Whether you are a dabbling duck or one that takes a deep dive, there is something for everyone as the Downs–Kentucky and Colonial–plus Woodbine Racetrack and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, all feature high-level grass action.

KENTUCKY DOWNS GRADED SIX PACK

The uniquely designed turf course at Kentucky Downs cards the most graded stakes this Saturday, which will lead off with the GIII Ladies Marathon S.

Going 1 5/16ths, look for MGSP Vergara (Noble Mission) to stalk the pace as she returns to the site where she won last year by a head in the Dueling Grounds Oaks. Standing in her way is GSW Personal Best (Tapit) who broke her maiden at last year's meet before going on to face graded company this spring at Gulfstream Park where the homebred won the GIII La Prevoyante S.

With no overwhelming favorite on the morning-line, expect the GII Franklin-Simpson S. to be an all-out war both on the tote and sprinting down the stretch. Playlist (Uncle Mo), making her first stakes start, will look to go on the offensive early versus the boys, but she will have to contend with Sweet Cherry Pie (Twirling Candy), who has never sampled turf, and GSW Mo Stash (Mo Town), who is cutting back for the first time in almost a year.

Playlist | Coady Photography

“I like to run fillies against colts in sprints,” said Playlist's trainer Wesley Ward. “I don't think it makes a big difference. If you look at the times in the 2-year-olds in training sales, the fillies are always faster as a group. I think they can compete against the colts every time.”

Moving right along, the GIII Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. pits GISP and MGSP White Frost (Candy Ride {Arg}) against GSW and 'TDN Rising Star' New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy). After a very solid first half, the former was second in the De La Rose S. Aug. 2 at Saratoga and will face many of those competitors in this spot, while the latter prepped ably by winning this race's preview at Ellis Park Aug. 6.

Back to the speedsters for the GII Turf S. for males, it is going to be a pleasure to see another bout between the top two finishers in Aug. 5 running of the GIII Troy S. at Saratoga. That slugfest upstate saw Cogburn (Not This Time) catch GSW Nobals (Noble Mission {GB}) just before the wire. If this race wasn't tough enough, you will also find 'TDN Rising Star' and Woodbine GII Connaught Cup hero Dream Shake (Twirling Candy) looking to make it three wins in a row.

The GII Ladies Turf S. includes favorite MGSP Bay Storm (Kantharos), as she looks to add to her overall earnings after winning the prep for this race Aug. 5 at Ellis Park, and the experienced GSW and GISP Wakanaka (Ire) (Power {GB}).

Bringing up the graded rear going 12 furlongs will be the $1.7-million GII Turf Cup S., which offers a 'Win and You're In' opportunity into the GI Breeders' Cup Longines Turf. A pair of Brendan Walsh trainees in GSW Verstappen (War Front) and MGISW Santin (Distorted Humor) come calling, but they are going to have to be cognizant of GI United Nations S. victor Therapist (Freud) and GIII Dinner Party S. winner Never Explain (Street Sense).

“I wouldn't completely rule out him going back to dirt again at some point,” Walsh said of Santin. “But he's a heck of a turf horse … he ran a very good second in the Arlington Million. It was a fantastic run. He was up on the pace the whole way and was there to be shot at. And he held in there and ran a really, really good second. I feel he's doing really well coming into here. He got a mile and a quarter at Colonial. I don't see why he wouldn't get a mile and a half. He's a very relaxed horse, maybe a little too laid back if anything.”

KLARAVICH STABLEMATES TRADE BLOWS IN VIRGINIA DERBY

Program Trading | Sarah Andrew

On its closing day Saturday, Colonial Downs hosts the nine-furlong GIII Virginia Derby.

Klaravich Stables has a pair of Chad Brown trainees which pose a major threat to the rest of the field. Activist Investing (GB) (Kingman {GB}) was very sharp at this distance when he cleared the optional claiming ranks Aug. 13 at Saratoga in his lone race this year. He will do battle with GI Saratoga Derby star Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by attempting to relieve his speed-oriented stablemate of his perfect record.

Also present is Salute the Stars (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the Monmouth Park Pegasus S. June 17 and surprise longshot from the Aug. 12 GII Secretariat S. at Colonial, Gigante (Not This Time), who is trying to become the first Virginia-bred to win this race.

WOODBINE'S TURF ACE RETURNS

Not to be missed in the GII Canadian S. for older females is the return of last year's victoress Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutalfan {Ire}), who wired the field last out in the GI Beverly D Aug. 12 at Colonial. She will square off against the top three finishers from the GII Dance Smartly S. Aug. 20 at Woodbine, which includes Miss Dracarys (Malibu Moon).

