The Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes on Saturday with the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct Racetrack and Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs both offering qualifying points to the top-four finishers points on a 10-4-2-1 scale toward the first Saturday in May.
Both the Withers and the Sam F. Davis will both be showcased on the NYRA-produced “America's Day at the Races” program along with races from Oaklawn Park and other tracks. Presented by America's Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, the show will air from 2-6:30 p.m. ET on FS2 on February 6.
Racing from Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park, and other tracks will be shown on TVG all weekend as part of their usual comprehensive coverage.
Saturday, Feb. 6
2:36 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park on TVG
La Signare (FR) is slated for a return to Gulfstream Park for Saturday's Suwannee River, and trainer Brendan Walsh couldn't be more pleased to bring the well-traveled 6-year-old mare back to the site of her last stakes win. The French-bred mare captured the Sand Springs last March before clashing with some of the best turf fillies in the country during the rest of a 2020 racing season that concluded with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP020621USA6-EQB.html
3:30 p.m.—$175,000 Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on TVG
A field of 12 older horses are expected for Saturday's 35th running of the Tampa Bay Stakes headed by Sole Volante, last year's Sam F. Davis Stakes winner, and Grade 2-winning 4-year-old colt Fancy Liquor. Sole Volante is trained by Patrick Biancone and will make his seasonal bow having most recently finished sixth in the Tropical Park Derby on Dec. 26. Fancy Liquor is trained by Michael Maker is seeking his first win since taking the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes last September.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/TAM020621USA8-EQB.html
4:03 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
Richard Mandella's impressive recent maiden winner Moonlight d'Oro and Bob Baffert's graded stakes winning Kalypso headline a field of five sophomore fillies going one mile in Saturday's Las Virgenes Stakes, which offers 10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the winner. The 4-5 favorite in her first try at two turns, Moonlight d'Oro pressed the early pace and drew off to a solid three length win going a flat mile on Dec. 13 at Los Alamitos under Flavien Prat, who will ride back in the Las Virgenes. A $620,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Moonlight d'Oro finished a close second as the 3-5 favorite in her five furlong debut last August and was then third, beaten 1 ½ lengths going six furlongs on Nov. 7.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA020621USA3-EQB.html
4:25 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on TVG and FS2
Trainer Todd Pletcher will be packing a one-two punch in pursuit of a fourth Withers victory, sending out maiden-winners Overtook and Donegal Bay, both of which will be making their respective stakes debut. Owned by Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith, Overtook graduated going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 20. The son of Curlin was 10 lengths behind the pace before making a six-wide move around the far turn, making up considerable ground in the stretch to secure a two-length triumph while recording a 70 Beyer Speed Figure.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU020621USA8-EQB.html
4:36 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
In what appears to be a wide-open affair on turf, recent arrival Masteroffoxhounds and well-accomplished California-bred Acclimate figure prominently among six older horses in Saturday's San Marcos Stakes. Originally scheduled to be run Jan. 30, the San Marcos was moved to this Saturday to avoid heavy rains and will be contested for the 69th time. Trained by Richard Baltas, Masteroffoxhounds began his career at age two in Ireland and managed one win from six starts on the Emerald Isle before making his U.S. debut on Nov. 7. A non-threatening seventh in a one-mile turf allowance, Masteroffoxhounds came back win going away by 4 ¼ lengths in a 1 3/8-miles turf allowance Nov. 28.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA020621USA4-EQB.html
4:32 p.m.—$175,000 Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on TVG
Heading the field for the 22nd edition of the Endeavour Stakes are 4-year-old filly New York Girl, an Irish-bred who won her first start in the United States on Dec. 31 at Gulfstream, and Counterparty Risk, a game second in the Lady of Shamrock Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. New York Girl is trained by Mott and will be ridden by Junior Alvarado. Chad Brown conditions Counterparty Risk, who will be ridden by John Velazquez.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/TAM020621USA10-EQB.html
5:02 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on TVG and FS2
Nova Rags, who won the Pasco Stakes on Jan. 16, and Candy Man Rocket, a runaway winner of a maiden special weight sprint on Jan. 9 at Gulfstream, give Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott a formidable pair of contenders in Saturday's Sam F. Davis Stakes. Mott may have rival trainer Todd Pletcher to beat. Pletcher, who has won a record six Sam F. Davis Stakes, will go for No. 7 with Donegal Racing's colt Millean and St. Elias Stables' Known Agenda, who finished third in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on Dec. 5 at Aqueduct.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/TAM020621USA11-EQB.html
6:14 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
A pair of impressive first time maiden winners, Bob Baffert's Concert Tour and Eric Kruljac's The Chosen Vron, head a field of six sophomores going seven furlongs in Saturday's San Vicente Stakes. Under a snug hold early, Concert Tour could not have been any more impressive on Jan. 15, as he drew out to a 3 ½ length win going six furlongs in a manner that suggested he should relish more distance. A California-bred gelding by Vronsky, The Chosen Vron was very quick from the gate in his 6 ½ furlong debut Dec. 27 and he was much the best among nine statebred rivals as the 2-1 favorite, winning off by 6 ¾ lengths under John Velazquez.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA020621USA7-EQB.html
6:46 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG
Fresh off a Grade 2 win sprinting and in the money in 26 out of 40 lifetime starts, Tom Kagele's 7-year-old Hembree heads a field of eight older horses going one mile on turf in Saturday's Thunder Road Stakes. Claimed for $62,500 out of a one turn mile win two starts back on Nov. 19 at Churchill Downs, Hembree rallied for an authoritative three quarter length score going 6 ½ furlongs on turf in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes here on Jan. 1. Trained by Peter Miller, Hembree is a two-time graded winner.
Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA020621USA8-EQB.html
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