Horse Racing News

After winning a pair of Grade 2 stakes on turf against other fillies of her age last season, Centre Court will take on older rivals for the first time when she begins her 4-year-old campaign March 16 in the $150,000 Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Joyful Victory and Brushed by a Star, who have faced each other three times since November, will take their well-developed rivalry out west for Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Santa Margarita.

New York state regulators have imposed a 20-day suspension and $7,500 fine on top Aqueduct Racetrack trainer Rudy Rodriguez after flunixin was found in his horses at two separate races last year.

Hall of Fame trainers Bob Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas will each saddle a pair of runners in Saturday's Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel at Oaklawn Park, and one of those four is the likely favorite for the 1 1/16-mile contest.

Just days before the Breeders' Cup board of directors conducted a vote on Salix use at its 2013 world championships, prominent owners Gary and Mary West threatened litigation against the organization.

Fort Larned came out of his bad stumble at the start of the Gulfstream Park Handicap March 9 with a grabbed quarter, but otherwise escaped further injury, trainer Ian Wilkes reported the following morning.

Ramon Dominguez visited Aqueduct Racetrack March 10 for the first time since the three-time Eclipse Award winner was injured in a spill at the New York track Jan. 18.

Hear the Ghost blew past weakening favorites Flashback and Goldencents in deep stretch to post a half-length upset in the $300,000 San Felipe Stakes March 9 at Santa Anita Park.

Discreet Dancer picked up the pieces of an incident-marred running of the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap at when Breeders' Cup Classic winner Fort Larned stumbled at the start.

Verrazano lived up to his billing as a top Triple Crown contender with a solid three-length score over eight other sophomores in the $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) March 9 at Tampa Bay Downs.