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Sole Volante
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Andie Biancone s Sole Volante will regroup from the rigors of a Triple Crown campaign with a return to turf in Saturday s $75,000 Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park.
The Tropical Park Derby, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, will be accompanied on Saturday s 11-race program by the $75,000 Tropical Park Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, and the $75,000 H. Allen Jerkens, a two-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up.
Patrick Biancone-trained Sole Volante will return from an 11-week freshening since finishing sixth in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and an 11th-place finish following a troubled start in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs. Turf will hardly be foreign territory for the 3-year-old gelded son of Karakontie, who launched his career with back-to-back victories over the Gulfstream Park turf course last year.
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Pixelate is up in time to win the Del Mar Derby under Umberto Rispoli
Even though Godolphin LLC s homebred Pixelate is be the class of the field in Saturday s $75,000 Woodchopper, he s going to have to earn the victory as he leads the way over a strong field of 3-year-olds. The Woodchopper, run at about one bodemile on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., drew a baker s dozen, including a quintet of stakes winners.
Pixelate (post 5 at 4-1 with Angel Suarez) has been a top-level performer from the start for trainer Mike Stidham. He won the Central Park at Aqueduct as a 2-year-old to conclude a 2-for-4 freshman campaign, and the son of City Zip has only progressed from there. It took him a bit to get over a class hump this year, but Pixelate picked the right time to break through, winning the Del Mar Derby (G2) in September. He followed up with a close fifth in the Belmont Derby (G1) in October, and enters off a closing fourth