Uncover the Next Racing Stars

Friday at Oaklawn

In race 7 at Oaklawn, Calling Card initially ran below expectations when making his first start against winners in a 1 1/16-mile $125,000 allowance optional claimer. He rated in midfield behind fractions of 23.66, 48.20, and 1:13.63. However, he lost ground to the top two finishers and came home third by seven lengths. But J. Keeler Johnson believes in giving watch list members a chance to rebound. So, he'll keep Calling Card on the list and look for his next big performance.

On the other hand, #2 SANDMAN ($5.20) showed great determination under @cristiantorr64 around the far turn. He ran down the leader in the stretch to win the race. The 2-year-old son of Tapit, trained by @markecasse, is progressing in the right direction and may have more to offer in the future.

Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs

Nic’s Style had another impressive win at Tampa Bay Downs. In race 6, she picked up her fifth win from six starts by conquering Florida-bred rivals in the seven-furlong FTBOA City of Ocala Florida Sire. She never trailed more than 1 1/2 lengths behind splits of 22.38 and 44.87 seconds and took over in the homestretch to score by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:21.84. A remarkable performance by this 4-year-old filly.

Fair Grounds

After a couple of defeats against open company, Touchuponastar got back on track at Fair Grounds. In race 3, facing fellow Louisiana-breds in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic, he was favored at 1-5 to win the 1 1/8-mile race for the third year in a row. He carved out slow fractions of 25.02, 49.48, and 1:13.99 before accelerating his final three furlongs in 36.94 seconds to win easily by 5 1/4 lengths in 1:50.93. Touchuponastar has now reached the millionaire status!

Los Alamitos

In race 8 at Los Alamitos, Gaming faced a setback in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). He stayed within a length of the reasonable pace fractions set by stablemate Getaway Car but couldn't hold on at the top of the stretch and weakened to finish third by 6 1/2 lengths as the 1-2 favorite. This marked a regression from his runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile over the same 1 1/16-mile distance. We'll have to wait and see more from Gaming to determine his future.

However, JOURNALISM ($7.60) made headlines in the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). The two-year-old son of Curlin, ridden by @umbyrispoli for trainer @mwmracing, took another step forward in his stakes debut. He tracked the pace on the outside before pulling clear of Getaway Car to prevail by 3 1/2 lengths in a good time of 1:43.04. With a pedigree that includes a Curlin sire and an Uncle Mo mare, Journalism has the potential to shine in the spring classics and is a serious Kentucky Derby contender for trainer Michael McCarthy.