Blood-Horse

Without Parole and Weekender to compete in Dubai March 30

Pending approval by the California Horse Racing Board for Santa Anita Park to reopen March 29, several stakes have been rescheduled.

All weeks are eventful, certainly for those of us who follow racing internationally, but it seemed like the past week was particularly eventful.

Colt won a six-furlong maiden March 16 at Wolverhampton

Crystal Racing Enterprises and Contreras Stable's Rated R Superstar returned to the winner's circle March 16, snapping an eight-race losing streak with his first victory of the year in the $350,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park. 

It may have taken five starts for Omaha Beach to break his maiden, but it only took one for the son of War Front to rocket from potential player to key contender on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The cumulative impact of the trip kicked in during the stretch run, as Willis Horton Racing's homebred Long Range Toddy just got up to beat 2-5 favorite Improbable in the final strides.

Under the new agreement between The Stronach Group and Thoroughbred Owners of California, no race-day administration of Lasix will be allowed beginning with foals of 2018.

After an off-the-board finish in her 2019 debut, Naveed Chowhan's America's Tale bounced back in a big way to win the $200,000 Inside Information Stakes (G2) March 16 at Gulfstream Park. 

In a field short on quantity but high on quality, Midnight Bisou impressed March 16 when she took the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park with a strong late move.

Under the new agreement between The Stronach Group and Thoroughbred Owners of California, no race-day administration of Lasix will be allowed beginning with foals of 2018.

W.S. Farish's Code of Honor pleased Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey March 16 while prepping for the $1 million Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1) March 30 at Gulfstream Park.

Ed A. Cox Jr., a Chicago-based grain trader who entered the Thoroughbred world in the 1970s and bred and raced a parade of graded stakes winners, died March 15 in Oak Brook, Ill.

For each Saturday, NTRA and BloodHorse will provide a one-stop guide to the day's top stakes races in North America and beyond. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern). For more detail, click the race name.

Wet track conditions were not what the connections were hoping for, but Gary Barber's War of Will marched on and continued to exhibit excellent work ethic in his final breeze for the $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2).

Neal and Pam Christopherson of Oregon-based Bar C Racing Stables were presented with the 2019 California Diamond Award March 15 for breeding Galilean, the leading California-bred 2-year-old earner of 2018 sold at public auction.

Chief among those questions centered on when the new rules would begin and whether they would apply outside of California. 

Jeff Bloom will be represented by 6-5 program favorite Midnight Bisou in the Azeri and Snapper Sinclair, an early 9-2 choice in the Essex. 

It's all about Oaklawn Park Saturday, March 16, where two divisions of the Rebel (G2) comprise half of an all-stakes pick four.

Juddmonte Farms' Hidden Scroll breezed a half-mile in :50 1/5 the morning of March 15 at Payson Park, receiving a little education in rating while preparing for a scheduled start in the March 30 Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.