Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Arkansas Derby hopefuls work quickly before trip
Arkansas Derby hopefuls Charlatan, Fast Enough, and Nadal recorded quick workouts Sunday at Santa Anita before their scheduled departures early Tuesday for Oaklawn Park.
Charlatan worked six furlongs in 1:12.40, the fastest of six works at the distance. Fast Enough went a half-mile in 47 seconds, the quickest of 61 works. Nadal worked five furlongs in 59.20, which equaled the fastest of 59 times at the distance.
They are intended runners in Saturday’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.
Nadal, trained by Bob Baffert, is unbeaten in three starts, including the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 14 at Oaklawn Park. Charlatan, also trained by Baffert, will have his stakes debut in the Arkansas Derby, which is run at 1 1/8 miles and will be split into two $500,000 divisions, track officials said.
Charlatan has won two races at Santa Anita this year – a maiden special weight race at six furlongs by 5 3/4 lengths on Feb. 16 and an allowance race with an $80,000 claiming option at a mile by 10 1/4 lengths on March 14.
“They’re as ready as I can get them here,” Baffert said. “They both went very nice.”
Fast Enough, trained by Rafael Becerra, was third to Nadal in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 9 in his most recent start. Fast Enough won the California Cup Derby for statebreds at 1 1/16 miles in January in his 2020 debut.
Those runners would have been considered for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 4, but the race has been postponed after Santa Anita was ordered closed by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on March 27 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Santa Anita was deemed a nonessential business at the time, even though five days of racing were held from March 14-22 without spectators and with a limited number of track employees present to conduct the programs.
Charlatan, Fast Enough, and Nadal are long-term prospects for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby was initially scheduled for Saturday. When Churchill Downs officials postponed the Kentucky Derby earlier this spring, Oaklawn Park rescheduled the Arkansas Derby from April 11 to Saturday.
It is not clear when Santa Anita will be allowed to reopen. Track officials are awaiting approval from county health officials after holding discussions earlier this month.
Baffert projects strong entries at Santa Anita when racing is allowed to resume.
“When it starts, everyone is ready for action,” he said. “I’ve freshened some of them. We’re ready to run.”
Through Sunday, the track has lost 15 days of racing because of the closure. Track officials said last week that Santa Anita would need approximately 7 to 10 days of preparation to resume racing under strict quarantine proposals recently submitted to county health officials.
With no racing at Santa Anita, several Southern California-based trainers have been active at Oaklawn Park, which concludes its winterspring meeting Saturday. The program includes the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap for older horses at 1 1/8 miles.
Combatant, winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 7, is an intended runner in the Oaklawn Handicap and will be ridden by Joel Rosario, trainer John Sadler said Sunday. Combatant worked five furlongs in 59.20 on Sunday, equaling Nadal’s time.
There are no immediate race plans for the 3-year-old Honor A. P., who finished second to the Baffert-trained Authentic in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 7 at Santa Anita, or 5-year-old Midcourt, who was third in the Big Cap. Both are trained by John Shirreffs.
Friday, Honor A. P. worked seven furlongs in 1:31. Midcourt worked a half-mile in 49 seconds on Saturday.
Honor A. P. could run in a rescheduled Santa Anita Derby. Midcourt is possible for the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, which was scheduled for May 25. The track is expected to publish a revised stakes schedule when racing is allowed to resume. The meeting is scheduled through June 21.
Through Sunday, Santa Anita has canceled 16 stakes since it was forced to close.
“Give us a date to shoot for,” Shirreffs said.
Game Winner nearing return
Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018 who has not raced since July, continues to progress toward his 4-yearold debut. Baffert said Sunday that he hopes Game Winner will be ready to race by late spring.
Saturday, Game Winner worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Santa Anita. A winner of 5 of 8 starts and $2,027,500, Game Winner has had a steady pattern of workouts since late March.
Baffert said he has yet to form a plan for Game Winner and will do so when racing is allowed to resume at Santa Anita.
“He’ll be ready to run when the serious stuff is lifted,” Baffert said.
“He’s doing really well. He’s looking as good as he has ever looked. He should be ready in a month.”