Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
SANATA ANITA
Knee chip sidelines Greyvitos
ARCADIA, Calif. – Greyvitos, the winner of stakes at Del Mar and Remington Park in the fall, recently underwent surgery to have a bone chip removed from a knee, trainer Adam Kitchingman said on Friday.
Kitchingman said Greyvitos has been given a positive prognosis. The trainer said he is hopeful Greyvitos can return to racing as early as April and run in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5.
“We took a little chip out,” Kitchingman said. “It was pretty minor, but it had to be taken out.
“We’ll still aim for the Derby with one more race before that. It’s a step backward, but it’s not career-ending.”
Kitchingman mentioned the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park or the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland in April as possible preps for the Kentucky Derby. “It’s all up in the air,” he said. Owned by Triple B Farms, Greyvitos has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $306,345. By Malibu Moon, Greyvitos won for the first time in his career in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 11 in a 19-1 upset. Greyvitos was eighth and third in maiden races in his first two starts.
In the $402,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park on Dec. 17, Greyvitos closed from third in a field of 12 to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
Kitchingman said the bone chip was found when Greyvitos returned to California from the trip to Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
Ax Man to San Vicente
Ax Man, the dazzling winner of a maiden race for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita last Monday, is likely to have his stakes debut in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 10.
Trained by Bob Baffert for owners and breeders Hal and Patti Earnhardt, Ax Man led throughout a six-furlong maiden race in his first start and won by 9 1/2 lengths in 1:09.43. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96.
“He ran like he was supposed to run,” Baffert said earlier last week.
Ax Man won a maiden race restricted to homebreds or horses purchased for $100,000 or less at public auction. The condition is being offered for the first time at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.
Ax Man is a half-brother to Indian Blessing, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2007.
The $200,000 San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds is part of the buildup to the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 7.
Ax Man is by Misremembered, who won the 2010 Santa Anita Handicap for Baffert. Now at stud, Misremembered has been moved for the upcoming breeding season to Barton Thoroughbreds in Santa Ynez, Calif., and will stand for a fee of $2,500, live foal.
Yesterday’s News cuts back
Yesterday’s News was second in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos on Dec. 9 in her final start of 2017, a fine conclusion to a season for a filly purchased for $30,000 in May.
For her first start of 2018, Yesterday’s News will run in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs on Sunday at Santa Anita. She is sprinting for the first time since July, and trainer Simon Callaghan said she’ll be better going two turns.
Owned by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Yesterday’s News set the pace in the Starlet Stakes and finished 3 1/4 lengths behind Dream Tree, who stalked the pace. Callaghan is banking on a quick pace to help Yesterday’s News stalk expected frontrunners Artistic Diva and War Heroine on Sunday. She breaks from post 6 in a field of nine.
“I think the race should set up well for her,” he said. “They’ll go a good gallop.
“She’s got a good post and I’m happy with that. She’s been training super out of the last race. She’s not missed any time and seems to be doing really good.”
Yesterday’s News won a maiden race at a mile at Del Mar on Sept. 2 after finishing fourth sprinting at Los Alamitos and Del Mar in July.
“She’s progressed quite a bit since then,” Callaghan said. “It took a race or two to get her act together.”
The Santa Ynez is the first of three stakes for 3-year-old fillies leading to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on April 7. Yesterday’s News could start later this winter in the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile on Feb. 4, or the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 3.