NEW ORLEANS, La. – Orthodox broke in full stride to make all the pace under jockey Jesus Castanon and captured the $44,000 turf allowance feature for 3-year-olds Monday at Fair Grounds.

Ron Correll
Tracksideview.com
Senior columnist

The road to the 2009 Kentucky Derby has started and Ron Correll will keep the Tracksideview.com’s Trail to the Derby updated daily with his Top 20 and a slew of pretenders. (last updated 2-23-09).

(Edited Gulfstream Park report)

Darley Stable’s 5-year-old English homebred mare Criticism was Group 3-placed during a modest career in France but she’s taken her game to a new level since coming under the care of trainer Tom Albertrani last fall, winning two of three U.S. starts, including the $125,000 The Very One Stakes (Grade 3) at Gulfstream Park.

(Edited Tampa Bay Downs report)

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Tampa’s leading rider Daniel Centeno added five more victories to his tally Sunday, tying for second place for most wins on a single card at the Oldsmar oval. Sunday was the first time that the reinsman has won five races on one program. “It’s a great day!” Centeno said. “I’ve won four races many times, but never five.”

Francis LaBelle Jr.
Aqueduct Racetrack

Tri-Bone Stable’s What a Pear remained undefeated Sunday afternoon, unleashing the most dominant performance of her young career to win the 30th running of the $70.330 Busher for 3-year-old fillies at a mile and a sixteenth. Her 10¼-length victory came in 1:45.17.

Graham Ross
Fair Grounds

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Helen Alexander and Helen Groves’ Selva and Brereton Jones’ On the Menu, each coming off runner-up finishes in stakes company, head a field of nine 3-year-old fillies in Tuesday’s $60,000 Mardi Gras Stakes at Fair Grounds.

(Edited Santa Anita Park report)

Bob Baffert is calling on the junior varsity for Saturday’s Sham Stakes. With his leading Triple Crown contender Pioneerof the Nile ticketed for the San Felipe Stakes on March 14 prior to his major goal on the West Coast, the Santa Anita Derby on April 4, Baffert has Ventana on course for the Grade 3 Sham at 1 1/8 miles.

(Edited Tampa Bay Downs report)

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Victory Alleged pulled an upset in today’s $150,000 Tampa Bay Breeders’ Cup, besting a field of nine other older horses to win at odds of 28-1 with jockey Carlos Marquez in the irons. Victory Alleged is an 8-year-old son of Victory Gallop trained by Dennis Manning for owner Mac Fehsenfeld.

(Edited Fair Grounds report)

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Lucas Downs Ltd.’s Love to Tell changed tactics and caught rivals napping for a wire-to-wire win in the $125,000 Bayou Handicap Saturday at Fair Grounds.

(Edited Santa Anita Park report)

ARCADIA, Calif. – Georgie Boy, who won three successive graded stakes before going to the sidelines as a 3-year-old last year, followed up his smashing victory in the Sunshine Millions Sprint with a rousing come-from-behind score Saturday as the odds-on favorite in Santa Anita’s 71st running of the Grade 2, $150,000 San Carlos Handicap while covering seven furlongs in 1:21.85.