Weekly Random Racing Bits: WWRB February 10th

Here, in no particular order, is a review of some of the major stories surrounding racing this past week:

Twirling Candy ascended to another plane of performance on Saturday when winning the Strub Stakes in one of the most overwhelmingly easy victories I have seen since I began following racing. He is now the front-runner for the Older Male Horse championship, even at this early stage in the year.

Giant Oak isn’t too far behind Twirling Candy in the Older Horse Division after winning the Donn Handicap on Saturday over a very strong field to register his second Grade 1 victory.

Capt. Candyman Can returned triumphant from a 15 months layoff in the Super Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs to prove that he will have a lot to say in this year’s sprint division. I look forward to seeing him racing against the nation’s elite once again after he ran a terrific 2009 campaign.

Also on Saturday Toby’s Corner ran away to a 2 length victory in the Whirlaway Stakes over a muddy Aqueduct track. It was the Bellamy Road colt’s third consecutive victory, albeit over a seemingly average field. It remains to be seen if he can become a major player on the Derby trail.

The Mosses seem to have a thing for naming their best fillies and mares with the beginning letter being a ‘Z’. First Zenyatta and now Zazu. On Saturday at Santa Anita Park Zazu defeated heavily favored and then undefeated 3-year-old filly Turbulent Descent by 1 ¼ lengths in the Las Virgenes Stakes after launching a devastating rally from far back around the final turn. I think she will only improve from here on out and should be a major player for the rest of the year.

On Thursday Bold Silvano won the Al Maktoum Challenge R2 at Meydan Racecourse by an easy 2 ½ lengths in preparation for the Dubai World Cup.

On Monday racing fans received the glad tidings that Champion Two Year Old Filly Awesome Feather has been walking under tack for the last week. She could begin jogging in about two weeks if all goes well.

On Sunday Gladding proved he is a force to be reckoned with in the major leagues, winning the San Antonio Stakes (gr.2) over favored Aggie Engineer. Both horses could be headed to the Santa Anita Handicap (gr.1) and a potential showdown with Twirling Candy.

Champion Two Year Old Male, and early Kentucky Derby favorite, Uncle Mo registered his second work of the year on Sunday completing a half mile work in :49 3/5. It was a much more encouraging move than his last and even surprised trainer Todd Pletcher who stated the colt is now ahead of schedule after just two works.

2010 Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer is back in training and preparing for a run at the Mineshaft Handicap and possibly the Dubai World Cup if all goes according to plan.

2009 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed has been retired from racing. The Tiznow gelding won the World Cup by 14 lengths, a record that will probably stand for a long time.

This weekend promises to be an incredible racing extravaganza with a tremendous lineup of Graded stakes races with such high-profile runner as Blind Luck, St. Trinains and Brethren to mention a few,set to run.