Nearly takes lead among Kentucky Derby hopefuls after big weekend win

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- It didn't take long for Nearly to replace the sidelined Ted Noffey as the favorite among Kentucky Derby contenders as the colt swept to his third straight win in Saturday's Holy Bull Stakes, highlight of a weather-ravaged weekend horse racing schedule.

With winter continuing to inflict its wrath, tracks that postponed stakes programs included Oaklawn Park, Aqueduct, Laurel Park, Sunland Park and Turfway Park. Santa Anita and the Florida tracks carried on nicely and most of the rest of the racing will be rescheduled.

On the global front, Little Paradise landed the first leg of the Hong Kong Derby series and did it impressively enough to be considered a candidate for a sweep.

Let's sweep up the results, starting with ...

The Road to the Roses

With early favorite Ted Noffey off the Derby trail with bone bruising, there's a scramble on to recalibrate the standings. And with Oaklawn Park's and Aqueduct's weekend Derby preps postponed by Old Man Winter's worst, Nearly was the one who stood out with an impressive win in Saturday's $275,000 Grade III Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park.

The Not This Time colt, trained by Todd Pletcher for Centennial Farms, entered off two straight wins at Gulfstream, by margins of 9 1/4 and 5 lengths. He did it again in his stakes debut, dueling with Cannoneer into the stretch turn, then drawing clear without much urging by jockey Johnny Velazquez to win by 5 3/4 lengths.

Bravaro was up for second and Project Ace came from the clouds to edge Cannoneer for third.

Nearly earned 20 points on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard. That put him into a tie for the top spot with Lecomte Stakes winner Golden Tempo, but after factoring in the earnings tiebreaker, Nearly is No. 1.

Pletcher reported Sunday morning the colt was "feeling frisky," adding it's likely he will skip the Feb. 28 Fountain of Youth and go directly to the $1 million Grade I Florida Derby on March 28.

Solitude Dude, the odds-on favorite, led from the start in Saturday's $175,000, 7-furlong Swale Stakes at Gulfstream and was all alone at the finish.

The Yaupon colt, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., won by 3 3/4 lengths, ridden out by Irad Ortiz Jr. while reporting in 1:23.46. He remains undefeated after three starts and has never been tested. Joseph said the colt is "an upper level talent" but two turns remains a question mark.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, Potente won at first asking for trainer Bob Baffert, going six furlongs in 1:10.65 for a 79 Beyer Speed Figure. By Into Mischief, Potente was a $2.4 million auction buy as a yearling for owner Speedway Stable.

"Broke his maiden. Here we go," Baffert said. "He's not a sprinter. He wants two turns."

The Path to the Oaks

Sister Troienne put on a show in Saturday's $175,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream Park. After relaxing behind a breakaway leader, the Munnings filly cut loose and strode out to a 2 3/4-length win without being prompted by jockey Mario Gutierrez.

The odds-on favorite after four previous daylight wins, Sister Troienne ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.76. Brian Lynch trains.

On Time Girl didn't want to go into the gate before Saturday's $175,000 Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park and sure didn't want to stick around after leaving it.

The Not This Time miss chased the early speed, took over when prompted and ran on to win by 3 lengths over Imperative. With Irad Ortiz up for trainer Brad Cox, On Time Girl now has four wins from five starts.

Classic

Westwood led from the early stages of Saturday's $200,000 Grade II San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita, turned back a challenge from Getaway Car and ran on to win by 2 3/4 lengths over that one. It was another 7 1/2 lengths to Bartholdy in third.

A 4-year-old Authentic gelding trained by John Shirreffs, Westwood ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.52 for jockey Kazushi Kimura.

Cornucopian had a star-crossed 3-year-old campaign, finishing fourth in the Arkansas Derby in just his second start, defeated in his next outing at Aqueduct and then sidelined until December when a paddock incident caused him to be scratched from a planned comeback in the Grade I Malibu Stakes.

The Into Mischief colt showed he was worth the wait -- not to mention his $1.1 million yearling price tag -- when trainer Baffert finally got him into a starting gate for a 6 1/2-furlongs optional claimer Saturday at Santa Anita.

Cornucopian raced behind the leaders, and despite being taken up sharply at the quarter pole, ducked to the rail and drew off to win by 3 lengths, in 1:15.68.

Turf

Quatrocento led gate to wire in Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Tampa Bay Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and won by a comfortable 3 3/4 lengths over Tom's Magic.

The 5-year-old son of War Front, trained by Fausto Gutierrez, negotiated 1 1/16 miles of firm turf in 1:41.51 with Julien Leparoux in the irons.

Thousandsticks stalked the pace set by Redland Rebels in Saturday's $175,000 Kitten's Joy Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park and slipped by that rival in time to win by a neck. The favorite, Alpyland, was another 3/4 length back in third.

Thousandsticks, a Twirling Candy colt, ran 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:40.23 with Mario Gutierrez aboard.

Filly & mare turf

Aussie Girl was quickly out front in Saturday's $175,000 Grade III Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and just kept rolling on to a 2 1/2-length victory. Candy Quest launched a late bid that got second.

A 6-year-old, Irish-bred daughter of Starspangledbanner, Aussie Girl ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.62 with Ben Curtis in the irons.

Princesa Moche shadowed the early leader in Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita, took the lead with about a sixteenth to go and won by a neck over fast-closing Vibez.

Princesa Moche, a Chilean-bred mare, finished 1 mile on firm going in 1:36.09 with Mirco Demuro riding for trainer Doug O'Neill.

Around the world, around the clock

Hong Kong

Little Paradise only needed room in the stretch to run away with a 2-length victory in Sunday's Hong Classic Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse, the first race in the Hong Kong Derby series.

The Toronado gelding, who had never gone farther than 1,400 meters, was blocked twice in the late going but once jockey Vincent Ho found him room, he was full of run. Long shot infinite Resolve was second with the lukewarm favorite, Invincible Ibis, checking in sixth.

Ho said he didn't mind having to keep Little Paradise behind rivals.

"The main thing stepping up to the mile for him was to relax no matter what and I didn't rush him because we couldn't and we know he has a really good turn of foot from his last run," Ho said.

Little Paradise had won five of eight starts in Hong Kong before the Classic Mile and emphatically answered the question whether he can go a mile. To sweep the series, he will have to stretch out to 1,800 meters for the Hong Kong Classic Cup March 1 and to 2,000 meters for the Derby on March 22.

"He finished off very well, so he can definitely handle a mile without a problem," Ho told Ting.

South Africa

See It Again, with 57-year-old Andrew Fortune in the irons, emerged from a bunched pack in the final 50 meters to win Sunday's Grade 1 Cape Town Met by 3/4 length over Legal Counsel. Trainer Justin Snaith saddled both, as well as the fourth- and fifth-place finishers in the 2,000-meter Met.