Cold weather, short field produce bumps in road to the Kentucky Derby
Saturday's Grade III Withers in New York was pushed back a week because of a weather forecast promising dangerous, sub-zero wind chills.
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Lovely Ride, shown winning the Pippin Stakes in January 2023 at Oaklawn Park, shoots for a repeat win in Saturday's Grade III Bayakoa over the same track. (Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park)
Feb. 3 (UPI) -- What normally would be a hot weekend on the Triple Crown trail hit a few bumps along that Thoroughbred thoroughfare as cold weather forced postponement of one big race and another drew only four horses -- all trained by Bob Baffert.
That leaves the Holy Bull Stakes and the Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park as the top 3-year-old events of the weekend.
Three-year-old fillies also have their chances at Gulfstream, Tampa Bay Downs resumes its stakes program with a pair of turf events and Santa Anita also has graded stakes on both turf and dirt.
On the international scene, Hong Kong has yet another big race Sunday, and the All-Weather Championships in England continue to provide candidates for The Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup programs.
Meanwhile, Punxsutawney Phil, the resident groundhog at Gobblers Knob, Pa., saw his shadow Thursday morning, so we supposedly have six more weeks of winter in store.
As an aside, the groundhog emergence is one of the few U.S. events that brings out Americans wearing top hats, a la the Royal Enclosure at Ascot.
The Road to the Roses
Saturday's $250,000 Grade III Withers at Aqueduct was pushed back a week because of a weather forecast promising dangerous, sub-zero, groundhog-style wind chills.
There were six entries, including the aptly named Arctic Arrogance, a Frosted colt who was second in the Grade II Remsen in December and second again in the Jerome Stakes Jan. 7. Entries for the new date will be taken Wednesday. The race offers 20 "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points to the winner.
Saturday's $250,000 Grade III Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park has a field of eight, all looking for a breakthrough to the big time.
Lacking any other proven top-level talent, this could be a nice step forward for Cyclone Mischief and his Louisville-native trainer, Dale Romans, who is still chasing his first Kentucky Derby win.
Cyclone Mischief has won two of four starts, most recently destroying five rivals in an optional claimer over the Gulfstream dirt with an excellent speed figure. He finished seventh in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club in November, but was beaten less than 3 lengths after disputing the pace.
That race was won by Instant Coffee, who returned to win the Grade III Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds on Jan. 21 and now holds the No. 2 spot on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby".
Algiers, shown winning Round 1 of the Maktoum Challenge in January, takes on Round 2 Friday night in Dubai. (Photo Courtesy of Dubai Racing Club)
Saturday's $125,000 Grade III Claiborne Swale at Gulfstream Park is 7 furlongs and normally attracts horses with sprinting aspirations. Prominent among the six in here is Super Chow, perhaps the best bet of the weekend anywhere.
The Lord Nelson colt has won five of six with his only loss a third in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. He was last seen winning the Limehouse Stakes on New Year's Day.
Two of a Kind won the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont Stakes at Belmont Park in June. The Overanalyze colt was absent after that until finishing a well-beaten third in the Limehouse behind Super Chow and Turbo.
Baffert's horses have dominated 3-year-old races in California for some time now, but Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita takes things to a whole new level.
Baffert trains all four entries in the 1 1/16-mile event. From the rail out, that's Arabian Lion, Newgate, Worcester and Hard to Figure.
Newgate was second in each of his last two starts -- the Grade III Bob Hope at Del Mar and the Grade III Sham at Santa Anita.
Arabian Lion, not to be confused with another Baffert prospect, Arabian Knight, needs a turnaround after finishing second at Keeneland on Breeders' Cup weekend and fifth in the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity.
The others look like filler, but who knows what the crafty trainer has up his sleeve? The morning line: Arabian Lion with John Velazquez up, 7-5; Newgate and Frankie Dettori, 8-5; Worcester with Juan Hernandez, 9-5; Hard to Figure and Ramon Vazquez, 8-1.
Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Kitten's Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park is 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Candidate enters with a three-race winning streak on the line, including the local Dania Beach Stakes on Jan. 7.
Congruent won the Laurel Futurity last year, but has struggled since and finished fourth in the Dania Beach.
Souzak wound up his 2-year-old season in France with three straight wins, but was fifth in the Dania Beach in his U.S. debut for trainer Graham Motion. Major Dude, Boppy O and Lights of Broadway also are major players in a quality field.
The Path to the Oaks
Atomically, winner of two legs of the Florida Sire Series, hasn't been seen since the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland, where she finished a decent seventh.
She returns in Saturday's $125,000 Grade III Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park, a 7-furlongs affair against what looks like an easier crowd.
Red Carpet Ready is 2-for-2 while making her 2023 debut. And there are some imposing maiden winners in the field, including Undervalued Asset from Chad Brown's barn.
Saturday's $100,000, 7-furlongs Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct also fell victim to the weather and was pushed back to Sunday. Five fillies are entered for that.
It's a close call in a tightly bunched field, but Cairo Consort and Stephanie's Charm look to be the favorites in Saturday's $125,000 Grade III Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream Park at 1 1/16 miles on the turf after finishing 1-2 in the local Ginger Brew Stakes on Jan. 7.
While this is on the grass, both have run well on the local all-weather, has have several others in the field. Watch out for Malleymoo in her second U.S. start.
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