—Mar 10— Hronis Racing LLC’s five-year-old horse, Gift Box, was a surprise entrant in the $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap, but he didn’t fool the crowd, who sent him postward as the 3/2 race favorite. Ridden by Eric Cancel, the John Sadler trainee was much the best, drawing off to a two-and-a-half length win in the prestigious race.

Life in Shambles, who finished last to Skyler’s Scramjet in the Grade 3 Toboggan Stakes, was the surprise second-place finisher, a length-and-a-quarter in front of Skyler’s Scramjet.

—Mar 3— Phoenix Thoroughbred III’s Dream Tree remained perfect in two starts with a surprisingly easy five length victory on Saturday in the  in the $100,000 Grade III Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita Park under jockey Drayden Van Dyke. Her trainer, Bob Baffert, didn’t mince words after the race.

“She’s all class so I’m just so glad that Kerri and Amir hired me to be their trainer. I’m very fortunate,” Baffert said.

She wasn’t expected to win. The 1/5 favorite in the race was Steve Asmussen’s Midnight Bisou, who was coming into the race after a one-and-a-half length win in the Santa Ynez Stakes. Whatever the reason— whether the wet-fast surface or just a bad day— Midnight Bisou didn’t run a lick in the Santa Ysabel, finishing last beaten more than ten lengths.

Thirteen Squared finished second, a nose in front of Spring Lily, who finished third.

—Mar 3— The seventy-second running of the Fountain of Youth Stakes, which featured the 2018 debut of the 2017 Juvenile champion, Good Magic, produced plenty of intrigue but not a lot of close finishes as Irad Ortiz outdueled his brother Jose (aboard Good Magic) to win by two lengths.

The race began with Good Magic exploding out of the gate and quickly established a large lead. Approaching the stretch, Good Magic was still rolling, ahead by two lengths over Marconi, who was the only horse offering a challenge. Promises Fulfilled was in a three-way battle for last at this point, four lengths off the lead.

Sensing the race might be slipping away, Irad Ortiz urged Promises Fulfilled forward and he responded with perhaps the most powerful rally to date, bursting past the two leaders to win easily.

Good Magic held on for third, followed by Marconi, Strike Power and Tiz Mischief.

Machismo finished last, nearly fifteen lengths behind Tiz Mischief and over twenty lengths behind the winner.

—Mar 3— Phipps Stable’s Fly So High outdueled C.S. Incharge down the stretch to win the $200,000 Grade II Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park by two lengths.

Although the race itself provided little drama, there was plenty of drama afterwards when the winner was loaded into a van amidst concerns she might have injured herself during the race. One of her owners, Daisy Phipps Pulito (daughter of Ogden “Dinny” Phipps) provided an update the following day.

“It was an impressive win,” Pulito said. “She so big… she’s just growing into herself. If we have to give her some time off, we will. We’re not in any rush. Shug ordered the ultrasound just to make sure we’re not missing anything.”

Following C.S. Incharge to the wire were Heavenhasmynikki (four lengths behind the winner), Miss Mo Mentum, Alter Moon and Take Charge Paula (the second favorite who was dismal this day, finishing thirteen lengths behind the winner).

—Mar 3— Mark Casse’s Shamrock and Mark Hennig’s My Miss Lilly will renew their rivalry in the 40^th running of the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday. Shamrock Rose will be making her second start of the year— she finished second, two-and-a-half lengths behind My Miss Lilly in the Busanda Stakes here in January— and is expected to improve off that effort. She was the 9/5 favorite that day.

My Miss Lilly will be making the fourth start of what has been, to date, a busy campaign that has involved traveling from Gulfstream Park in Florida and Aqueduct in New York. She’s earned a race-high $104,500 from three starts that have netted one win, a place and a show. She finished second in the Grade III Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream Park in her last start.

The Busher Stakes features a competitive field this year. War Heroine, who ships in from California, was a close second to Midnight Bisou in her debut in the Grade II Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita over seven panels. Traveling across the country, Ware Heroine finished third behind the top two in the Busanda Stakes just eighteen days later before returning to California to finish second in the Sweet Life Stakes on turf over the 6-1/2 furlongs downhill course.

Midnight Disguise was fourth in her debut in the Busanda and figures to improve. Sara Street was impressive in an Allowance race at Gulfstream Park but was badly beaten in the Busanda Stakes, where she finished last. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, pointing to the short rest between races, is confident his filly will make a much better account of herself in the Busher.

