Last weekend was a relatively quiet one in regards to the number of graded stakes held around the country, and as a result, there were just a few changes in the American Graded Stakes Standings.
The trainers list saw the most significant activity this week, as Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher continued to wage their own private battle at the top of the AGS trainer chart. Buoyed by the victories of Old Tune and Verrazano, Todd Pletcher moved into first in the standings, with eight graded stakes winners, the same as Baffert. Pletcher edged past the Hall of Fame trainer by virtue of the number of winners he has trained – 10 as compared to nine for Baffert.
Old Tune remained undefeated in the U.S. with a sharp 1 ¼-length victory in the G3 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The 5-year-old mare by Wild Event has shown an affinity for the Tampa Bay turf course, having also won the G3 Endeavour Stakes over the same strip in February. Racing as a homebred for Haras Internacional (Stud TNT), Old Tune was a four-time Group 1 winner in her native Brazil, and looks like she’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the female turf division this year...click here for the full article