Trainer Nick Zito knew Ice Box was a much better horse than his fifth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth indicated. He proved that point Saturday at Gulfstream Park when Ice Box rallied from last and outfinished fellow longshot Pleasant Prince by a nose to capture the $750,000 Florida Derby and in the process earn […]
[ Read More ]Trainer Todd Pletcher showed off the strength of his Kentucky Derby hand in the days leading up to Saturday’s $750,000 Florida Derby when he reshuffled the deck and withdrew one of his aces yet still had another left to play in the marquee event of the Gulfstream Park meeting. The Grade 1 Florida Derby highlights […]
[ Read More ]At the quarter pole, Odysseus appeared to have no chance to win Saturday’s $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby. Even at the wire, it looked like his frantic final surge had fallen short of catching Schoolyard Dreams. But the photo finish camera indicated otherwise with Odysseus eeking out a nose victory. Odysseus, a son of Malibu Moon […]
[ Read More ]Todd Pletcher may be saving his best for last. The four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, who has already dominated 3-year-old stakes action in 2010, has waited nearly two and a half months to unleash another one of his top guns. WinStar Farm’s Super Saver, romping winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) in his […]
[ Read More ]Going into the Feb.13 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita much of the focus centered on the speed of the race. Two sons of Tiznow-Tiz Chrome and American Lion-seemed the logical selections on paper but as often happens on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface, two speed types don’t do each other any favors. Good riders […]
[ Read More ]Despite losing by less than two lengths in his first stakes try, Drosselmeyer seems to have fallen off the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) radar of many. Winstar Farm’s racing manager Elliott Walden thinks it could be a mistake to forget about the son of Distorted Humor . “We like him as […]
[ Read More ]Fasig-Tipton’s Calder select 2-year-old sale opened Tuesday with a $2.3 million session leader, returning some sizzle and excitement to the select juvenile market. The sale leader was Hip No. 218, a Distorted Humor colt out of Grade 1 winner Tomisue’s Delight, a full sister to 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft. He is a half-brother […]
[ Read More ]Hall of Famer Bill Mott is a turf trainer. Tom Amoss is a high-percentage, high-volume claiming trainer. Or so the stereotyping goes. Dumbed-down shorthand notwithstanding, it is true that neither Mott nor Amoss typically travels down the Kentucky Derby trail. Mott has gotten six Derby starters to the gate, to no great effect. Amoss has […]
[ Read More ]A flashy Tiznow colt sparked a spirited bidding battle early in the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. February select sale of 2-year-olds in training. And when it ended Feb. 16 in Central Florida, his price of $475,000 had passed the sale-topping amount of $340,000 at the 2009 edition of the auction. Chuck and Maribeth Sandford purchased […]
[ Read More ]http://derby.winstarfarm.com With only thirteen weeks left until the first Saturday in May, WinStar Farm is hosting a Fantasy contest for the 2010 Derby Trail, a free game that gives participants the chance to manage their own stable of Kentucky Derby Hopefuls and be eligible to win some very exciting prizes. Each player will draft […]
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