Horse Racing News by David Grening

If things go as well the next two Saturdays for WinStar Farm as they went last Saturday, its management team could have an interesting decision to make come Belmont Stakes time.

Phola's ascension into a top-flight turf filly continued Saturday at Churchill Downs as the daughter of Johannesburg unleashed a powerful kick down the stretch to sweep past the field and win the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile by 1 1/4 lengths.

Tom McCarthy, the local school principal turned owner and trainer, could not turn last year's Kentucky Derby into a storybook finish with his lone horse, General Quarters, but he returned a year later and won the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.

While the highlight of Friday's 12-race Churchill Downs card is supposed to be the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, it is a race run 4 1/2 hours earlier that will likely steal the spotlight.

When Eskendereya was withdrawn from consideration for Saturday's Kentucky Derby because of a leg injury, it marked the second consecutive year Velazquez lost a top-ranked contender less than a week before the race.

With Ramon Dominguez away, Edgar Prado will play.

Dual Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti has recently resumed galloping at Payson Park in south Florida and remains on target for the Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park on June 5, trainer Christophe Clement said.

There is no arguing that D' Funnybone is talented. But trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. has another theory as to why D' Funnybone has won four consecutive Grade 2 sprints on dirt entering Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Withers at Aqueduct.

Trappe Shot, a 3-year-old who has won his last two starts by a combined 23 lengths, will not run in next Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct because of an ankle injury, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.

Trainer Tim Ice returned to the scene of his greatest successes Thursday when he arrived at Belmont Park with seven of his horses who had wintered at Oaklawn Park. Unfortunately, none of those horses was named Summer Bird.