Tag: Michael McCarthy

Champion sprinter Ce Ce returns to defend her title in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney Invitational. THe 6-year-old mare is the 4/5 favorite to repeat. (Image: Gulfstream Park)

Ce Ce Returns to Princess Rooney Seeking Another Coronation

The Grade 2 Princess Rooney Invitational played a key role in Ce Ce’s coronation as Champion Female Sprinter last year. And the marquee race on Gulfstream Park’s Summit of Speed card provides the perfect setting for the versatile mare to defend her title. Saturday’s $300K Princess Rooney is a seven-furlong […]

Azeri winner Ce Ce is the 2/1 second favorite in search of her second Apple Blossom Handicap in three years. (Image: Coady Photography)

Apple Blossom Blooms With Two Champions, Four Grade 1 Winners

There are only five horses in Saturday’s Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park, a statistic that trainer Rob Atras puts into perspective for everyone. “It’s a small field, but it’s got like a Breeders’ Cup kind of feel to it,” Atras told Oaklawn Park’s Jennifer Hoyt. That’s probably the […]

Ce Ce's nose victory in the Apple Blossom two years ago was her first Grade 1 score. She is the 3/1 second choice in Saturday's Grade 2 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park. (Image: Coady Photography)

Don’t Sleep on This Budding Mare Rivalry in Oaklawn’s Azeri Stakes

While eyes are on Tampa Bay Downs and its Kentucky Derby prep, Oaklawn Park offers up the juicy Grade 3 Azeri Stakes, starring an Eclipse Award winner and a mare who could eventually become one. That would be reigning Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter Ce Ce, who tangles with the Azeri’s […]

Royal Ship brings the best last-out Beyer Speed Figure, a 108, from this Grade 2 Californian victory. He is the 5/2 co-second favorite in Monday's Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita Park. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Hollywood Gold Cup Shines Light On Would-Be Older Stars

The Hollywood Gold Cup inaugural winner was Seabiscuit. Its last winner was Improbable. And in between, one of the West Coast’s signature races turned loose winners such as three-time champs Lava Man and Native Diver, two-time winner Game on Dude and Triple Crown owners Citation and Affirmed. August company, to […]

Rombauer and Flavien Prat captured the 146th Preakness Stakes with a closing flourish that belied their 11/1 odds. It was Prat's second Triple Crown race victory, following his promoted Kentucky Derby win aboard Country House in 2019. (Image: AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Improbable Rombauer Turns in a Vintage Preakness Performance

Rombauer, the horse named after a vineyard, now goes by the new name: Preakness Stakes champion. And Rombauer, the horse named after the Napa Valley vineyard, wasn’t supposed to run the Preakness because he wasn’t supposed to run the race that got him into the Preakness. He wasn’t supposed to […]

Rombauer brings a strong resume along with 8/5 morning-line odds to the El Camino Real Derby. (Image: Coady Photography)

El Camino Real Provides a Synthetic Kentucky Derby Detour

The El Camino Real Derby is one of those Kentucky Derby Trail detours. Like December’s Springboard Mile at Remington Park, the John Battaglia Memorial and Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park and the Sunland Derby at Sunland Park, it’s not on the beaten Derby trail path. Once upon a time, […]

Ride a Comet outdueled Casa Creed down the Gulfstream Park stretch to win the Tropical Turf last weekend. Duplicating that in the Grade 1 Pegasus Turf Invitational will be a much bigger ask for the 6-year-old. (Image: Lauren King/Coglianese Photos)

Independence Hall, Coastal Defense, Ride a Comet Grab Pegasus Invites

With Charlatan and Mucho Gusto passing up Pegasus invites, Independence Hall and Coastal Defense became the latest two invites for the Jan. 23, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational. They’ve earned spots on the also-eligible list for the Grade 1 race. Along with that, Ride a Comet parlayed his victory […]

Finite's last outing was this decisive Chilukki Stakes victory at Churchill Downs. She is a tepid 7/2 favorite in Saturday's Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita. (Image: Coady Photography)

It’s Finite vs. Baffert’s Infinite Depth in Wide Open La Brea Stakes

The tempting storyline in Saturday’s Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita Park is to look at the seven-furlong race through the quality vs. quantity prism. Steve Asmussen’s standout filly Finite vs. Bob Baffert’s quartet of Merneith, Golden Principal, Himiko and Provocation. Asmussen sending a multiple Grade 2 and […]