Friday, September 12 2008

$1.1 Million Medgalia d’Oro Filly Highlights Thursday Session of Keeneland September Sale

A half-sister by Medaglia d’Oro to Group 2 winner King of Rome sparked a bidding war that in the end produced Thursday’s $1.1 million sale topper at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale.

Newmarket-based trainer Paul D’Arcy signed the ticket for the filly on behalf of London surgeon Dr. Karen Sanderson. Consigned by Tom Evans’ Trackside Farm, agent for Liberation Farm, the filly is out of the Forty Niner mare Amizette, and from the family of champion Althea and stakes winners Twining, Ali Oop and Ketoh. Her half-brother, King of Rome, by Montjeu (IRE), won the Group 2 Royal Whip Stakes at Leopardstown in August for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Thursday, September 11 2008

YOUNGSTERS GET A CHANCE TO SHINE IN FUTURITY, MATRON

Many promising two-year-olds debut at Saratoga Race Course, but it is at Belmont Park’s Fall Championship meet that racing’s future stars distinguish themselves. Horses such as Man o’War, Bold Ruler, Affirmed and Forty Niner made their presence known in the Futurity, while its filly counterpart, the Matron, has showcased such luminaries as Storm Flag Flying, Before Dawn, Cicada, and Beaugay early in their careers.

Saturday, a field of seven colts looks to take a step toward stardom when the Grade 2, $250,000 Futurity is run for the 119th time, while nine fillies go postward in the 102nd edition of the Grade 2, $250,000 Matron, both at seven furlongs.

`LITTLE FISH’ AWESOME I AM GOES AFTER BIG ONE IN GAZELLE

Even if the field was larger, Godolphin Stable’s Music Note would still be a standout in Saturday’s 113th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Gazelle for three-year-old fillies at nine furlongs.

Not only is Music Note battle-tested – Music Note comes in off a thrilling head loss to archrival Proud Spell in the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga Race Course on August 16 – but the A.P. Indy filly is back at Belmont Park, where she has won three of four career starts, including Grade 1 victories in the nine-furlong Mother Goose and the Coaching Club American Oaks at a mile and a quarter.

After the Applause tries turf in Natalma

TORONTO, September 11 - Trainer Nicholas Gonzalez will attempt to net his meet-leading ninth stakes win of the 2008 Woodbine campaign in Sunday's $150,000 Natalma Stakes.

The Fort Erie resident will saddle After the Applause in the Grade 3 event, which, as a 'Win and You're In' race, guarantees a berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

Bred in Kentucky by Hal Snowden, Jr., After the Applause began her career in South Florida, in the barn of Stephen DiMauro.

Jessluvchicks favored in Quarter Horse Sprint

Multiple stakes winner Jessluvchicks is the 8-5 morning line favorite for the $25,000 John Deere Turfway Park Sprint Stakes at Turfway on Friday, September 12. The race marks the national debut for racing American Quarter Horses on Polytrack. The sprint is carded as race 11, with post time at 11:21 p.m. First post Friday is 7 pm.

Jessluvchicks will break from the outside post 10, with regular rider Harold Collins up for trainer Ron Raper and owner Jeannette Hoover. A six-year-old gelding by Chicks Beduino, Jessluvchicks has five wins in his last six starts, including the John Deere Lexington Challenge Sprint Stakes at The Red Mile July 18 and the Don Boyd Memorial Handicap, also part of the John Deere Series, at Mt. Pleasant Meadows in Michigan on July 6.

Big Brown Draw Post 4, Meets 10 Older Runners in Saturday’’s $500,000 Monmouth Stakes on Gras

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Big Brown, winner of four Grade 1 races this year including the Haskell Invitational and undisputed leader of the 3-year-old division, drew Post 4 Thursday as a field of 11 was entered for Saturday’s inaugural running of the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes Presented by IEAH Stables.