“Javier [Castellano] and I were flying to Colonial Downs, and we were talking about the race [Beverly D],” said Fev Rover's trainer Mark Casse. “He said, 'There's no speed in this race.' I agreed and told him that she can go right to the lead. The nice thing about her, and Tepin [champion and dual Hall of Fame mare] was the same way, is that a great horse can bring their A-game no matter the situation. So, we went right to the lead, and it was over when that happened.”

Also on the graded docket is the GIII Singspiel S., which returns to 1 1/4 grass distance from two years ago. GSP Malibu Mambo (Point of Entry) could be the hot commodity after a sharp late surge against optional claimers in Toronto Aug. 12, but don't count out GSP Palazzi (Pioneerof the Nile). 

DEL MAR SPORTS LONE GRADED DIRT RACE

Julias Dream | Benoit

The GI Del Mar Debutante S., the only graded dirt race on Saturday, is sure to bring some attention with a capacity field of 14. First-crop sire Flameaway is well represented with 'TDN Rising Star' Julias Dream, who broke her maiden by 5 1/2 lengths over the turf at Del Mar Aug. 6. She will take on the top two finishers from the GIII Sorrento S. Aug. 12, Dreamfyre (Flameaway) and Benedetta (City of Light). The lineup also includes Chatalas (Gun Runner) and Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), who both broke their maidens at first asking in Solana Beach July 30 and Aug. 19, respectively.

It wouldn't be Del Mar's surf without the turf and this year's GII John Mabee S. might be remembered as a match between GII Yellow Ribbon H. wearer Closing Remarks (Vronsky) and MGSW Neige Blanche (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}). Still, no one should overlook trainer Phil D'Amato's offerings. After all, he is looking to edge out Bob Baffert for the training title, and both Oakhurst (Mr Speaker) and GSW Turnerloose (Nyquist) will try to help the cause as the Del Mar meet concludes Sunday with a pair of graded races, the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity and GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf S.

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Jockey Manny Franco sent Plum Ali to the lead out of the gate, a departure from her usual racing position behind horses. The 3-year-old filly set early fractions of :23.77, :49.72, and 1:15.28, a moderate pace that allowed Plum Ali to stay a length ahead of the field of ten others.

Into the stretch, the filly was able to stretch her lead out to three lengths, her moderate early pace ensuring she had plenty left in the tank to hold off the closers. At the wire, she was 3/4 of a length in front of the bunched trio of White Frost, Miss Dracarys, and Gam's Mission. Runaway Rumour, Invincible Gal, Bipartisanship, Flown, Out of Sorts, Quinevere, and Batyah rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles over good turf was 1:45.11. Find this race's chart here. 

Plum Ali paid $11.20, $5.40, and $3.40. White Frost paid $4.40 and $3.60. Miss Dracarys paid $6.20.

The idea was to be forwardly-placed. She ran very well. He [Manny Franco] gave her a great ride. She's been very unlucky and the filly deserved this,” trainer Christophe Clement said after the race. “The idea was to be 1-2-3 and, if possible, on the lead. If anybody took us on, then sit second or third. Nobody took them on and when I saw the 49 and change and 1:15, I knew she was going to be pretty tough. She's a very nice horse.”

“She broke sharp and I let her do her thing. We ended up on the lead and it worked out,” Franco told the NYRA Press Office after the Winter Memories. “After we broke like that, I wasn't thinking to take back. If they wanted to take the lead, they would have to go faster than me. In the second part of the race, they let me slow down the pace and that was it. She handled it really well.

Bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm, Plum Ai is out of the Stroll mare Skipping. She is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Michael J. Caruso. Consigned by Stone Farm, Plum Ali was purchased by Cromwell Bloodstock for $65,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Her win in the Winter Memories is her first in seven starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of four wins in 11 starts.

The post Plum Ali Scores Gate-To-Wire Win In Winter Memories appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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After many years of staying in New York for the Big A winter meet, Alvarado, 34, instead took his tack to Gulfstream Park for their championship meet where he finished sixth in the jockey standings with 53 wins, including seven stakes scores.

“For a long time, I've waited for this opportunity and it felt like the right time, so I took advantage of it and I thought it went better than expected,” Alvarado said. “The first couple of weeks were a little slow, but that was a lot of people getting to know me and trying to figure out the track and knowing when and where to make your move. Things began picking up after that.”

Much of Alvarado's success this winter came on the turf for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. He guided Annex, a sophomore Constitution colt, to stakes scores in the Palm Beach and Cutler Bay as well as capturing the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant with White Frost, a 3-year-old Candy Ride filly.

Both Mott trainees could be contenders this summer in NYRA's lucrative Turf Triple series, implemented in 2019 as the turf equivalent of the Triple Crown, with all legs contested at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

Alvarado also picked up Gulfstream stakes wins with Venezuelan Hug in the Grade 3 Canadian Turf for trainer Danny Gargan; Gray's Fable for Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield in the Grade 3 Kitten's Joy; and Pacific Gale in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie for John Kimmel.

