Keeneland Spring Meet opens up on Friday
Three weeks of world class racing await fans and bettors as Keeneland Race Course gets underway with the Spring Meet on Friday afternoon. First post for each day of the meet will be at 1:05pm EST each day with racing on a Wednesday through Sunday schedule. Opening Day features the $100,000 Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes while Saturday’s feature event is the $500,000 Grade 1 Ashland Stakes, which drew a competitive field of fourteen runners to go the mile and a sixteenth. Spring in the Air and Spring Venture are back to go against one another after Spring Venture was able to reel in Spring in The Air in the final strides of the OBS Championships at Ocala. Both runners are trained by Mark Casse and both should be big contenders in this spot. Spring in the Air has a big advantage locally, as she’s proven at Keeneland as she won the Grade 1 Alcibiades last fall. Emollient will be looking to rebound after a very disappointing run just last week in the Gulfstream Park Oaks behind the monster that is Dreaming of Julia. Private Ensign was third behind Dreaming of Julia in the Davona Dale and will be making her first start over a synthetic course.
The biggest day on the Keeneland card will be a week from Saturday on April 13th, with three grade 1’s on the card including the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes for three year olds looking to earn their stamp to the Kentucky Derby. Keeneland will race all through April with closing day on the Friday April 26th.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Ashland Stakes
1. Private Ensign
2. Spring In the Air
3. Emollient
Longshot: Magical Moon
BetPTC.com Selections for the Transylvania (Friday)
1. Bambazonski
2. Jack Milton
3. Fire Guard
Longshot: Star Contender
Santa Anita Derby features the West Coast’s Best
The Grade 1 $750,000 Santa Anita Derby is the final stop for West Coast runners looking to stamp their ticket to the Kentucky Derby. Hear the Ghost was the victor of last month’s San Felipe, but he got a good pace setup that day and will have to reel in not only Flashback and Goldencents again, but Super Ninety Nine as well. Super Ninety Nine look to rebound after a struggling fifth in the Rebel Stakes last time out at Oaklawn. He returns to Santa Anita where he’s two for three and has been based at in his career for training. He’ll have to beat stablemate Flashback who was a very game second after doing battle with Goldencents early on in the San Felipe. Flashback likely will have gained some experience from that race and will be ridden by Garrett Gomez for the first time in the Santa Anita Derby.
The Santa Anita Oaks headlines a great undercard of stakes action at Santa Anita that features three other graded events. Beholder looks to hold many of the cards in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks, although Fiftyshadesofhay could be dangerous if Black Witch goes after Beholder early from the inside. Comma To The Top returns to the West Coast after a huge win in the Tom Fool and he could be the one to beat in the Potrero Grande. Unbridled’s Note has been amazing on turf sprinting, but can also run on the main track and could be dangerous in here. The Providencia Stakes features many runners coming out of the China Doll Stakes, including winner Birdlover. Birdlover has been sharp since coming to the states and will face many of the rivals she beat that day.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Santa Anita Derby
1. Flashback
2. Hear The Ghost
3. Tiz a Minister
Longshot: Power Broker
BetPTC.com Selections for the Providencia
1. Magnificent Shirl
2. Birdlover
3. Flashy Ways
Longshot: Scarlet Strike
BetPTC.com Selections for the Potrero Grande
1. Comma To The Top
2. Unbridled’s Note
3. Italian Rules
Longshot: Second City
BetPTC.com Selections for the Thunder Road
1. Fed Biz
2. Willyconker
3. Wilkinson
Longshot: Battle Force
BetPTC.com Selections for the Santa Anita Oaks
1. Beholder
2. Fiftyshadesofhay
3. Could Be Trouble
Longshot: Spellbound
Calder opens up on Saturday afternoon
Racing in South Florida will shift to Calder Race Course on Saturday afternoon as the track gets set for it’s annual Spring/Summer/Fall marathon meeting. Racing will be conducted at 12:50pm EST with race days on Thursdays through Sundays for the first three months, and then dropping Thursdays in July. The biggest card on the season will be run on July 6th with the annual Summit of Speed, which features numerous Graded Stakes races including the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Stakes for older filly sprinters.
Saturday’s feature is the $250,000 Calder Derby which drew some nice horses, including last year’s In Reality Stakes winner at Calder Speak Logistics. Speak Logistics seems to be off the Kentucky Derby trail now, but his last third place effort behind Orb and Violence in the Fountain of Youth. Sr. Quisqueyano has thrown two big duds against tough rivals, but when he’s on his game he can be fast. Plus he’s 6 out of 6 in the exacta at Calder.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Calder Derby
1. Sr. Quisqueyano
2. Speak Logistics
3. Sky Captain
Longshot: Reporting Star
Pimlico Season is underway
Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore got underway on Wednesday and will race for the next two months, with the Preakness Stakes, the second Jewel of the Triple Crown of course the headliner on May 18th. Black Eyed Susan day will be run the day before and both days will feature tons of amazing stakes action. Pimlico will race on a Thursday through Sunday racing schedule with post time at 1:10pm EST on most days.
Saturday Stakes Action at BetPTC.com
Calder
Race 11 Calder Derby 5:25pm EST
Keeneland
Race 9 Ashland Stakes 5:14pm EST
Oaklawn Park
Race 9 Bachelor Stakes 6:09pm EST
Pimlico
Race 7 Mr. Diz Stakes 3:58pm EST
Race 9 Dahlia Stakes 4:55pm EST
Remington Park
Race 11 Mr. Jet Moore Stakes 11:20pm EST
Sam Houston
Race 9 Silstone Stakes 10:28pm EST
Santa Anita
Race 5 Santa Anita Oaks 5:00pm EST
Race 6 Thunder Road Stakes 5:30pm EST
Race 7 Potrero Grande Stakes 6:00pm EST
Race 8 Providencia Stakes 6:30pm EST
Race 9 Santa Anita Derby 7:00pm EST
Sunland Park
Race 5 New Mexico Spring Fling Stakes 4:40pm EST
Race 10 Czaria Stakes 6:47pm EST
Tampa Bay
Race 5 Sophomore Turf Stakes 2:47pm EST
Race 6 Sophomore Fillies Stakes 3:17pm EST
Race 7 Turf Classic Stakes 3:47pm EST
Race 8 Sales Sophomore Stakes 4:15pm EST
Race 9 Distaff Turf Stakes 4:50pm EST
Race 10 Sprint Stakes 5:21pm EST
Turf Paradise
Race 5 Arizona Stallion Stakes 6:02pm EST
Race 8 Wildcat Handicap 7:36pm EST