DAY 26 of 57
THURSDAY'S ATTENDANCE 3,500
THURSDAY'S ON-TRACK HANDLE $270,902
THURSDAY'S TOTAL HANDLE $2,848,570
TODAY'S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE Gulfstream Park, 11:35 a.m.; Tampa Bay, 11:35 a.m.; Aqueduct, 12:20 p.m.; Fair Grounds, 1:25 p.m.; Golden Gate, 2:45 p.m.; Penn National, 5 p.m.; Turfway Park, 5:15 p.m.; Delta Downs, 5:40 p.m.; Charles Town, 6 p.m.;Palm Beach (greyhounds), 6 p.m.; Daytona Beach (greyhounds), 6 p.m.; Sam Houston, 7:10 p.m.; Southland (greyhounds), 8:30 p.m.; Los Alamitos, 9 p.m.
THURSDAY'S STARS
Ricardo Santana won two races to increase his season lead in the jockey standings by two victories over Ramon Vazquez. Santana, who has won 30 races in 125 starts, won the sixth race when he rode Jazzy Times to a 3/4-length victory over Operation Stevie. Jazzy Times' winning time in the 6-furlong race was 1:10.37 and paid $5.20. Santana rode Candy Ruby to victory in the eighth race by 2½ lengths over Gordy Florida. Candy Ruby's time in the 6-furlong race was 1:09.27 and paid $6.80.
REBEL BOUND?
Trainer Ron Moquett said Thursday morning that he's leaning toward running Petrov in the $900,000 Rebel Stakes on March 18 at Oaklawn, the final major local prep for the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 15. Petrov, who is owned by Moquett and Rialto Racing Stables, finished second in both starts this year, including Monday's $500,000 Southwest Stakes when he was beaten 3½ lengths by undefeated One Liner at 1 1/16 miles. Moquett said Petrov came out of the race fine physically, but he isn't ready to commit to the 1 1/16-mile Rebel. "He's in charge of him," Moquett said. "If he keeps squealing whenever I do my jogging on him, then he tells me he needs more, we'll go from there. Basically, I just came out of that race hoping that he was happy and healthy and ready to move forward and let him tell me at what level." Petrov, as he did in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 16, chased a loose-on-the-lead Uncontested under Jose Ortiz. Unlike the 1-mile Smarty Jones where Uncontested was a record-setting 5¼-length winner, Petrov was able to collar the front-runner turning for home. He held a length lead in midstretch before One Liner powered to the front on the outside past the eighth pole. "I actually planned on being a little farther back and making my run a little bit later," Moquett said. "But the way the track was playing, I think we did the best thing." Since winning the Smarty Jones and Southwest in 2015 with Far Right, Moquett has finished second to eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the 2015 Arkansas Derby (Far Right), second in the 2016 Southwest (Whitmore), second in the 2016 Rebel (Whitmore), third in the 2016 Arkansas Derby (Whitmore), second in the 2017 Smarty Jones (Petrov) and second in the 2017 Southwest (Petrov). "It's frustrating, all but financially," said Moquett, who also co-owns Whitmore.
LOOKIN READY
Immediately after late-running Lookin At Lee's third-place finish in the Southwest, trainer Steve Asmussen said "100 percent the plan for him (Lookin At Lee) is to stay here and get the races in him." Lookin At Lee, who had been based this winter at Fair Grounds, was making his first start since finishing fourth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita. He was beaten 11¾ lengths by One Liner. "A mile and a sixteenth again next time, I think he'll be better with the race in him," Asmussen said. "He's got a very laid-back demeanor. He's a big, heavy horse. He'll benefit from the race, but he's got a lot of ground to make up."
No Breaking News
Suddenbreakingnews emerged in good order from his sixth-place finish in Monday's eighth race, a stakes-level allowance/optional claimer for older horses at 1 1/16 miles, trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel said Thursday morning. Suddenbreakingnews, a late-running son of Mineshaft, was never a factor in the race and beaten 12 lengths by multiple stakes winner Shotgun Kowboy. "Everything looks fine," Von Hemel said. "I don't think we're running up to snuff, but I think the track was a little tough for his style, too, in that race."
FINAL FURLONG
Balandeen, fifth in the $1 million Delta Jackpot on Nov. 19 at Delta Downs in his last start, will make his 3-year-old debut in the $125,000 Gazebo Stakes on March 4, trainer Chris Hartman said Thursday morning. Also pointing for the 6-furlong Gazebo is Rockshaw, a Jan. 14 entry-level allowance winner for trainer Moquett and owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway. ... Multiple stakes-winning sprinter Recount recorded a 5-furlong bullet work (1:00.60) after the renovation break Thursday morning for trainer Jimmy DiVito.
Sports on 02/24/2017