Bet to win.
Carlisle 2.55 Uncle Alistair – win bet.
Chepstow 4.45 Judex Lefou – win bet.
Month: March 2022
Barber Road ‘Nice And Easy’ In Oaklawn Breeze
Barber Road moved closer to a scheduled start in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 2 with a half-mile work over a fast track Saturday morning at Oaklawn.
Breezing immediately following the surface renovation break, Barber Road covered the distance in :48.20 under exercise rider Elexander Aguilar. Clockers caught Barber Road in :25 for his opening quarter and galloping out five furlongs in 1:01 and six furlongs in 1:14.80.
Barber Road, on the outside, breezed with stablemate Greatheart, a 3-year-old Empire Maker colt who is winless in two career starts. Both horses worked from the half-mile pole to the regular finish line. Greatheart also was credited with a half-mile in :48.20.
Barber Road, who races for former Walmart executive William Simon, was breezing for the first time since finishing third, beaten a half-length, in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26. The Rebel was Oaklawn's final major prep for the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby.
“Today, we were just doing a little maintenance half-mile in company to keep him fresh and on his toes,” trainer John Ortiz said. “We were trying to see a better gallop out, just something really strong after the wire. So, he went nice and steady. I got him in :48 and change and like a minute galloping out, so that's kind of what I wanted to see. He looked a lot more fresh. He's been acting fresher and I'm hoping that's going to be the key to get him a little quicker out of the gate, get him a little bit closer to the lead.”
The consistent Barber Road finished second in Oaklawn's first two Kentucky Derby points races –Smarty Jones Stakes at 1 mile Jan. 1 and Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 29 – and has never been worse than fourth in seven career starts. Barber Road ranks 12th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points, according to Churchill Downs. A top four finish in the Arkansas Derby likely would secure Barber Road a spot in the Kentucky Derby, which is limited to 20 starters.
Ortiz said Barber Road will have his final work for the Arkansas Derby March 26.
Nominations to the Arkansas Derby closed Friday, with post positions to be drawn March 27. The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points (100-40-20-10, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.
Other horses pointing for the Arkansas Derby include star filly Secret Oath for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Un Ojo (Ricky Courville), Chasing Time (Steve Asmussen), We the People (Rodolphe Brisset) and Cyberknife (Brad Cox).
The post Barber Road ‘Nice And Easy’ In Oaklawn Breeze appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Wayne Spalding, Owner Of Grade 1 Winner Bullards Alley, Passes After Battle With Cancer
Longtime Thoroughbred owner Wayne Spalding passed away at age 56 on Thursday, following a long battle with cancer.
Along with his childhood best friend Faron McCubbins, Spalding is best known as the owner of the Grade 1-winning turf horse Bullards Alley. Spalding purchased the gelding from the Fasig-Tipton Summer Selected Horses of Racing Age sale in 2014, paying $11,000 for the son of Flower Alley.
Over the next four years, the bargain-priced Bullards Alley would take his owners on a thrilling ride through multiple graded stakes victories and even a trip to the Breeders' Cup World Championships in 2017. Bullards Alley won the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International at odds of 42-1 by a record-setting 10 3/4 lengths earlier that year, and finished sixth in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar.
“It just blew my mind,” Spalding told Woodbine publicity after Bullards' romp in the Canadian International. “I never believed he would run that good, but he's got the heart to do it, he just hasn't got a break here lately and he finally got one.”
Bullards Alley won six of 40 career starts and had three stakes wins, earning $928,622. The gelding had to be euthanized in 2018 when he suffered a hind leg fracture during the running of the G2 Elkhorn at Keeneland.
Among Spalding's other top horses were six-figure earners Fun Paddy, Dark Arden, and Lilleandra.
“Wayne would do anything to help someone out,” said Spalding's longtime trainer and friend, Tim Glyshaw. “I will always be thankful for the memories of his horse Bullards Alley winning the Canadian International by 10-plus lengths. We lost a great owner.”
Read more about Bullards Alley in this 2016 feature, following his first graded stakes win.
The post Wayne Spalding, Owner Of Grade 1 Winner Bullards Alley, Passes After Battle With Cancer appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Simplification, Smile Happy Highlight Saturday Gulfstream Worktab
Tami Bobo's Simplification (Not This Time) returned to the Gulfstream Park worktab Saturday morning for the first time since scoring a dominant 3 1/2-length victory in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5 in Hallandale. The Antonio Sano trainee breezed five furlongs in 1:01.81 (15/28) under jockey Jose Ortiz before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.85.
“It was a very good work. The horse worked in hand. He went very easy,” Sano said. “The gallop was good. The horse came back very good. That's what's important for me.”
Simplification rated well off the early pace before making a sweeping move to the lead and drawing away with authority to capture the Fountain of Youth. In the Feb. 5 GIII Holy Bull S., the Florida-bred colt, who had won the Jan. 1 Mucho Macho Man in frontrunning style, broke last from the starting gate and was caught wide throughout before rallying to finish second behind loose-on-the-lead White Abarrio (Race Day).
Trainer Kenny McPeek sent Lucky Seven Stable's Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect) to the Gulfstream track to breeze in company following the break Saturday morning. Rattle N Roll on the inside and Smile Happy on the outside were credited with a joint bullet workout after breezing five furlongs in 58.81 (1/28).
“They worked super. They both needed a steady one and they both zipped along,” McPeek said. “I was really pleased with both of them.”
McPeek said he hadn't yet chosen between the GI Florida Derby and the Apr. 9 GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland for Smile Happy's next start. Rattle N Roll, who finished fifth in the Fountain of Youth, is being pointed to next Saturday's GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.
Smile Happy closed to be second behind pacesetting Epicenter (Not This Time) in the Feb. 19 GII Risen Star S. in his 2022 debut after winning both of his races, including the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs, in 2021.
OGMA Investments and Jack Hardin Towell Jr.'s O Captain (Carpe Diem), who closed from last to finish third in the Fountain of Youth at 87-1, breezed five furlongs at Gulfstream in 1:01.14 (11/28) Saturday morning. The Gustavo Delgado pupil, who broke his maiden at first asking and finished third in the Limehouse S. in his two prior starts, is being pointed to the Florida Derby.
The post Simplification, Smile Happy Highlight Saturday Gulfstream Worktab appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
