Monday, September 15 2008

BANROCK TAKES LEAD AND HOLDS ON FOR COLE VICTORY

Nyala Farm’s Banrock found himself in the unlikely role of pacesetter Sunday afternoon at Belmont Park in the 33rd running of the $109,900 Ashley T. Cole Handicap at nine furlongs on the turf, but wound up in more familiar surroundings. Namely, Belmont Park’s winners’ circle.

Favored by the crowd of 4,816, especially with the scratches of Hammock and Al Basha, Banrock took the lead to set a quarter-mile of 26.86, a half of :52.05. The portable rail was out 18 feet on the soft inner turf course, and with the pace as slow as it was, jockey Kent Desormeaux rode Banrock with supreme confidence.

SUNDAY STAKES GO TO COZZI CAPITAL, PARIS WINDS & J Z WARRIOR

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Cozzi Capital closed with a rush to capture the first division of the $70,000 Revidere Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday as Paris Winds came home on top in the second division. Earlier in the day the Bill Mott-trained J Z Warrior, the 3-10 favorite, ran away from her competition in taking the $60,000 Light Hearted Stakes by nine lengths.

Trained by Herman Wilensky, Cozzi Capital went the mile and a sixteenth over a turf course rated “good” in 1:41 2/5 and returned $8.40, $4.40 and $3.20 in the field of nine older fillies and mares. It was a nose back to Oh Deanne O, who completed the $57.40 exacta and paid $8 and $4. Diamond Dina, the pacesetter, was another length and a quarter back in third, good for a $6.40 show mutuel.

QUOTA GETS THERE IN TIME FOR SAFELY KEPT STAKES WIN

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Sept. 14, 2008) – Adele B. Dilschneider & Claiborne Farm’s Quota overtook pacesetting Magnetic Miss in the waning yards to win the $54,900 Safely Kept Stakes by a half-length on Sunday at Arlington Park. Junior Alvarado rode the Al Stall Jr.-trained daughter of Seeking the Gold who covered the six furlongs over Polytrack in 1:09.65.

The Safely Kept was the second win in three starts this year for the homebred 4-year-old filly, and her fourth victory in eight starts over all. She earned $32,940 to boost her bankroll to $153,731.

Sunday, September 14 2008

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sun. Sept. 14

JOCKEY JESSE JUMPING BACK IN SADDLE THURSDAY

Arlington Park jockey Jesse Campbell, injured in a spill on Arlington-Washington Lassie Day Sept. 6, has been named to ride three mounts on Thursday’s program at the Northwest Chicago oval.

“I’m going to try and ride Thursday and see how I feel,” said Campbell Saturday afternoon. “I’d like to try and ride three Thursday and two or three Friday, and maybe more than Saturday because it’s a stakes day.”

Campbell’s injuries were originally expected to keep him out of action for a couple of weeks, but the Lake Zurich native feels he has responded well to the daily physical therapy he has undergone for the last week.

MUSIC NOTE TAKES IT EASY AND TAKES GAZELLE EASILY

Godolphin Stable’s Music Note returned to Belmont Park on Saturday afternoon and made herself right at home with a push-button, 8 ½-length victory in the 113th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Gazelle for three-year-old fillies at nine furlongs. She returned $2.10 as the favorite of 5,657 fans.

The A.P. Indy filly has now won five of seven starts, and one of her losses came against Proud Spell by a head in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alabama. Proud Spell is heading for the Fitz Dixon Cotillion at Philadelphia Park next weekend, and it may be that the three-year-old filly championship will come down to the wire if those two continue their impressive seasons.

FUTURITY, MATRON RECAP

Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren’s Charitable Man turned in a solid, professional effort Saturday afternoon in just his second career start and won the 119th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Futurity at Belmont Park for two-year-olds at seven furlongs by a length over Flying Pegasus.

In fact, the victory impressed jockey Alan Garcia so much that he made a bold prediction

“He’s going to the Kentucky Derby,” Garcia said.

He is certainly on the right track. Charitable Man is a son of Lemon Drop Kid, who won the Futurity in 1998, and then went on to win the Belmont Stakes and Travers in 1999 and the 2000 Whitney.

Tenjectory pulls 17-1 La Prevoyante upset

Tenjectory, owned by T.V. Stables, wore down 3-5 favourite Authenicat in deep stretch to take Saturday's $125,000 La Prevoyante Stakes, an Ontario Sires event for three-year-old fillies, at Woodbine.

With Eurico Rosa da Silva at the controls, Tenjectory rallied stoutly in the one mile turf dash and outdueled Authenicat for her first added-money score.

After Manitoba Miss led the nine-horse field through a quarter-mile in :23.96 and a half in :47.84 over a 'yielding' turf, the daughter of Trajectory, sitting seventh, had her work cut out as the field straightened away for the lengthy stretch drive.

Second chance at big Megapick prize goes Sunday at Woodbine

Woodbine Racetrack presented three lucky Woodbine $1 million Megapick participants with their prizes this week.

The FREE-to-enter contest, at http://www.theracetrack.ca, offers up to $1 million in prize money and asks participants to predict the entire outcome of particular races from the winning horse to the last steed under the wire.

Off Duty repeats in Marfa Stakes

Off Duty was on the job Saturday at Turfway Park, winning the Marfa Stakes for the second consecutive year.

Off Duty enjoyed a perfect stalking trip under jockey Larry Melancon and got the best of a stretch duel to win by a neck over Nakayama Arashi, who raced right behind the winner throughout the 6 1/2 furlong sprint. Native Ruler, who led the field through the first half-mile, laid down fractions of :22.19 and :44.27 before settling for third, another 5 3/4 lengths back. Final time was 1:16.08.

Georgia Ryon upsets John Deere Sprint Stakes

Florence, KY . . . September 13, 2008 . . . Georgia Ryon pulled off a major upset in Friday’s $25,000 John Deere Turfway Park Sprint Stakes at Turfway Park, as American Quarter Horses made their debut over Polytrack.

The stakes race not only was a milestone for Quarter Horses on the newest generation of all-weather surfaces but also marked the first time the breed had raced at Turfway in 36 years. The race drew plenty of interest from a large crowd on hand for the track’s Friday night activities, including a barbecue festival. As the Quarter Horses broke the gate at 11:30 p.m., fans were lined up six and seven deep on the rail.

BIG BROWN GAMELY HOLDS OFF PROUDINSKY BY NECK TO CAPTURE $500,000 MONMOUTH STAKES ON TURF

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Big Brown thrilled a crowd of 17,047 at Monmouth Park Saturday, displaying championship form as he dug in gamely when challenged to win the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes Presented by IEAH Stables by a neck over the hard-charging Proudinsky.

Big Brown, who had just about locked up the 3-year-old title by winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Haskell Invitational earlier this season, defeated older horses for the first time in the inaugural running of the Monmouth Stakes at a mile and an eighth on the turf.

MR. KEEPER PREPS FOR MARYLAND MILLION WITH OLIVER’S TWIST STAKES VICTORY

William Backer’s Mr. Keeper let the others do their thing before he split horses and drew off to a convincing victory in the $50,000 Oliver’s Twist Stakes for 2-year-old Maryland-breds at Laurel Park. The son of Lion Hearted will be pointed to the $150,000 Maryland Million Nursery at Laurel on October 4.

Pilanesberg shot to the lead in the 5-1/2 furlong test on the yielding turf but bolted entering the turn, carrying Helookslikearnold to the outer rail. That left four runners with a fighting chance, but Mr. Keeper had their measure and won off by three lengths in 1:03.56. Morning line favorite Peace Town, promising Ready to Cruise and Count on Lou scratched.