The 5-year-old Indian Charlie mare made short work of a short field in an off-the-turf edition of the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes (G3T), closing from third and striding away to a 3 1/2-length victory.

The odds were against Antone Metaxas’ Zakaroff during the El Camino Real Derby (G3), and it wasn’t just because of his number on the infield tote board at Golden Gate Fields.

The late champion Royal Delta was honored twice on the Gulfstream Park card Feb. 18. First with her namesake grade 2 stakes and then again in the last race, when her half brother Delta Prince stormed to victory on the grass. 

Raymond Mamone’s Imperial Hint made a mild stumble at the start, but recovered to take the lead and never wavered down the lane in the $250,000 General George Stakes (G3) Feb. 18 at Laurel Park.

Martin Schwartz’s High Ridge Road came into the $300,000 Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G2) with an undefeated record at Laurel Park and again would not be denied Feb. 18.

One could argue the turf female division was the best pound-for-pound in Thoroughbred racing last season. On Feb. 18, two of the more fearsome members took the first step toward a return to wreaking havoc in 2017.

Curlin’s Approval handled a stretch out in distance with emphatic ease, galloping to a six-length triumph in the $200,000 Royal Delta Stakes (G2) going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park Feb. 18.

Curlin’s Approval handled a stretch out in distance with emphatic ease, galloping to a six-length triumph in the $200,000 Royal Delta Stakes (G2) going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park Feb. 18.

Peacock Racing Stables’ Gunnevera breezed five furlongs in 1:01 Feb. 18 at Gulfstream Park West in preparation for a scheduled start in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park March 4. 

M M G Stables’ multiple grade 3 winner El Areeb returned to the work tab with a sharp half-mile breeze over Laurel Park’s main track Feb. 18.

Each week BloodHorse.com looks forward to the weekend’s biggest races. This week, we have a pair of graded stakes at Laurel Park, a Triple Crown prep at Golden Gate Fields, and more.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing a plan to keep racing afloat at Finger Lakes Racetrack that calls for new contributions to a purse account from the track’s owners.

After finding Illuminant’s top gear in the spring of 2016, trainer Michael McCarthy had to hit the brakes.

Robert LaPenta and Harry Rosenblum’s Uncontested will look to score an Oaklawn Park Triple Crown prep double in the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3).

The New York Racing Association issued legal notice for the solicitation of a professional architecture firm to provide design services related to the possible development of a building to be located immediately adjacent to the end of the Clubhouse.

Where a equine herpesvirus type-1 outbreak at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots disrupted initial plans for Gun Runner’s 2017 debut, a looming threat from Mother Nature could toss yet another wrench into his connections’ best-laid hopes.

The final horses remaining in the testing protocols for the equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots have returned two negative tests and have been released back into the general horse population on the backstretch.