elliott 120 Mike Puype 15/1
Sunday, March 19
7 p.m.—$75,000 Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita Park
The Sunday feature at Santa Anita is not lacking in storylines. The betting favorite almost surely will be Conquest Farenheit, who impressively won the Baffle Stakes last time out Feb. 20 over the same hillside turf course, but a pair of undefeated horses shipping in from the Southwest—Taxman's Quest and Taco—could be legitimate challengers, along with last-out El Camino Real Derby (G3) winner Zakaroff.
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, March 19, 2017, Race 8Entries: Pasadena S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Big Sky Logan (KY) Corey S. Nakatani 120 Vladimir Cerin 30/1 2 2Taxman's Quest (OK) Flavien Prat 120 Richard E. Mandella 8/1 3 3Ritzy A. P. (KY) Victor Espinoza 120 Dan Blacker 15/1 4 4Ky. Colonel (KY) Mike E. Smith 120 Richard E. Mandella 6/1 5 5Taco (KY) Jesus M. Rios 124 Efren Loza, Jr. 6/1 6 6Cistron (KY) Tyler Baze 122 John W. Sadler 4/1 7 7Monster Man (KY) Rafael Bejarano 120 Scott Hansen 20/1 8 8Conquest Farenheit (KY) Norberto Arroyo, Jr. 120 Peter Miller 5/2 9 9Zakaroff (KY) Joseph Talamo 124 Steven Specht 6/1 10 10Bird Is the Word (KY) Kent J. Desormeaux 120 G. F. Almeida 6/1
