Skinner

2nd-CD, 120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5f, 1:14 p.m. Flying Dutchmen went to $675,000 to procure LOVE A LITTLE MO (Uncle Mo) as a yearling at Keeneland last September. The filly is the first foal out of SW/GSP Inject who is herself out of GI Spinaway Stakes winner Appealing Zophie, a $1.2m FTKNOV broodmare who is also responsible for GI Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit (Tapit) and MGSW/GISP Ride a Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}). Lined up to her outside is the J Kirk and Judy Robison homebred Essential Coffee (Nyquist), a half-sister...

In racing as in life, good things come to those who wait. And while we have had to endure an extra 24 hours for Sunday's rescheduled GII Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, the wait may just prove worth it as a full, competitive field of 3-year-olds line up with 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby on the line. The top three runners from the GIII Southwest Stakes face each other once again Sunday with Speed King (Volatile) taking top billing back on Jan. 25 over a hard-closing...

"Try something different, you know? Sometimes it's good for you." Those are the words of jockey Jose Ortiz, currently in a race of his own atop the standings with 44 winners (through Thursday, Jan. 16) in his first winter riding at Fair Grounds. Jareth Loveberry is a distant second with 29 winners. A mainstay on the New York Racing Association circuit for more than a decade (he was leading rider there three times--2016, 2020 & 2021) and also a regular at Gulfstream Park's Championship Meet, the 31-year-old decided to shake...

C R K Stable's Skinner (Curlin), a breakthrough winner of the GIII Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 23, could make his next start in either the GIII Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds Jan. 18 or the GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park Jan. 25. Previously campaigned by John Shirreffs in Southern California, the 5-year-old has posted two workouts since joining Cherie DeVaux's barn at Fair Grounds. He worked a bullet four furlongs in :47.80 (1/67) Dec. 31 and covered five furlongs in 1:02.60 (19/31) Jan. 9. "He's...

C R K Stable's Skinner (Curlin), second as the favorite as a 3-year-old in last year's GIII Native Diver Stakes, went one better in Saturday's renewal in a breakthrough performance. The $40,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $510,000 OBS April breezer (:10 1/5) had made only one start since, finishing a very useful second sprinting in an optional claimer on the Breeders' Cup Friday undercard. Last of six beneath Hector Berrios through an opening quarter in :23.15 here, the 7-2 chance was up a spot in a well-placed fifth through a...

A trio of highly regarded sophomores will take on their elders in a fantastic renewal of Saturday's GI FanDuel Pacific Classic S. at Del Mar, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The 5-2 morning-line favorite Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) leads the way for the 3-year-olds after defeating GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) by 1 3/4 lengths in Monmouth Park's GI TVG.com Haskell S. July 22. He will look to follow in the hoofprints of his leading sire Candy Ride, who won...

The list of potential runners for Del Mar's 33rd running of the G1 FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic Sept. 2 has grown to 10, so far. Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) won last month's GII San Diego H., the local prep for the Pacific Classic. Todd Fincher is not afraid to put the 5-year-old homebred owned by Joey Peacock in after he rewarded the New Mexico-based trainer with the second Grade II stakes win of his career. Senor Buscador worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 (6/38) at Del Mar Thursday morning. "It's a Grade...

Pin Oak Stud's Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) checked stakes winner off his list with an off-the-pace victory in the Affirmed S. at The Great Race Place late on Sunday afternoon. After a sparkling 5 3/4 length debut win Jan. 29 at Santa Anita, the bay colt was second in the GII San Felipe S. to Practical Move (Practical Joke) before he was sidelined with a slightly-elevated fever before the GI Santa Anita Derby. Off at odds of 1-2 here, Geaux Rocket Ride was determined to live up to...

C R K Stable's Skinner (Curlin) will be scratched from Sunday's $100,000 Affirmed S. at Santa Anita, trainer John Shirreffs told the Santa Anita notes team Saturday. The decision was made following a Saturday morning gallop over the Santa Anita main track. "I just wasn't happy with the way he jogged," the conditioner said. Skinner, a $40,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $510,000 OBS April juvenile, broke his maiden in his 3-year-old debut in February and finished third to Practical Move (Practical Joke) in both the GII San Felipe S. and...

C R K Racing's Skinner (Curlin) is out of the GI Kentucky Derby because of an elevated temperature, Churchill Downs said in a release early Friday morning. The horse was scratched by trainer John Shirreffs, according to Kentucky Horse Racing Commission stewards. Skinner had galloped a mile Friday morning during the special 7:45 to 8 a.m. Derby/Oaks training period and all looked well. But then, back at Barn 41, several temperature checks did not come back right, forcing his conditioner to alert track officials that it would not be right...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One of the more buzzed about workouts leading up to the first Saturday in May has been Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg})'s eye-catching, five-furlong bullet in :59 for trainer Keith Desormeaux at Churchill Downs last weekend. The steam behind the last-out Feb. 25 GII Rebel S. winner continued to build on a very lively backstretch as he led out the GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses with authority at 7:30 a.m. on another chilly and breezy Wednesday morning. 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit) is certainly another...

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's likely GI Kentucky Derby favorite and last out GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Forte (Violence) headlined a busy morning beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs as 12 candidates for this year's Run for the Roses turned in their final works for the first leg of the Triple Crown. Last year's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte, who worked a half-mile in company in :49.80 over a fast track, was one of four breezers for trainer Todd Pletcher. Other Pletcher half-mile workers...