Tag: Antonio Sano

Simplification bled heavily during this fifth-place Preakness Stakes finish at Pimlico. He returns to action at Mountaineer Park for Saturday's Grade 3 West Virginia Derby. (Image: Jerry Dzierwinski/Maryland Jockey Club)

West Virginia Derby Comes With Three Familiar Names

Yes, this is the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby. Do not adjust your eyes when you see the likes of Triple Crown ex-pats Simplification, Skippylongstocking and We the People entering the starting gate for Saturday’s featured race at Mountaineer Park. The 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby headlines a seven-stakes, nine-race Saturday card. […]

Simplification won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth from seventh on the backstretch. His versatile style and other factors make him a good long shot Kentucky Derby pick. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson)

Keeping it Simple With Kentucky Derby Sleeper Simplification

Lost in Friday’s Kentucky Derby news of the final California works from the former Bob Baffert/now Tim Yakteen duo of Taiba and Messier, and Zandon’s latest impressive work at Churchill Downs (1:00.40 for five furlongs) was the happenings out of Gulfstream Park, where Simplification quietly turned in a bullet five-furlong […]

Emmanuel won this December debut by daylight. He makes his anticipated stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson)

All Eyes are on Emmanuel to Drink From This Fountain of Youth

Emmanuel is on many Kentucky Derby watch lists as one of the colts to watch in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. Horseplayers watched him win his first two starts by a combined 11 ¼ lengths. They watched him get bet down to 18/1 in Circa Sports’ Derby futures and […]

Mo Donegal already owns a two-turn victory. He goes for his second graded stakes victory as the 3/1 morning line favorite in the Grade 3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park Saturday. (Image: Chelsea Durand/NYRA)

Holy Bull! Mo Donegal, Giant Game, Tiz the Bomb Keys in Derby Prep

Dale Romans was talking about his horse, Giant Game. But he spoke for all his fellow trainers in Saturday’s Grade 3 Holy Bull when he distilled the meaning of this Kentucky Derby prep. “Like we say every year, this is the time for the 2-year-olds to turn into men and grow […]