Alvarado's mounts banked more than $2.3 million in earnings at the Gulfstream meet, where he boasted a record of 377-53-75-48 while finishing in the money at a 47 percent clip.

“This is the first year where I've started things off with this much success,” Alvarado said. “Coming back to New York, I've been riding a lot of good horses that I picked up down in Florida. Coming into the spring, I don't know that I've ever had this many good horses lined up, so I am very confident moving forward. It gives me a lot of confidence in the decisions I make in riding.”

Alvarado departed for Florida after a strong fall campaign in New York, notching five stakes wins during the Big A fall meet and six stakes victories during the Belmont fall meet, including Grade 1 scores aboard Dayoutoftheoffice in the Frizette and Gufo in the Belmont Derby Invitational.

On Saturday, Alvarado will have the chance to parlay his South Florida prosperity to the Empire State, with mounts in four of the five graded stakes on a lucrative card.

In the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino, Alvarado will pilot Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Candy Man Rocket, who will try to make amends after an off-the-board effort as the beaten favorite in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 6.

The Mott-trained son of Candy Ride tasted sweet victory in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs on February 6 but did not get the most favorable of runs into the first turn of the Tampa Bay Derby, where he broke awkwardly and was shuffled to mid pack in between horses.

Alvarado, in search of his first Wood Memorial win, will guide Candy Man Rocket from post 7 in a field of 9. He said the outside post in Saturday's nine-furlong event will be beneficial.

“Things just didn't go our way that day,” Alvarado said of the Tampa Bay Derby effort. “There was some bumping going into the first turn and we had to start over and go to the outside. I would draw a line through that race. We have a good post to the outside on Saturday. Hopefully, he breaks well and gets a race similar to what he did in the Sam Davis, when he was in the clear on the outside.”

The Wood Memorial offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers and a good result on Saturday would propel Candy Man Rocket, currently 32nd on the leaderboard with 10 points, into the starting gate on the first Saturday in May.

Alvarado's previous Derby mounts include Mohaymen [4th, 2016], Enticed [14th, 2018] and Tax [14th, 2019].

Alvarado's stakes lineup on Saturday incudes mounts aboard multiple Grade 1-winner Mind Control in the Grade 1, $300,000 Carter [Race 6]; Modernist in the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior [Race 8]; and Mia Martina in the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle [Race 9], which offers 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points. He will also partner Lady Sansa in her North American debut in a turf allowance in Race 7 for trainer Christophe Clement.

Alvarado formally returns to action on Thursday at the Big A, and is named to ride Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Paris Lights in the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff [Race 7]. He also is scheduled aboard Olympique [Race 1], Runabout [Race 2], and Box N Score [Race 6].

The post Junior Alvarado Bringing South Florida Momentum To New York Jockey Colony appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Con Lima, exiting a front-running defeat of Honey Pants (Cairo Prince) in the course-and-distance Ginger Brew S. Jan. 2, hit the ground running and had things very much her own way on the engine, as White Frost settled three back on the fence with about five lengths to find down the backstretch. Racing tightly just to the inside of Tampa maiden winner Domain Expertise (Kitten's Joy) as they hit the half-mile pole, White Frost was full of run, as Junior Alvarado mulled over his options. Held together into the stretch, White Frost was asked to kick leaving the three-sixteenths and it was a telling burst, as she beat Domain Expertise to the punch and reeled in Con Lima with her powerful, long strides.

A distant debut fourth to Zainalarab (War Front) sprinting on the Belmont main track Sept. 18, White Frost improved a couple of spots to finish runner-up in a muddy main-track maiden in Elmont on Halloween. Switched to the turf and two turns for her latest, the dark bay worked out a box-seat trip and went on to best recent Fair Grounds maiden winner Lijana (Hard Spun) by 1 1/4 lengths.

Pedigree Notes:

The 95th stakes winner and 48th graded winner for Candy Ride, White Frost is the second black-type performer for her dam, a dual stakes winner on the New York circuit in the early 2010s for Dogwood Stable and acquired by Gainesway for $170,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. White Frost's third dam was a Grade I winner on turf at nine furlongs for Allen Paulson and Marty Wygod and was a full-sister to Paulson's top turf horse Hap. Their dam, multiple French champion Committed (Hagley), is also the second dam of top turf sire English Channel (Smart Strike). Winter Frost also carries the cross over Storm Cat-line first or second dams that has been responsible for some of Candy Ride's top horses, including Horse of the Year Gun Runner, champion Shared Belief and other Grade I winners Sidney's Candy, Evita Argentina and Mastery, among others. Miss Frost is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Union Rags, a yearling colt by the late Empire Maker and was most recently bred to Frosted.