Big Brown, owned by IEAH Stables in partnership with Paul Pompa Jr.,Gary Tolchin, Andrew Cohen and Pegasus Holdings Group, will carry 120 pounds as a 3-year-old racing against older horses. He will be ridden again by Kent Desormeaux, who has been aboard in all of the colt’s seven lifetime races except the first last September at Saratoga, when Big Brown broke his maiden on turf.

TWO-YEAR-OLDS TO TEST LAUREL PARK TURF IN OLIVER’S TWIST STAKES

Put up $50,000, scramble in some precocious 2-year-olds, set the distance at 5-1/2 furlongs and the result is Saturday’s feature offering at Laurel Park, the grassy Oliver’s Twist Stakes.

Mike Trombetta trains undefeated Peace Town, the 9-5 morning line favorite. Peace Town won his debut race by eight lengths at Delaware Park in mid-June, and then on August 14 at Laurel stumbled from the gate in his second career start only to rally to win by three-parts of a length. Julian Pimentel is named to ride.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sept. 11

SWEET DREAMS WISHED FOR ‘CANDYMAN’ IN SATURDAY’S FUTURITY

Can Joseph Rauch and David Zell’s Capt. Candyman Can justify his 5-2 morning line favoritism in Saturday’s Grade III Arlington-Washington Futurity?

Dr. Rauch, 65, an emergency physician living in Umatilla, Florida, who has dabbled in Thoroughbred ownership since graduating from medical school, is keeping his fingers crossed.

Capt. Candyman Can has only run once, and wasn’t expected to do much in that race. He went to the post at nearly 20-1 in that Saratoga start on Aug. 13, and Rauch stayed in Florida to watch the race on TVG.

Mr. Greeley Colt Sells for $875,000 During Strong Wednesday Session

A colt by Mr. Greeley brought a final bid of $875,000 from Zayat Stables to top a strong third day of selling at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale.

The colt is the first foal from the unraced Old Trieste mare Chinoe Road. Chinoe Road is out of 1987 champion juvenile filly Epitome and a half-sister to stakes winners Essence of Dubai and Danjur. The colt was consigned by Gainesway, agent.

“He is a beautiful horse; he looked exactly like his father,” said Sobhy Sonbol, racing manager for Ahmed Zayat.

Major Film Awards to Gulfstream-Based ‘The Art of Road Kill’

“Team Chaos,” a film-making team led by noted writer, director and Northern Star contributor Alyn Darnay, won four major awards last weekend in the recent 48-Hour Film Festival for “The Art of Road Kill,” a short movie with many of its major scenes shot at Gulfstream Park.

Of the contest’s 12 awards, “Team Chaos” won for Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Musical Score and Best Screenplay.

Churchill Downs Incorporated, FTBOA Reach Slots Agreement at Calder Race Course

Officials of Churchill Downs Incorporated (“Company” or “CDI”) (NASDAQ: CHDN) and representatives of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, Inc. d/b/a the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association (“FTBOA”) have come to agreement on a slots contract for when Calder Race Course (“Calder”) begins slots operations on a yet-to-be-determined date.

Under the terms of the slots agreement, Florida breeders would receive 0.75 percent of slot revenue for the duration of the agreement, which has an initial ten-year term. The Company previously reached an agreement with the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (“FHBPA”) on a 2008 purse contract at Calder Race Course and on a slots contract, which also has a ten-year term.

ARLINGTON-WASHINGTON FUTURITY DRAWS FULL FIELD OF 14

Joseph Rauch and David Zell’s Capt. Candyman Can has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite for Saturday’s Grade III $200,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity, the meet’s main event for 2-year-olds at one mile on Polytrack which drew a full field of 14 freshmen.

A son of the Argentine-bred stallion Candy Ride, Capt. Candyman Can enters the Futurity off just one start – an impressive 7 ½-length maiden score at Saratoga on August 13. Since that effort, the Ian Wilkes charge had a useful five-furlong drill over the synthetic surface at Sky Training Center in Kentucky on Sept. 7, getting the distance in 1:01 flat. He will be ridden Saturday by Julien Leparoux.