Dickinson eyes Jenny Wiley; Isabella Sings retired at 5

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Dickinson ($8) is being pointed to the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland on April 15 after reeling in four-time graded stakes winner Isabella Sings to win the Grade 2 Hillsborough Stakes by half a length under jockey Paco Lopez at Tampa Bay Downs last Saturday.

Isabella Sings finished second in the $200,000 Hillsborough for the second straight year, having lost to champion turf mare Tepin last year.

Dickinson had won the Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 11 for her first stakes victory. She earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure in that race and in the Hillsborough.

“She’s really a nice filly, and she’s 4 for 5 on the turf now,” McLaughlin said. “Paco rode her great. It was a very nice race, so we’re stepping up to a Grade 1.”

Isabella Sings, who won the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes here last month, has been retired at age 5 and will be bred to a stallion to be determined, trainer Todd Pletcher said. A homebred for Siena Farms, she won eight of 21 starts and earned $648,170.

Fifty Five possible for Appalachian

Trainer Tom Bush said Fifty Five will be considered for the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland on April 13 after closing with a rush under Jose Ortiz to beat the favored La Coronel by a neck in the Grade 3, $155,000 Florida Oaks here Saturday. Fifty Five also had closed powerfully in her stakes debut, the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant at Gulfstream on Feb. 4, to be third, beaten just three-quarters of a length.

“She’s a deep closer, there’s no question about it,” Bush said. “The rider was very patient with her, and it paid off. She seems to be improving.”

Bush said Fifty Five was very tired Sunday after a nine-hour round trip from Palm Meadows to run in the Florida Oaks but had come out of the race fine. She earned an 82 Beyer in both the Sweetest Chant and the Florida Oaks.

Trainer Mark Casse said he was very pleased with the effort from La Coronel, who hadn’t raced since finishing sixth, beaten just 3 1/4 lengths, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last November, when she was marooned in post 13. The filly had convincingly won the Grade 3 Jessamine at Keeneland last October to make her the Breeders’ Cup favorite at 4-1.

“I thought it was tremendous,” Casse said of La Coronel’s race in the Florida Oaks. “She was coming off a four-month layoff. We knew she was going to get a little tired Saturday. She had a rough trip. [Jockey Florent Geroux] was fairly upset after the race. He started making a move and got fanned so wide.”

Stanford to Charles Town Classic

Pletcher said Stanford will be pointed toward a defense of his title in the Grade 2, $1.25 million Charles Town Classic on April 22 after his scintillating victory here Saturday in the $100,000 Challenger Stakes. Under John Velazquez, Stanford led every step of the way to win by 3 1/4 lengths over Ami’s Flatter and set a track record of 1:41.75 for 1 1/16 miles.

Stanford, who capped his 4-year-old season with a win in the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday in December, was wearing blinkers for the first time Saturday. Pletcher said he made the equipment change because the horse seemed to lose focus when he saw photographers along the rail in the $400,000 Poseidon Handicap on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park, where he lost a stretch duel with Imperative by a head.

“I wanted to get a race into him with the blinkers on to see how he adapted to those,” Pletcher said. “A couple of times in his career, he’s made some mistakes, looking around and seeing things. I thought it was important to get a prep into him with the blinkers on prior to the Charles Town race. He handled it beautifully, seemed to be focused but not headstrong, so it was a very encouraging effort.”

Stanford earned a 102 Beyer in the Challenger, his fifth triple-digit mark.

Sonic Boom eyes Transylvania

Trainer Ian Wilkes said the Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland on April 7 is among the options for Sonic Boom, who rallied under Julien Leparoux to win the $75,000 Columbia Stakes, for 3-year-olds going a mile on turf, by a neck over Profiteer here Saturday.

It was the first stakes win for Sonic Boom, a son of More Than Ready who finished second in the Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita last October. Sonic Boom earned a career-best 86 Beyer on Saturday.