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
SWEETEST CHANT S.-GIII, $100,000, Gulfstream, 1-30, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:34.45, fm.
1–WHITE FROST, 118, f, 3, by Candy Ride (Arg)
     1st Dam: Miss Frost (MSW, $247,259), by Curlin
     2nd Dam: Allencat, by Storm Cat
     3rd Dam: Pharma, by Theatrical (Ire)
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.
O-Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway
Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado.
$60,140. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $123,920. Werk Nick
Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Con Lima, 120, f, 3, Commissioner–Second Street City, by
Consolidator. ($15,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV; $19,000 RNA Ylg '19
KEESEP; $22,000 RNA 2yo '20 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del
Toro & Troy Johnson; B-Lisa Kuhlmann (TX); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $19,400.
3–Domain Expertise, 118, f, 3, Kitten's Joy–Teroda, by
Limehouse. ($200,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Klaravich Stables,
Inc.; B-J D Stuart, Mueller Farms, Inc. & Kenneth L. & Sarah K.
Ramsey (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $9,700.
Margins: 1, 1, HF. Odds: 4.50, 1.30, 7.60.
Also Ran: Candace O, Honey Pants, Queen of the Green, Director's Cut, Lionessofbrittany.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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The 26th running of the one-mile Sweetest Chant for 3-year-old fillies on the grass was the fourth of five graded-stakes worth $600,000 in purses, immediately preceding the $200,000 Holy Bull (G3), Gulfstream's next step for 3-year-olds on the road to the March 27 Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa (G1).

Ridden by Junior Alvarado for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, White Frost ($11) hit the wire in 1:34.45 over a firm course for her second straight win. The daughter of Candy Ride graduated with a 1 ¼-length maiden special weight triumph Nov. 21 at Aqueduct in her previous start.

“I thought Junior gave her a super ride out of there,” Mott's assistant, Kenny McCarthy said. “I know beforehand, the boss mentioned that maybe [Con Lima] had the speed of the race and maybe [Lionessofbrittany] early, so the plan was to tuck in early on, save some ground and call on her turning for home and see if she had an answer. And, boy, she sure did answer.”

Breaking from Post 5 in the field of eight, Alvarado found himself between horses in the early stages trailing all but two horses through six furlongs as Con Lima, winner of the Ginger Brew Jan. 1 at Gulfstream, ran splits of 24.16 seconds, 48.26 and 1:11.66 pressed by Lionessofbrittany, exiting back-to-back turf sprint victories.

“She broke very sharp. Going into the first turn, things got a little tight, but I had enough filly to hold my spot,” Alvarado said. “I was a passenger the whole way around. I just had to show her where to go and find the room turning for home. After I put her in the clear, she has such a nice turn of foot. It made my job very easy.”

Alvarado was able to weave his way through traffic until finding room at the head of the stretch, tipping out into the opening and setting his sights on Con Lima. White Frost steadily gained ground down the center of the course to reel in Con Lima, who was a length better than Domain Expertise in third, followed by Candace O, Honey Pants, Queen of the Green, Director's Cut and Lionessofbrittany.

“It was pretty exceptional, because they hadn't gone that fast early so you figure everyone's going to be running home a little bit,” McCarthy said. “Once Junior put her in the clear, she really accelerated and showed them a nice clean pair of heels.”

The post White Frost Reels In Con Lima In Sweetest Chant At Gulfstream appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A debut fourth to $1-million KEESEP yearling Zainalarab (War Front) at Belmont Sept. 18, the homebred was a distant second in the slop Oct. 31 before parlaying a perfect, ground-saving trip into a a 1 1/4-length graduation at Aqueduct Nov. 21. The form of that race was franked when runner-up Lijana (Hard Spun) graduated with authority at the Fair Grounds in her next start Jan. 16.

Director's Cut (Exaggerator), a maiden winner and stakes-placed over this course at two, was acquired by Gary Barber late last season, but was a well-beaten fifth to Plum Ali (First Samurai) in the GII Miss Grillo S. Oct. 4. The bay raced with first-time Lasix in a Jan. 10 allowance and sat a very wide trip, finishing 1 1/2 lengths adrift of Mia Martini (Not This Time) while covering an additional 32 feet (about 3 1/2 lengths) in a compact field, according to Trakus.

Con Lima (Commissioner) is also unbeaten in her two tries on the grass, a 5 1/4-length thrashing of a Dec. 12 allowance ahead of a 3 1/4-length defeat of Honey Pants (Cairo Prince) in the local Ginger Brew S. Jan. 2. Both of those successes were achieved in front-running fashion, but rating tactics in a field that appears loaded with speed could go a long way here.

Domain Express (Kitten's Joy) represents the Chad Brown stable, successful in this event each year from 2012-2017, and comes out of a visually impressive four-length maiden victory against decidedly easier at Tampa Dec. 5.

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