Finally, Linda Rice’s filly, Split Time, by Take Charge Indy will be making her first start of the year and it expected to be heavily bet.

—Mar 3— Stronach Stables’ Holy Helena tops the field of fillies and mares entered in the 30^th running of The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper has had a productive winter so far, with victories in the Marshua’s River and South Beach Stakes.  Her only loss came in her last start, when she finished second to Salty in a $75,000 stakes race over a mile on the turf. In just three starts, she has earned $183,646.

Her chief competition appears to be the Chad Brown trainee, Dream Awhile, who finished third to Holy Helena in her debut in the Marshua’s River before annexing the Suwannee River Stakes in her next start. She has earned $106,920 from those two efforts.

Mark Hennig’s six-year-old mare, Summersault (by Rock Hard Ten) is the likely third choice. Summersault finished fourth in the mile-and-a-half La Prevoyante Handicap in her only start this year.

—Mar 3— Strike Power, the upset winner of the Swale Stakes here in early February, and Good Magic, a $1 million Keeneland sales graduate trained by Chad Brown, highlight a field of six Kentucky Derby hopefuls vying for the $400,000 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

A son of Curlin, Good Magic will benefit from more than good genes on Saturday. In addition to the steady tutelage provided by Brown, Good Magic will be ridden by nation’s leading rider, Jose Ortiz, who has accumulated 9 wins and over a million dollars in purse money through February.

Strike Power, on the other hand, will need to prove his victory in the Swale Stakes was not a fluke. The Mark Hennig trainee fetched just $300,000 in the same Keeneland sale that saw Good Magic purchased for a cool million and was just 14/1 in the Swale. He should be a good price in the Fountain of Youth.

If either of the top two choices falters, Promises Fulfilled, who finished second in the Swale as the 2/1 second-favorite, will likely be the benefactor. The pacesetter in that race, the Dale Romans’ trainee faltered down the stretch, so it remains to be seen if he is better suited sprinting.

The rest of the field consists of horses who went to post at long odds in previous races. Marconi finished fourth in both the Mucho Macho Man Stakes here in January and the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in early February. He was over 20/1 on the tote board in both starts.

Machismo finished third to Noble Indy in a $60,000 allowance race in January at 25/1 and Tiz Mischief was 40/1 in the Grade II Holy Bull Stakes. He finished fourth, beaten less than five lengths by Audible, an exceptionally good horse

—Feb 17— Repole Stable’s Noble Indy took the lead leaving the gate, fell behind longshot Principe Guilherme past the half, then outdueled that rival to the wire, scoring a three-quarters length victory in the $400,000 Grade II Risen Star Stakes. Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, Noble Indy paid $5.50 to win as the 8/5 cofavorite.

Bravazo, also 8/5, finished third, a head in front of the morning line favorite, Instilled Regard. Snapper Sinclair was fifth, followed by High North.

—Feb 17— My Boy Jack rebounded from a second-place finish to McKinzie in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita with a one-and-three-quarters lengths win in the Grade III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn. The small margin was misleading.

Kent Desormeaux, riding for his brother, Keith (who trains My Boy Jack), placed the 6/5 favorite on the lead from the outset and appeared set to run away from the field. My Boy Jack hit the eighth pole with a four-length lead before Gary Stevens, riding the place-horse, Ezmosh, made a late run.

Mourinho, a Super Saver colt trained by Bob Baffert, finished third, followed by Combatant, Seven Trumpets and Sporting Chance.

—Feb 17— Agave Racing Stable and Little Red Feather Racing’s Fault was sent to post as the heavy favorite in the Grade II Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita and didn’t disappoint, drawing away to a three-and-a-quarter lengths win over Thundering Sky.

Her jockey, Giovanni Franco, seemed impressed.

“Well I knew she is a nice filly. She’s been running in some nice stakes and placing in them. She just changed coasts and I guess she’s liking it because she seemed to today. She felt very good, just came out and took care of business.” he said.

Trainer Philp D’Amato was just as pleased.

I knew she was a very consistent filly and was only getting better back east,” he said. “… from the very first time I breezed her I thought, ‘This is a horse I’ve been looking for in this category for quite a while.'”

“She’s shown me a lot in the mornings and she trained like she belonged in here. You never know until you run against these girls in here and she showed that she fits.”

Bet down to 1/10, Fault paid just $2.20 for the win. After Fault came Thundering Sky, Sassy Little Lila, Madame Stripes, Insta Erma and Madam Dancealot.