The road to Louisville gets tougher to navigate Feb. 16, when the Risen Star Stakes presented By Lamarque Ford (G2) and the Rachel Alexandra (G2) highlight a six-stakes card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
The Japanese Road to the Kentucky Derby returns to Tokyo Racecourse Feb. 17 with a filly looking to regain her lead in the points standings.
Because of waning relevance and interest, for 2019 The Jockey Club ceased publishing its Top 2-Year-Old Rankings.
Colt out of Blue Chicory was born at Swifty Farms and bred by Wayne Spaulding.
The one-mile dirt race at Tokyo Racecourse also is Japan's first grade 1 of the year.
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Best Bet: </b>P L LESTER (3rd)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Spot Play: </b>TWIN B SPEEDO (12th)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>MEET STATS: 38 - 103 / $197.00 (-$9.00)</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BEST BETS: 6 - 9 / $18.70 (+$0.70)</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Race 1</b></p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/yonkers-monday-218-analysis-0" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Best Bet: </b>LETS HAVE ANOTHER (2nd)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Spot Play: </b>JENKINS CREEK (4th)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Race 1 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Five Pool</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>PICK 5: 3,4,9/3/6/1,9/2,4,5,6,10 = $6</b></p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/woodbine-mohawk-park-monday-218-analysis" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
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David Aragona </div>
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<p><strong>Race 4: Becca Takes Charge (#8)</strong><br />
Could play out as one of the primary speeds in a race lacking a confirmed front-runner.<br />
Should appreciate the stretch-out in distance as a daughter of Will Take Charge from a versatile damside family.<br />
DRF Formulator Fact: Over the past five years, Linda Rice is 10 for 25 (40 percent, $2.60 ROI) with maidens going from sprints to dirt routes in their second starts.<br />
3-1 on ML</p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/timeformus-aqueduct-horses-focus-saturday-feb-16-2019" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
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Steve Andersen </div>
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<p>Two stakes at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan on Sunday – the Grade 1 February Stakes for older horses and the Hyacinth Stakes for 3-year-olds – could produce runners for two of the biggest races in the United States later this year.</p>
<p>The winner of the $1.76 million February Stakes at a mile will receive a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 2, if nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program.</p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/tokyo-holds-qualifiers-bc-classic-ky-derby-sunday" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
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Marcus Hersh </div>
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<p>NEW ORLEANS – Champion filly Monomoy Girl will have her first workout of 2019 Sunday at Fair Grounds – or at least something close to it.</p>
<p>Monomoy Girl has advanced enough in her daily gallops here that trainer Brad Cox said he’ll train her at a two-minute-lick pace Sunday morning. Whether Monomoy Girl goes fast enough to make the official work tab is uncertain, Cox said. If she doesn’t, she’s likely to post her first timed work of 2019 the following weekend.</p>
<p>“She looks fantastic,” Cox said.</p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/preview/monomoy-girl-picks-pace" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
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Marcus Hersh </div>
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<p>NEW ORLEANS – The 3-year-old filly Grandaria, third, beaten six lengths as the 3-2 favorite last month at Fair Grounds in the Silverbulletday Stakes, is out of training for 60 to 90 days, according to trainer Brendan Walsh.</p>
<p>“It’s not a major issue at all, but she’ll need to go and have a job done,” said Walsh, who expects Grandaria to rejoin his stable in Kentucky this spring.</p>
<p>Grandaria won a Churchill maiden race and a Fair Grounds allowance race in successive starts late last year.</p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/preview/grandaria-sidelined-honorable-duty-retired" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
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Marcus Hersh </div>
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<p>NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Dallas Stewart seriously believes Seeking the Soul can get 1 ¼ miles and win the $12 million Dubai World Cup on March 30, but there was nothing especially serious about Seeking the Soul’s half-mile workout Friday morning at Fair Grounds.</p>
<p>“Just maintenance,” said Stewart, who trains Seeking the Soul for owner Chuck Fipke.</p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/preview/seeking-soul-training-strongly-dubai-world-cup" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
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Mary Rampellini </div>
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<p>HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Keith Desormeaux will attempt to win the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn for the second year in a row Monday when he sends out Sueno in the points race for the Kentucky Derby.</p>
<p>My Boy Jack captured the Southwest a year ago with authority, closing for a 4 1/2-length win at 8-1.</p>
<p>“That was an exciting day last year,” Desormeaux said. “It was a great stepping-stone for an exciting year, and hopefully Sueno can follow in My Boy Jack’s footsteps.”</p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/preview/desormeaux-hopes-double-southwest-stakes-sueno" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
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Mary Rampellini </div>
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<p>HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Whitmore is gearing up for another season at Oaklawn Park, where he has won the past two runnings of the Grade 3, $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap.</p>
<p>“Our ultimate goal at Oaklawn is the Count Fleet, and he’ll have an out before then,” said trainer Ron Moquett. “It will probably be like last year, in the Hot Springs.”</p>
<p>Whitmore won that race a year ago at Oaklawn. The 2019 renewal of the $150,000 race at six furlongs is March 9.</p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/preview/whitmore-gearing-hot-springs-stakes" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
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David Grening </div>
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<p>OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It may be advisable to wait until scratch time to handicap Sunday’s $100,000 Haynesfield Stakes at Aqueduct.</p>
<p>Honor Up and Syndergaard, two of the leading contenders in the one-mile Haynesfield, also were entered in Monday’s $100,000 Hollie Hughes Stakes, run at six furlongs. As the Hollie Hughes drew a field of 10 and the Haynesfield attracted only six, it is likely that Honor Up and Syndergaard – the 1-2 finishers in the seven-furlong Say Florida Sandy on Jan. 12 – stay in the Haynesfield.</p><p><a href="http://classic.drf.com/news/preview/honor-syndergaard-get-rematch-haynesfield-stakes" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
The Jockey Club announced Friday that it has discontinued its Top 2-Year-Old Rankings, also known as the Experimental Free Handicap, for 2019. It cited “waning relevance and interest.” The Experimental Free Handicap, based on England’s Free Handicap ranking, was first published in 1933 as a hypothetical ranking of 2-year-olds at the distance of 1 1/16 miles. It was typically released in late January or early February of that crop’s 3-year-old season. A release from The Jockey Club noted that seven of the 13 Triple Crown winners were ranked at the top of their crop’s Experimental Free Handicap.
A week after owner Del Secco DCS Racing and trainer Jeff Bonde upset the San Vicente Stakes (G2) with Sparky Ville, the connections will look to score another important 3-year-old stakes Feb. 16, but this time in Northern California.
The amazing win streak of Australian supermare Winx could reach a round number Feb. 16 when she starts in the Apollo Stakes (G2).
The fact many breeders appear to be belt-tightening or bowing out has inadvertently created a shaft of light through the storm clouds for those who are persevering in their efforts to profit from producing horses this year.
Dual-classic winner and racing Hall of Famer Silver Charm will turn 25 on Feb. 22 at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement facility near Georgetown, KY.
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