A field of seven three-year-old fillies go post ward for the $250,000 Melair stakes at Hollywood Park. Doinhardtimeagain may go favored off the strength of her 3 1/2 lengths win last out in the Evening Jewel stakes at Santa Anita.
A large field of 14 will contest the $750,000 G3 Illinois Derbyat Hawthorne Race Course. There is no overwhelming favorite although Departing is coming off a third in the Louisiana Derby and has won three of four starts.
A field of 7 runners go postward in the $1,500,000 Grade 2 Charles Town Classic. The big favorite is Game on Dude who is coming off two monster efforts at Santa Anita, most recently having crushed the field in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap.
As we prepare for the new classification system, you’ll start to notice some changes now in reference to the Breeders’ Cup final races. Though none of these changes have any effect for our current competitions taking place in April, they will eventually play a role in our point system.
This one-time $1,000 claimer ended up becoming one of the greatest horses in American racing history, winning such renown stakes races as the Saratoga Special, the Carter Handicap, the Brooklyn Derby, the Saratoga Handicap, and the Empire City Handicap. Roamer won stakes races between 1913 and 1918, racing 98 times while crossing the finish line first in 39 races.
The $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes will consist of a crowded field of 14 runners. The race will be contested at Keeneland over the polytrack surface on Saturday.
Yesterday we published the new 132.9 restricted blue trainer tournament category. I think they will become very popular very fast. The tournaments are open with the same variety of conditions the other blue restricted trainer tournaments have.
The $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park features a group of ten 3-year-olds led by Overanalyze who won the G2 Remsen last fall but ran a mediocre race in his 3-year old debut, Oxbow who won the G3 Lecomte in January, and War Academy, who is making just his fourth career start, but won an allowance race last out so impressive
Today, one of the most successful American Thoroughbred champion race horses, Challedon, has been placed in the breeding shed. The winner of such nostalgic races as the Preakness Stakes, the Whitney Stakes, the Hollywood Gold Cup, Pimlico Special and Arlington Classic, Challedon earned the title of U.S. Champion Handicap Horse two years straight – 1939 and 1940.
We’re hoping by Thursday to release the new 132.9 BSR Blue Trainer Tournaments.
On another note, we have completed all the documentation to make the necessary adjustments in our current classification system. We’re still targeting the first week of May when we switch over. Hopefully we will be able to keep that schedule.
The $1,000,000 Wood Memorial Saturday at Aqueduct is headed by undefeated Verrazano who won the G3 Tampa Bay Derby with a triple digit speed figure, and Vyjack who is also undefeated having taken the G3 Gotham last out easily.
The Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday features a field of 9 runners headed by Flashback, the RB Lewis winner and Hear the Ghost who edged out Flashback last out in the San Felipe. Tiz a Minister got third in the San Felipe and made a nice charge late which he'll have to duplicate.
You might not know him by name, but Devil Diver is considered one of the top 100 Thoroughbred race horses ever. Born in 1939, Devil Diver made his first mark in beating the world champion Whirlaway. Devil Diver won many championship races including the Hopeful Stakes, the Brooklyn Handicap, the Whitney Stakes, the Manhattan Handicap and the Carter Handicap.
The $1,000,000 Grade 1 Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream on Saturday consists of 10 talented runners headed by the Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion Shanghai Bobby and his rival who bested him last out in the Holy Bull, Itsmyluckyday.
The $1,000,000 Grade 2 Louisiana Derby Saturday at Fairgrounds features a cast of 14 Kentucky Derby hopefuls led by the talented Revolutionary. He got up to win the Withers (G3) last time out despite having some traffic trouble in the stretch.
