What to watch for: Belated Santa Anita Handicap leads the way
Two of Southern California's top older horses will get their matchup -- finally -- in Saturday's rescheduled edition of the Grade 1, $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap, run for the first time alongside of the Santa Anita Derby (G1).
Having passed on the Dubai World Cup (G1) since March 9, when the Big 'Cap was originally scheduled to run, McKinzie is set to hit the track for the first time since finishing a runner up to the late Battle of Midway in the Feb. 2 San Pasqual Stakes (G2). The fan favorite son of Street Sense, who is a career earner of $1.1 million, will be looking for his fourth win in six starts at Santa Anita.
"McKinzie is doing extremely well," Baffert said over the weekend.
The 6-year-old Gift Box, who is an east coast transplant formerly trained by Chad Brown, burst onto the scene in his first race at Santa Anita in December, winning the San Antonio Stakes (G2) for the new connections of trainer John Sadler and Hronis Racing.
"He's all set to go," Sadler said.
Those two are likely to be joined by Dabster and Sonneteer, among others, in a race where the top choices will be bet down far ahead of the rest.
Santa Anita's other Saturday headliner, the Santa Anita Oaks (G1), will be topped by multiple stakes winner Bellafina.
All-star race card at Aqueduct
With the Wood Memorial (G2) the headliner Saturday, a star-studded undercard is expected too as four other graded stakes races take place, including a rather strong edition of the Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore.
The Grade 1 winner Mind Control leads the seven-furlong jaunt, cutting back from his days on the Derby trail. Two starts back, he won the Jerome at Aqueduct, and last time the son of Stay Thirsty ran second in the Gotham Stakes (G3).
A decision not to run in the Wood was made by connections Steve Brunetti of Red Oak Stable and racing manager Rick Sacco. The Bay Shore could put Mind Control on track to run in the Woody Stephens (G1) on Belmont Stakes day.
"They are comfortable where he's at in his development and looking forward to the rest of the year," trainer Gregg Sacco said of the connections of Mind Control.
Mind Control will more than likely meet Jason Servis trainee Call Paul, a talented 3-year-old colt fresh off a Feb 2 win in the Swale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park, along with Mucho, who won an allowance for Bill Mott to open his season, and the Bob Baffert-trained Much Better, who set the pace in the Gotham.
Servis will also send out World of Trouble on Aqueduct's biggest afternoon, when the 4-year-old Kantharos colt will headline the Grade 1, $400,000 Carter Handicap. A back-to-back victor at Gulfstream Park, World of Trouble came up second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last fall at Churchill Downs.
"I knew we had something special when I first ran him at Tampa [Pasco] as a 2-year-old and he won be 13 [lengths] and was a just a tick off the track record, but he's been really special for us,” said Servis. “He's performed every time out and we're excited to get his spring campaign going in the Carter."
New York Central, Timber Ghost and Todd Pletcher’s Vino Rosso will more than likely join World of Trouble in the seven-furlong race. The 4-year-old Curlin colt Vino Russo is fresh off a bounce-back win in the March 9 Stymie at Aqueduct.
Along with those stakes, Aqueduct will card the Gazelle (G2) for Kentucky Oaks hopefuls with Busher Invitational winner Espresso Shot returning.
Ashland comes up strong
Seven graded stakes races will take place on opening weekend for the spring meet at Keeneland, and beyond the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) the one to watch is the Grade 1, $500,000 Central Bank Ashland.
It should mark a meeting of champion Jaywalk, Grade 1 winner Restless Rider and Chocolate Kisses, who ran fourth in last October's Alcibiades (G1).
“She ran well here last fall and she has confidence coming into the Ashland off a win,” said David Carroll, who is overseeing Casse’s Keeneland string. “She needs pace to run at, and the Honeybee (Grade 3 win at Oaklawn Park) set up real well for her.”
Chocolate Kisses tuned up last Sunday morning by working a half-mile in :50 over a fast track.
The 3-year-old race for fillies was captured last year by eventual Kentucky Oaks winner Monomoy Girl, who became the second horse to win both the Ashland and the Kentucky Oaks in 20 years following Lovely Maria in 2015.
A winner in four of six starts, John Servis trainee Jaywalk, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies to end her 2-year-old season, returned to be defeated in her sophomore debut at Gulfstream Park.
“We didn’t want to her to peak too soon,” John's son, Tyler Servis, said of a fourth place finish in the Dayona Dale Stakes (G2) in March. “She is a light-framed filly like a lot of fillies from the Unbridled’s Song line, and I think the heat in Florida got to her a little bit.”
Along with the features for 3-year-olds, look for champion Shamrock Rose to shorten back up in Saturday's Madison (G1), while New Mexico's star older horse, Runaway Ghost, heads to Kentucky for the Commonwealth (G3).