Author Archives
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Old Mexico Pulls Off Apple Blossom Shocker
It’s safe to say that no one saw this coming. In the running of the $1,250.000 Apple Blossom Handicap from OP, Old Mexico would go off as a 31/1 longshot, and would not be picked by anyone in the Pick ‘em, not even by her own trainer if he had participated.
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Heeza Dime Earns Wire-to-Wire Fleet Sprint Handicap Win
Asgar picked up Heeza Dime last September in the auction, and while the horse had been successful for his prior connections, he was never given the opportunity to run at the graded level. He’d get that chance in his last start, and while he ran well, he came home empty handed.
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Oh Brother! Spankys Barn Is Electric in Makers Mark Mile
Spankys Barn might not have been too thrilled when he saw the post draw for the Makers Mark Mile, but the trainer was not going to let that get in the way of his plans. He brought two horses that had run in the BC Mile last fall, but while he was certainly hoping for it, he was likely not expecting the eventual result.
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Starting Over Faces Big Weight Disadvantage in The Apple Blossom Handicap
Outside of the races that are meaningful for the KYD, the Apple Blossom Handicap may be the biggest race that is held at OP. It attracts some of the best female horses every year, and offers a large purse for them. In 2024, that purse saw an additional increase, to the present $1,250.000 level and that is what it will be again.
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Heeza Dime Looks Appealing in Fleet Sprint Handicap
OP will give us two exciting races to keep an eye on Saturday, with one of them being the 20th running of the Fleet Sprint Handicap. This race has been a Grade 3 since inception, but has seen it’s purse climb from $100.000 initially to the present $500.000, which began in 2020.
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Makers Mark Mile Isn’t a BC Race, It Just Looks Like One
Last year in the Makers Mark Mile, the rain came and left us with soft turf. It would not dampen the action on the track, as a close finish saw Jacks Courage and King Luka finish in a dead heat. Now, a little more has been added to purse, up by $50.000 to $650.000, and an attractive field of twelve will be taking part.
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Mb Stables Wins Another Derby Prep: This Time SA Derby with The Golden Age
After winning the BG Stakes, there was more work to be done for Mb Stables out west in the SA Derby, as the trainer had three entered in the SA Derby. In the end, he would see one of his horses, The Golden Age, pick up the win, giving him five horses in the top nine of the KYD leaderboard.
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An Impressive Wire To Wire Win In BG Stakes For Obi Wan
Chalk up another one for Mb Stables! If the game allowed it, Mb Stables could just about fill up half the starting gate for the KYD, with Obi Wan becoming the next one to get a big win in a prep, doing so in the BG Stakes. Obi Wan was the runner up in the BC Juvenile last fall, but was on the bubble of making the field coming into the BG Stakes, but with this win, he would clinch a spot in the KYD if he were in any other stable.
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Big Blue Brilliantly Stretches Out and Wins Transylvania Stakes
A big turf race took place on Friday in the running of the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes at KEE, and some rain came in to affect the track just enough for it to be downgraded to “good” status. That would not be a problem for Big Blue, a horse that ran in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint last fall, and was stretching out for the first time.
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Large Purse And 100 Points On The Line In BG Stakes
If you add together the purses for the other two KYD preps on Saturday, the Wood Memorial and the SA Derby, you get $1,250.000. That would also be the purse amount for the BG Stakes, by itself. KEE is certainly doing something right by increasing their purses, a stark contrast from SA, who lowered theirs for 2025.