Verdes Stakes News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Bob Baffert’s Preakness and Pegasus World Cup winner will go against White Abarrio and Senor Buscador on Feb. 24 in the richest horse race ever held.

Straight No Chaser wins the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Stakes in a rapid 1:08.27 for six furlongs on Preakness Day at Pimlico in Maryland.

Several front-running speedsters could lead to a late-running victory for Tejano Twist in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn.

Breeding two horses that win graded stakes in less than a week is a notable success, made more notable by the fact that John Mayer’s Nursery Place is a relatively small operation. Nursery Place was the sole breeder of the 5-year-old Hopkins (by Quality Road), who won the Grade 3 Palos Verdes Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 5, and the farm is one of three partners that bred the 3-year-old Litigate (Blame), who won the G3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay six days later.

In his second graded stakes assignment, Bob Baffert’s Hopkins made it look easy on Sunday at Santa Anita, as he sat close to a fast pace and proved much the best in the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes (G3), winning by 2 ¼ lengths under Juan Hernandez while getting six furlongs in 1:08.80.