Tag: Racing

Phil D'Amato had a busy Sunday morning as he prepared several of his elite Thoroughbreds for their lucrative engagements in Santa Anita's inaugural 1/ST Saturday  presentation of stakes races on March 5.

D'Amato, one behind Bob Baffert for Santa Anita's training lead, has Count Again ticketed for Saturday's Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf, in which he finished an onrushing third by a half-length last year despite a wide trip.

“He came flying late last year and he's ready to go, second (race) off the bench,” D'Amato said of the 7-year-old Awesome Again gelding, who won the Grade 3 Thunder Road Feb. 5 in his first race since the Del Mar Mile last Aug. 21.

Count Again worked five furlongs Sunday morning on the training track in a bullet 59.20.

“Hopefully, he's locked and loaded,” said D'Amato, who also has Miss Bigley pointed to Saturday's Grade 1 Beholder Mile.

A 6-year-old Gemologist mare who won the Grade 3 Bayakoa at Oaklawn Park Feb. 12, Miss Bigley worked on Sunday.

“She had a good breeze, 59 and change (officially a minute flat for five furlongs) and she's ready to go,” D'Amato said. “Ramon Vasquez, who won the Bayakoa on her, will fly in to ride her in the Beholder.”

Miss Bigley has an 8-4-8 record from 26 starts with earnings of $641,242.

And last but not least, Leggs Galore returns in Saturday's Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes for fillies and mares four and up at a mile on turf.

“She worked five furlongs on the training track in 59.80 this morning at 8:30,” said D'Amato, who also will enter streaking Tony Ann in the Buena Vista.

A gray daughter of Cairo Prince, Tony Ann will be making her stakes debut after three straight overnight victories under Umberto Rispoli.

The post D’Amato Figures To Have Busy 1/ST Saturday With Several Stakes Contenders At Santa Anita appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Grade 2 winner Sail By is scheduled to return to the stable of trainer Leah Gyarmati in the next couple of days, but her 3-year-old debut most likely will not take place until April.

Treadway Racing Stable's homebred daughter of Astern won the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2) in October at Belmont Park and has recorded several works at Hidden Brook South in Ocala, Florida this month. Her most recent start was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), in which she finished 13th, in November at Del Mar.

Gyarmati said the 1 1/16-mile $100,000 Memories of Silver on April 24 at Aqueduct is the target for the filly's return to action.

“We're hoping to have her ready in late April,” Gyarmati said. “It looks like she's been going three-eighths and out a good half. They're really happy with her down there, and the texts I've been getting say she's ready to be back.”

A 28-1 upset winner on debut, Sail By earned black type with placings in the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park and the P. G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga en route to her Miss Grillo score. Her dam is Treadway Racing Stable's winning Johar mare Fly By.

The post Gyarmati Runner Sail By Preparing For April Return appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Following a triumph in the Stymie Stakes Saturday at Aqueduct, Stronach Stables' Green Light Go may have earned himself a start in the $300,000 Carter Handicap (G1) April 9.

The 5-year-old son of Hard Spun earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure from his Stymie coup, where he built on his advantage through every point of call to win by 3 1/4 lengths. He arrived at the one-turn mile off a sharp nine-length romp in a January 13 allowance optional claimer at the same distance and track, where he garnered a career-best 101 Beyer. Both victories were earned in similar front-running fashion for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, who said the horse appears to relish a fast track.

“I think he does, but most of them do,” Jerkens said. “He looks good, and he ate up well this morning. Cutting back to seven furlongs might be all right.”

Green Light Go, who boasts a ledger of 13-5-3-1 and earnings in excess of a half-million, hit the ground running during his juvenile campaign which included a debut victory and a win in the 2019 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) en route to finishing second to Tiz the Law in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

After stints with Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and Michael Doyle, Green Light Go rejoined Jerkens late last summer at Saratoga. He made his first start back for his trainer when a late-closing second in the Fall Highweight Handicap (G3) November 28 at Aqueduct.

“I think he would have won the Fall Highweight if the track was a little faster that day,” Jerkens said. “He really kicked in and got strong when we got him back which was what he needed. When he was three, he couldn't quite handle the workload and the pressure.”

Green Light Go added two stakes-placings to his resume early his 3-year-old year at Gulfstream Park when a distant third in the Swale (G3) and a close second in the Roar Stakes. Jerkens said Green Light Go may have developed a little too quickly during his 2-year-old year.

“He probably came to hand too quickly, some horses do that,” Jerkens said. “He got too nervous and couldn't hold his flush. He's got a big frame to him. When he was three, we took him to Florida. He didn't do as well until the very end and ran in [the Roar]. I still can't believe he got beat that day.”

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