Horse Racing News

Benefitting from a ground-saving trip and a patient ride from Luis Saez, Hot Summer slid through an opening along the rail in upper stretch and drew off to a victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Comely Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct.

Jaycito was withdrawn from Saturday's $1 million Santa Anita Derby on Friday afternoon by trainer Bob Baffert, who said the colt's bruised right front foot had not recovered sufficiently to allow for a start.

To Honor and Serve, third in both the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby, is off the Kentucky Derby trail with a strain to the suspensory ligament of his left foreleg, trainer Bill Mott said late Friday afternoon.

Premier Pegasus, the early morning-line favorite in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby before being sidelined on Thursday because of a hairline fracture in the cannon bone of his left foreleg, underwent surgery to stabilize the injury on Friday.

Premier Pegasus, the winner of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes last month, will miss Saturday's Santa Anita Derby because of a hairline fracture in the cannon bone of his left foreleg, according to Maria Ayala, the assistant to owner-trainer Myung Kwon Cho.

The draw for the Santa Anita Derby had just taken place Wednesday morning when trainer Bob Baffert came barreling into the Santa Anita racing office and found out that, only seconds earlier, Jaycito had drawn the far outside post in the field of 11.

This year, Godolphin will start a little early when Buffum returns from Dubai to run in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.

The New York-bred Ava K. steps out of New York-bred company and will take on six 3-year-old fillies in the Grade 3, $150,000 Comely Stakes at one mile Saturday at Aqueduct.

John T. Ward Jr. grew up just outside the back stable gate at Keeneland and became a local legend by training horses to win a number of major races, most notably the 2001 Kentucky Derby with Monarchos.

An eclectic field of 12 was entered for Saturday's Grade 1, $250,000 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, including Be Bullish, who would be making his third start in nine days if he were to actually start in the seven-furlong race.