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Let me guess - could a particular Trainer have been on the phone?

When a flight carrying several American-based Saudi Cup contenders departs Florida Monday, Magnitude (Not This Time) will not be on it, trainer Steve Asmussen told DRF on Sunday. The 4-year-old Winchell Thoroughbreds runner, who won the GII Clark Stakes last November, spiked a fever Sunday and would not ship out of his Fair Grounds base as planned. Magnitude registered his most recent work at Fair Grounds, covering five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.40 (1/18) on Jan. 29. Winner of last season's GII Risen Star, the colt also annexed the Iowa Derby, finished third in the GI Travers Stakes and was runner-up in the GI Pennsylvania Derby in September. In his Clark victory, Magnitude most notably bested last season's G1 Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show (Candy Ride {Ire}). The post Magnitude to Miss Saudi Cup Due to Illness appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Centennial Farms' Nearly was feeling his oats at Palm Beach Downs the morning of Feb. 1 in the aftermath of his eye-catching 5 3/4-length triumph in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 31.View the full article

Freshly anointed champion juvenile filly Super Corredora (Gun Runner), GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies fourth-place finisher Meaning (Gun Runner) and GSP Nimah (Gun Runner) were among a sextet of 3-year-old fillies nominated to next weekend's Las Virgenes Stakes who recorded timed workouts Sunday at Santa Anita. Super Corredora worked four furlongs in :48.0 (13/84) for trainer John Sadler. The bay was last seen winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Oct. 31 at Del Mar. Working five furlongs on Sunday, Meaning completed the task in 1:01.60 (30/71). Nimah, who was third in the GII Starlet Stakes in December, worked five furlongs in 1:00.6 (5/71) for Baffert. The $550,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select yearling purchase is campaigned by Zedan Racing Stables. Sunday's workers also heading to the Las Virgenes includes SW Cee Drew (Cistron) (4f :50.20 70/84) and Fortunate Truth (Authentic) (4f :50.20, 70/84), both trained by Dan Blacker; and Wild Like the West (Into Mischief) (4f :49.40, 26/33) for trainer Richard Baltas. Baffert also worked 3-year-old colts GISP Plutarch (Into Mischief) and GI Hopeful runner-up and TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard Buetane (Tiz the Law), who are both nominated to Saturday's GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes. Buetane, a $1.15-million OBS Spring Sale juvenile purchase, is also entered in this Friday's GIII Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn. Buetane worked four furlongs in :47.80 (8/84), while Plutarch, who broke his maiden last out on turf Nov. 30 at Del Mar, worked six furlongs in 1:12.2 (1/6).   The post Las Virgenes Noms Super Corredora, Meaning Head Santa Anita Worktab appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Or later. Who knows? Doesn't make much sense to me. Sounds like they might change the distance as well? That would require further approval from the Pattern Committee.

Centennial Farms' Nearly (Not This Time) was no worse for wear at Palm Beach Downs Sunday morning after an impressive victory in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream. “He came back well,” Todd Pletcher said. “He was feeling frisky [Sunday] morning.” Making his two-turn and stakes debuts in the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds, Nearly stamped himself as a leading prospect for this year's GI Kentucky Derby. It was his third straight victory at the Hallandale Beach oval. “We thought it was a really strong performance.  He put himself in a good spot. They were going pretty quickly early on, but it seemed like he was in a good cruising speed,” Pletcher said. “We liked the two-turn stretch-out. It was pretty much what we were hoping for.” The dark bay debuted with a sixth-place finish in his Oct. 26 debut at Aqueduct before posting a pair of overpowering victories at Gulfstream, including the most recent in a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer on Jan. 2. “I haven't had a chance to sit down with anybody to talk about what we're doing for sure. I don't like making any decisions immediately after a race. One of the things we talked about was [Saturday's] race was his third race in a relatively short period, but we wanted to give him some two-turn experience and he handled that,” Pletcher said. “Now that he handled that, we're probably in a position where we can give him a little extra time for the next one.” Among most likely scenarios, Nearly is more likely to train up to the GI Curlin Florida Derby on Mar. 28 at Gulfstream rather than return in the 8 1/2-furlong GII Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28. “Since he's 3-for-3 at Gulfstream, I think the Florida Derby would be a logical target, but we'll see how he does and how he bounces back, which will kind of dictate what we do,” said Pletcher. “I would say once we have that discussion, that's probably the most likely scenario.” Pletcher-trained Audible, winner of the 2018 Holy Bull before going on to win the Florida Derby in his next start, finished third in that season's Kentucky Derby. Pletcher has saddled eight winners of the Florida Derby. Conversely, Albert Ciuffetelli, Steffani Brennan, Shining Stables LLC, BAG Racing Stables and Paul Braverman's Bravaro (Upstart), who finished second in the Holy Bull, is likely to return in the Fountain of Youth, according to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The New York-bred was closest in pursuit of the dueling pacesetters and held well in the stretch to finish second. Bravaro, undefeated in two starts in New York-bred company at Aqueduct, last raced when winning the Oct. 25 Sleepy Hollow Stakes. “We wanted him to show up around two turns off the layoff, and he did,” Joseph said. “He's a very nice horse and should move forward off that race.” Bravaro's sire Upstart captured the 2015 Holy Bull before finishing second in the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby. Joseph raised the possibility that Chris Fountoukis' Solitude Dude (Yaupon), whom he saddled for a 3 3/4-length victory in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes could join Bravaro in the Fountain of Youth. “Nothing yet as far as we're we'll go. If he did stretch out it would be the Fountain of Youth,” Joseph said. Undefeated Solitude Dude, a debut winner at Gulfstream last November, won Tampa's six-furlong Inaugural Stakes on Dec. 6. “I think he's an upper-level talent. Two turns is a question mark, but I think he's an upper-level talent,” Joseph said. The post “Feeling Frisky”: Nearly Feeling Good After Holy Bull Win, Likely to Train Up to Florida Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

did he beat OP's streak? " Opie Bosson, a celebrated New Zealand jockey and multiple Group One winner. How many: 50 consecutive starts without a victory. Context: During the 2016 Hong Kong racing season, Bosson experienced a notable slump. An SCMP article reported that "Heading into Sunday it was zero wins from 50 starts" before he finally broke the streak. This 50-ride winless run is often cited as a prominent example of a losing streak for a New Zealand jockey."

So March?  

Jockey Florent Geroux, based at Fair Grounds this winter, is expected to shift his tack to Santa Anita this week, according to the DRF on Sunday. According to DRF, the rider is set to arrive in California on Thursday and is scheduled to ride on Friday. Representing Geroux during his California sojourn, Matt Nakatani is also the agent for Umberto Rispoli, recently sidelined after falling during a race at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 24. “I went to visit [Rispoli] in the hospital,” Geroux told DRF Sunday morning. “We talked it over. I decided to jump on the opportunity.” Explaining the decision for the move, Geroux added, “Business has been a bit slow at the Fair Grounds. I'm winning, but I'm not riding a lot.” Geroux, who out of limited occasions has won four Grade I races at the venue, will be riding full-time for the first time at The Great RIP. The post Florent Geroux Shifts Tack to Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article