Horse Racing News

Juddmonte Farms' Close Hatches successfully passed the stakes test on Saturday when holding off Princess of Sylmar to take the Grade 2, $250,000 Gazelle.

Beholder was in a race of her own, turning in a dominant performance to easily win the April 6 Santa Anita Oaks, her third grade I score at Santa Anita Park.

Juddmonte Farms homebred Emollient established a clear lead early and then opened up on her dozen rivals in the stretch to register an easy victory in the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland Stakes.

David Blethen's Withgreatpleasure grabbed the lead turning for home and held on for a three-quarter victory April 6 in the Ruffian Handicap to kick off the stakes action on Wood Memorial Stakes day at Aqueduct.

Hear the Ghost, one of the favorites for the upcoming $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, is off the Triple Crown trail after he was detected to be slightly lame during a morning jog April 4 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Champion 2-year-old filly of 2012 Beholder drew the outside post of six who will contest the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks April 6 at Santa Anita Park.

Millionaire and seven-time stakes winner Comma to the Top heads a field of eight sprinters signed up to face the starter in the $150,000 Potrero Grande Stakes at Santa Anita Park April 6.

Winner of the Grade 1 Alcibiades last October, Spring in the Air will return to Keeneland's Polytrack for Saturday's Grade 1 Ashland.

The juggernaut that is the Todd Pletcher stable, victorious in five graded stakes last weekend, will be no less prominent on Wood Memorial Day at Aqueduct on Saturday.

All the buzz April 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack will be about two of racing's unbeaten 3-year-olds, Verrazano and Vyjack, who attempt to take that final step on the long road to the Kentucky Derby when they face off in the $1 million Wood Memorial.