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American Pharoah’s Waskesiu Makes The Grade In Florida Oaks

Sent off a lukewarm favorite at 5-2, Chiefswood Stable's homebred 3-year-old filly WASKESIU (f, 3, American Pharoah–Finn's Girl, by Bernardini) sat a perfect ground-saving trip just behind the speed, tipped out in the lane and finished determinedly for a maiden stakes success in Saturday's GIII Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs. Winner of her turf debut at Aqeuduct Nov. 18 and a slow-starting third in the Jan. 6 Ginger Brew S., the Ontario-bred took advantage of her low draw in gate four to tuck in at the fence to take the shortest way around the Olsdmar oval as triple-digit longshot A Primera Vista (Competitive Edge) cut out the running through fractions of :23.18 and :47.92. Waskesiu traveled strongly around the turn and was right on the back of the leaders nearing the stretch, just waiting for the gaps to appear. Pointed at daylight with about a furlong and a half to run, Waskesiu knuckled down to deliver her challenge and was along in the final few strides to become a 44th worldwide stakes winner and 26th graded/group winner for American Pharoah. The final time for the mile and a sixteenth was 1:42.04. O/B-Chiefswood Stables Limited (ON); T-Bill Mott.

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Gulfstream Boosts Spring/Summer Purses

Overnight purses for the upcoming Spring/Summer Meet at Gulfstream Park will be increased in all categories from open handicaps to $6,250 claiming races with conditions.

Open handicap purses will rise from $60,000 last season to $74,000; $6,250 claiming races with conditions will jump from $17,000 to $20,000; open allowances will be $10,000 higher than 2023 levels, ranging from $61,000 to $63,000; entry-level allowances for Florida-breds will increase from $43,000 to $48,000; maiden special weight races will increase by $10,000 to $60,000; maiden special weight races for Florida-breds will go up from $40,000 to $48,000; maiden races for $12,500 claimers will get a boost of $6,000 to $25,000; starter allowance purses will increase from $3,000 to $9,000 (from $25,000 to $49,000); and the purse for a $50,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds will jump by $9,000 to $44,000.

“With the increased purses, grass racing, and our workers compensation program, Gulfstream is now the summer place to be,” said Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (FTHA) President Joe Orseno. “We are able to offer better purses and we hope this will encourage trainers and owners to keep horses at Gulfstream Park through the non-championship meet. A big thank you to 1/ST management and the FTHA purse committee for negotiating this competitive purse structure.”

Gulfstream will race four days a week from April to June and three days a week from July to November with turf racing throughout the spring and summer.

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First Mares Bred To Darley’s Cody’s Wish, Proxy Scanned In Foal

New Darley America's stallions, champion Cody's Wish (Curlin) and Proxy (Tapit), have had their first mares scanned in foal.

Among the first mares bred to two-time GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and recent Eclipse Award winner Cody's Wish is Kite Beach (Awesome Again), who is responsible for 'TDN Rising Star' and GII Rachel Alexandra S. victress Tarifa (Bernardini).

Proxy, a homebred son of the versatile Panty Raid (Include) who won the 2022 GI Clark S. and was third in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic, has gotten several mares in foal in his first month of covering, including Bursting in Air (Violence), a half-sister to 12 winners from 13 to race, including Grade III-winning juvenile Exfactor (Exchange Rate) and SW Market Magic (After Market). This is also the female family of top sire Good Magic (Curlin).

Cody's Wish is serving his first book of mares for a fee of $75,000, while Proxy's introductory stud fee is $25,000.

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Oklahoma Training Track To Open Apr. 18

The Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga Race Course will open Thursday, Apr. 18, officials at the New York Racing Association (NYRA), with the barn area opening to licensed trainers and staff from Monday, Apr. 15.

As Saratoga prepares to host the 2024 Belmont Stakes Fesitval June 6-9, the main track will open one month earlier than customary on Monday, May 6.

Due to the ongoing construction at Belmont Park, there will be significant changes to the usual NYRA training schedule. The Belmont main track will remain closed for training through the spring and summer as NYRA reconstructs the dirt surface and both turf courses while finishing the installation of a new one-mile synthetic surface. The Belmont training track, synthetic pony track and a jogging barn will be open for daily training throughout the spring and summer.

In light of the construction, NYRA is waiving all stall rental fees at Saratoga for the spring training season beginning May 6, assuming all trainer accounts are current through the end of 2023.

The spring/summer and fall meets normally scheduled for Belmont Park will be run at Aqueduct, as previously announced.

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