Horse Racing News

Pure Fun, winner of the Hollywood Starlet in December, gets her 2013 campaign started in the $100,000 Fathead Bourbonette Oaks as the 8-5 favorite in a field of a dozen 3-year-old fillies March 23 at Turfway Park.

Calidoscopio makes his first appearance since he scored a major upset in last fall's Breeders' Cup Marathon when he takes on seven opponents in the $100,000 Tokyo City Cup March 23 at Santa Anita Park.

Newsdad will attempt to become just the third repeat winner of the Pan American when the 1 1/2-mile grass fixture is renewed at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Nine rivals stand in the way of the five-year-old Arch horse, who will break from post 10.

Owner Mike Pegram and trainer Bob Baffert have another potential candidate for the Louisville classic in Govenor Charlie, one of two colts Baffert will saddle in Sunday's Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby over 1 1/8 miles.

Unbeaten Verrazano is a solid morning line choice to emerge as the overall betting favorite in this weekend's third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2013 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Champions Animal Kingdom, Royal Delta, and Trinniberg lead an eight-horse American delegation set to fly to the United Arab Emirates, leaving Florida at approximately 9 p.m. EDT on March 19, for races on the $27 million Dubai World Cup program March 30.

Bright Thought served notice that he'll be a major force in the turf division this year with a course-record performance in Saturday's Grade 2, $150,750 San Luis Rey at Santa Anita.

Cresran's homebred Tiz Miz Sue closed fast and pulled off the upset over 3-5 favorite My Miss Aurelia and 9-5 second choice Don't Tell Sophia to repeat in the Grade 3, $147,000 Azeri at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is holding the hottest hand of 3-year-olds he's had in a while, and that talent showed March 16 when stablemates Will Take Charge and Oxbow finished 1-2 in the $600,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

In her sixth try at the grade I level, Joyful Victory finally broke through with a front-running trip under Rosie Napravnik to capture the $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational in style March 16 at Santa Anita Park.