Horse Racing News

Todd Pletcher has so many promising Derby contenders, even his maiden winners are getting top billing in stakes. On Feb. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack, Pletcher sends out the highly regarded Revolutionary in the $200,000 Withers Stakes.

Optimizer went wire-to-wire in the $125,000 Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Jan. 26 for red-hot Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, who has won three stakes races in eight days.

Fiftyshadesofhay flew home in the stretch of Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita to take her first stakes victory in impressive fashion under jockey Rafael Bejarano.

Ted and Judy Nichols' homebred Teddy's Promise romped by 5 1/4 lengths in the Kalookan Queen to close out 2012 and opened her five-year-old season in the same fashion with an easy score in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,500 Santa Monica at Santa Anita.

Itsmyluckyday defeated champion Shanghai Bobby and set a track record at Gulfstream Park in the process when he won the $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes Jan. 26.

After four consecutive in-the-money stakes efforts, Scarlet Strike should be ready for her picture in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes Jan. 26 at Santa Anita Park.

After giving Mizdirection quite a tussle earlier this month on the hillside turf course, the speedster Kindle switches to dirt for the $250,000 Santa Monica Stakes Jan. 26 at Santa Anita Park.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle Kauai Katie and in the $200,000 Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26, and only four will face them.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas looks to continue his hot streak in the $125,000 Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, sending out Optimizer in the Jan. 26 turf test for older males.

Citing extreme cold temperatures, the New York Racing Association has canceled racing at Aqueduct Racetrack for Thursday, Jan. 24.