What to look at for: Pegasus Turf winner lower back in movement Saturday
While a pair of Kentucky Derby 2019 preps – Saturday’s Louisiana Derby (G2) and Sunday’s Sunland Derby (G3) – will snatch maximum headlines this week, their respective undercards percent quite a punch, too. Here’s what we’ll be watching for: Pegasus Turf winner back in motion Bricks and Mortar has shipped from Chad Brown’s wintry weather base at the Palm Meadows Training Center to Fair Grounds for the Grade 2, $three hundred,000 Muniz Memorial Handicap, a 1 1/8 -mile turf occasion for older horses, as his first begin seeing that prevailing the Jan. 26 Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1). Bricks and Mortar will try to maintain his winning streak going on account of coming back from more than a 14-month layoff in December. He won his first 4 races as a three-year vintage and earned display finishes before placed on the shelf. In his lone begin as a four-year-vintage, he rallied to an allowance non-compulsory claiming victory at Gulfstream, then won the Pegasus over a yielding path. “Ian Brennan at Stonestreet Farm did a exquisite task rehabbing this horse,” Brown said after Bricks and Mortar’s Pegasus win.
“Dr. Larry Bramlage worked in this horse approximately sixteen months in the past while it gave the look that he would possibly have a profession-finishing injury. He fixed him. There turned into a lot of teamwork, several patience. When you cross right into a race this large, take a big gamble – it paid off these days.” Synchrony will repeat his Fair Grounds stakes double from the remaining 12 months’ meet while chasing the identical prize. The Michael Stidham trainee already defended his identity inside the Fair Grounds Handicap (G3), with the Muniz Memorial the alternative 1/2 of that question. And he’ll try to disappointed Bricks and Mortar for a repeat inside the Muniz Memorial. A stable run inside the Muniz Memorial may also place Synchrony heading in the right direction for the Old Forester Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Others of a word within the area consist of the one-finishers of the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3), Inspector Lynley, and Divisidero.
Inspector Lynley has gained more than one Grade 3 race, and Divisidero gained back-to-again editions of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) from 2016-17. His closing victory got here in July’s Arlington Handicap (G3). American Pharoah’s sis makes seasonal debut American Pharoah’s 1/2-sister Chasing Yesterday is in for Sunday’s $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks. The race marks her first, and given that triumphing the Starlet Stakes (G1) on Dec. 8, she picked up 10 factors toward the May three Kentucky Oaks. Sunday’s race offers points on a 50-20-10-5 scale to the primary four finishers, and a win would basically guarantee her a niche at Churchill Downs earlier than the very last round of preps are run. Chasing Yesterday’s plans were modified twice this 12 months. Bob Baffert scratched her from the Feb. 16 Fair Grounds Oaks because of a huge publish, then she neglected the March 10 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) whilst Santa Anita suspended racing. Before Santa Ysabel’s cancellation, Baffert had stated, “I’m excited to see her run. They’re always going to be tough out right here, but proper now, I assume she’s doing higher than she ever has. She’s enhancing. I suppose she’s transferring forward off her 2-year-vintage (season). And that’s the element — you want to peer if there’s any movement.”
Chasing Yesterday is anticipated to be a heavy favored within the Sunland Park Oaks after the Daily Racing Form said a couple of Grade 1 winner Bellafina would scratch and stay home for the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) on April 6. Copper Bullet is looking for the next stakes win—the subject matter of horses being away for greater than a yr continues. Copper Bullet, the 2017 Saratoga Special (G2) winner, went to the sidelines for 15 months earlier than returning to win an allowance on the cease of the Churchill Downs November meet. He subsequently ran 11th inside the Malibu Stakes (G1) on Santa Anita’s commencing day, then rebounded to overlook Coal Front through a neck inside the Razorback Handicap (G3) a month ago at Oaklawn. He’ll make his next start Saturday inside the Grade 2, $four hundred,000 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds, where he’ll face an interesting group of horses seeking out their very own rebound. Lone Sailor broke via in September’s Oklahoma Derby (G3) before walking sixth in both the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Mineshaft Handicap (G3).
Noble Indy, remaining year’s Louisiana Derby (G2) winner, came off the layoff to finish fourth in a Gulfstream optional claiming event ultimate month. Ohio Derby (G3) winner Core Beliefs, who become off the board within the Haskell Invitational (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1), makes his 4-12 months-vintage debut inside the New Orleans Handicap. Mineshaft winner Silver Dust returns searching for his 2nd stakes win, at the same time as Mr. Buff, a New York-bred who these days won the Jazil and Alex M. Robb stakes, ships in to check open organization.
