Blazing Sunset Sets Sights on a Bigger Prize in Iowa

Blazing Sunset, the upset winner of the Alydar Stakes on May 14 at Hollywood Park, will try for a more lucrative prize on the road tonight.

Purchased privately earlier this year by trainer Doug O’Neill for owner Ro Parra, Blazing Sunset is one of eight 3-year-olds scheduled to run 1 1/16 miles in the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa.

The wire-to-wire win in the Alydar was the first in four starts for Blazing Sunset since he was purchased after winning an allowance race early in the year at Sam Houston in Texas. Tyler Baze will ride tonight.

Either Electrify or Circle The World is likely to be favored in the Iowa Derby. Electrify has won five of nine and leads the field with nearly $273,000 in earnings. Abel Castellano Jr. will ride Electrify.

Owned by Michael Tabor and trained by Todd Pletcher, Circle The World enters off an impressive allowance win at Churchill Downs last month and Rafael Bejarano will be in to ride.

Race of the day: Hit It Skip will try for his third win in four starts on turf when he takes on seven other 3-year-olds in the seventh race, part of a pick six with a carry-over of $86,202 tonight at Hollywood Park. Corey Nakatani is scheduled to ride the Skip Away colt, who has won two of four since being claimed for $40,000 by trainer John Sadler for owners Dave and Herb Alpert. Other contenders in the $51,000 optional claimer at one mile include Wee Jinky, Past Tender and Request Given.

One for the road: Zip Of Fools should improve with a race under her belt and adds the blinkers for the fourth race today at Belmont Park. Mike Smith will ride the 2-year-old City Zip filly for trainer Tom Walsh in the $41,000 maiden affair for New York-breds at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Exotically speaking: A late pick four using Tutta Bella, Walkonkaydeeavenue and Triple Strand in the fifth, Run Goldie Run, Looking Forward, Del Mar Lee and Delmita in the sixth, Hit It Skip, Wee Jinky and Past Tender in the seventh and Highly Gallant in the eighth.

Winners: (previous day/meet total): 1/114. Money: (previous day/meet total): $7/$702.20. Total money bet: $832.