Friday Morning Notes
– The two best stakes races this weekend are at Colonial Downs on Saturday, where both the Virginia Oaks and the Virginia Derby drew full fields. In the Oaks, Dreaming of Anna, coming off a win at Arlington in the Double Delta Stakes, will try to regain her graded stakes form. The 9-5 morning line favorite, she’ll face Ashland Stakes winner Christmas Kid and trainer Barclay Tagg’s Bit of Whimsy, who finished in a dead heat with Rutherienne after a difficult trip in the Sands Point. In the Derby, Circular Quay tries turf for the first time. “This isn’t necessarily a permanent thing, but we thought it was a good option at this stage. We thought it would be worth taking a shot,” said trainer Todd Pletcher (DRF). Well, Circular Quay does have that late kick … maybe he’ll find that gear more useful on the grass than it’s been on the dirt.
– Street Sense worked a brilliant five furlongs in :57.4 at Churchill on Thursday. “I had him on cruise control,” said rider Calvin Borel. “He’s got so much power to him now it’s just unbelievable” (BRIS). The Kentucky Derby winner is scheduled to start next Saturday in the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga.
– One Hot Wish, the two-year-old daughter of little-known sire Bring the Heat who set a world record winning her debut at Keeneland this April, returns to the track today in Del Mar’s seventh (LA Times). Never mind: One Hot Wish will be scratched (DRF). She may start next Wednesday. Is it just me, or is getting hard to follow horses with all these scratches and retirements lately?
