Headed by 2-year-old champion male Hansen, 397 horses were nominated to the Triple Crown series before the Jan. 21 early nomination deadline, representing a 9.1% increase over the 364 during the 2011 early nominating period.
Ultimate Eagle, a grade I winner on turf making his first start on dirt, won for fun in the $200,000 Strub Stakes (gr. II) at odds of 7-1 Feb. 4 at Santa Anita.
Mr. Prankster emphatically answered the two-turn question Feb. 4, closing strongly and drawing off to win the one-mile WEBN Stakes at Turfway Park by 7 1/2 lengths.
Pin Oak Stable's Alternation earned the Oaklawn stakes victory that eluded him last year when he authoritatively captured the $100,000 Essex Handicap Feb. 4.
Off for five months and making his first start around two turns, I'll Have Another produced an easy upset victory at odds of 43-1 in the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Feb. 4.
Just as he did when winning the Count Fleet Stakes a month earlier, Alpha easily defeated an overmatched field to take the $200,000 Withers (gr. III) by 3 1/4 lengths Feb. 4 at Aqueduct.
Battle Hardened, given a patient ride by Julien Leparoux, earned the first win of his career when he defeated a big field in the $200,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) at Tampa Bay Downs.
After posting a rare gain in December, wagering on North American racing took a small step backward in January, with total handle from all sources down 1.1% from January 2011.
David Wells, the trainer of record-setting horse Rapid Redux, donated items of Rapid Redux to the R.A.C.E. Fund organization to be auctioned off to help raise funds for racehorse retirement and rehabilitation.
Odds-on favorite Zagora, off for nearly five months, was razor sharp in her return Feb. 4 at Tampa Bay Downs, taking over at the top of the stretch en route to winning the $150,000 Endeavour Stakes (gr. IIIT).
A sortable list of all 397 horses nominated to the 2012 Triple Crown.
Mr. Commons took a big step on what his connections hope will be a special campaign when he rallied from off the pace to win the $150,000 Arcadia Stakes (gr. II) on turf Feb. 4, his second graded win of the Santa Anita meet.
Norfolk Stakes (gr. I) winner Creative Cause, prepping for his expected 3-year-old debut in the upcoming San Vicente Stakes (gr. II), worked six furlongs handily on the Hollywood Park Cushion Track Feb. 4 in 1:13 4/5.
Mike Repole's Calibrachoa made it a perfect 4-for-4 over the Aqueduct inner track, as he ran down longshot Diski Dance at the top of the stretch to win the $150,000 Toboggan (gr. III) for the second consecutive year.
Force Freeze continued to impress trainer Peter Walder Feb. 4 while preparing for a scheduled start in the Gulfstream Park Sprint (gr. II) in two weeks.
Janice and Scott Jordan's Breakaway Farm Grows With Indiana.
The first foal by Orthodox, a bay filly out of the Menifee mare Flippin' Temper, arrived Feb. 3 at Lora Pitre's Peach Lane Farm in Louisiana.
A stress fracture is a stress fracture, regardless of its location, right? Well, not necessarily; in some cases, a fracture's location in a bone could have implications for whether the horse will return to his previous level of work or whether his career will be cut short. A research team recently examined whether the location of a stress fracture wit...
Calder Casino & Race Course has released a stakes schedule for 2012 that includes the return of the Calder Derby and Oaks after a one-year absence from the calendar.
