Monday, September 01 2008

SILENT ROAR IMPRESSIVE IN SAPLING SCORE

OCEANPORT, N.J. * In a day where both stakes races featured 2-year-olds at Monmouth Park, Silent Valor captured the $150,000 Sapling Stakes for colts and geldings as Selva came home on top in the $100,000 Sorority for fillies.

Silent Valor came around rivals before taking command in the lane and drawing off to a length and a half score in the Grade 3 test, stepping the six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:10 1/5.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Silent Roar returned $5.80, $3.60 and $2.10 as the favorite in the field of six. Officer Ipod completed a $28.20 exacta and paid $4.40 and $2.80. It was another length and three-quarters back to Rereadthefootnotes, who paid $3 to show.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Sunday, August 31, 2008

JOEY P., WHO’S THE COWBOY MEET YET AGAIN IN ICECAPADE MONDAY

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Old rivals Joey P. and Who’s the Cowboy, who were second and third behind a runaway train named Rockerfeller in the Teddy Drone Stakes last out, top Monday’s $75,000 Icecapade Stakes * Run Sully Run, hard to handle in two-turn races, shortens up for trainer Cam Gambolati in the $60,000 Gilded Time Stakes on Monday’s Labor Day program.

The top Labor Day stakes offering Monday at Monmouth will bring out some old favorites when Joey P. and Who’s the Cowboy contest the $75,000 Icecapade Stakes at six furlongs.

Sand Cove saves day for Attfield

TORONTO, August 31 - Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield had looked forward to running Queen's Plate winner Not Bourbon in Sunday's featured Vice Regent Stakes at Woodbine.

Unfortunately, the chestnut colt hurt himself in the stall earlier in the day, forcing Attfield to scratch the star pupil from his turf debut.

Attfield was left to saddle Ralph Johnson's Sand Cove in the one mile turf stake. The son of Bold Executive, ridden by Slade Callaghan, proved a game winner over Delaforce, registering a half-length triumph on a firm E.P. Taylor Turf Course, getting the distance in a stakes record 1:33.76. The first two finishers were also making their turf debuts.

Woodbine $1 million Megapick contest to launch Monday

TORONTO, August 31 - There's a million reasons to pay attention to the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races at Woodbine over the next several weeks.

A free-to-enter, lottery-style contest called the Woodbine $1,000,000 Megapick asks fans to choose the exact order of finish for the entire field from three of Woodbine's six Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races, the Woodbine Mile on September 7, the Natalma Stakes on September 14 and the Pattison Canadian International on October 4.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/31/8

ELEVEN 2-YEAR-OLD MALES SET FOR CLOSING DAY'S FUTURITY

Surprise! Surprise!

That's how many surprises popped up as 11 2-year-old males were entered today for Wednesday's Grade I, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity at 7 furlongs on the main track.

Missing from the field will be Jeff Mullins' impressive August 9 maiden winner Arashi Cat, whom Mullins said this morning developed a quarter crack that sidelined him. "He'll be okay soon," the trainer said. "He has a long life ahead of him and there'll be plenty of races for him."

MADEO UPSETS IN DEL MAR DERBY

Under a perfectly-judged ride by jockey Mike Smith, longshot Madeo took command in the final sixteenth and then held off the late charge of odds-on favored Gio Ponti to win the $350,000 Del Mar Derby, championship race of the summer season for three-year-olds, Sunday.

Madeo, bred and owned by Mr. And Mrs. Jerry Moss and trained by John Shirreffs, hit the wire a half-length in front of the eastern invader, Gio Ponti, who was forced wide entering the stretch under Garrett Gomez. Tangled Tango, who set the pace in the nine-furlong race over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course, held on gamely to be third, three-quarters of a length back of the runner-up and a neck in front of fourth-place Nownownow.

Barn Notes:  Sunday, August 31, 2008

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION NOW AS INEZ TIGHTENS APPRENTICE RACE

Red-hot jockey Inez Karlsson, who won the first race of her career shortly before Arlington Park’s 2007 season ended, rode three more winners Saturday to continue her quest for leading apprentice honors at the meeting.

Fellow apprentice Brandon Meier, who quickly built a seemingly insurmountable number of Arlington victories after breaking his maiden with his first career mount earlier this season, was shut out Saturday to remain at 52 wins, while Karlsson narrowed the gap to be credited with 46 wins through Saturday’s races.

Including Sunday’s racing program, there are 14 racing days left in the 2008 Arlington meeting, which concludes Sept. 21.

Sunday, August 31 2008

CURLIN TURNS GHOSTBUSTER IN WOODWARD

By Francis LaBelle Jr.

Graveyard of Champions?

Not on this day.

Fighting off tight quarters early and the ghosts of Saratoga Race Course that have mischievously messed up the plans of trainers and bettors alike throughout history, Stonestreet Stable’s defending Horse of the Year Curlin made his Spa debut a resounding success as he won Saturday’s 55th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward for three-year-olds and up at nine furlongs.

FIRST DEFENCE TAKES FOREGO, AS `LUCK’ RUNS OUT

By Francis LaBelle Jr.

Juddmonte Farm’s First Defence was winless in three career start at Saratoga Race Course coming into Saturday’s 29th running of the $250,000, seven-furlong Forego. A talented son of Unbridled’s Song, he finally became a graded stakes winner when he won the Grade 3 Jaipur on the turf at Belmont Park by a head.

Still, he hadn’t quite met the lofty expectations that Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel had set for him.

Until the Forego.

HARTY HOPES TO “PARTY” IN GRADE 1 THREE CHIMNEYS HOPEFUL

Trainer Eoin Harty is looking to cap off an exciting six weeks at Saratoga Race Course on Monday when Darley Stable’s high-priced Desert Party faces Michael Tabor’s costly colt Munnings in the 104th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful for two-year-olds stretching out to seven furlongs.

Also on Monday, Dynaforce and Hostess lead a field of seven fillies and mares in the 13th edition of the Grade 3, $100,000-added Glens Falls Handicap at 1 3/8 miles over the turf course.

Along with the two stakes races, the historic track will offer free grandstand and clubhouse admission as part of Saratoga’s Fan Appreciation Day. Reserve seating is still in effect at $10 for each clubhouse seat and $6 for each grandstand seat.

FAN APPRECIATION DAY (and more!) on SPA MEET’S FINAL DAY

The 2008 Saratoga Race Course season heads towards its grand finale Monday, Labor Day, with an 11-race card topped by the 104th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful, the kid-friendly attractions of Family Fun Fest, the traditional Labor Day Barbeque and, in appreciation of Saratoga’s loyal fans, free grandstand and clubhouse admission (reserved seat prices unchanged).

“We wish to recognize the greatest Thoroughbred racing fans in the world for laboring with us during a rain-soaked first-half of the meet,” said New York Racing Association President and CEO Charles Hayward. “NYRA would like to salute its fans this Labor Day by inviting them to experience a day at the races on us with a chance to catch an early glimpse at some potential 2009 Triple Crown contenders in the running of the Three Chimneys Hopeful.”

Sugar Bay sweet in Ontario Colleen triumph

TORONTO, August 30*Augustin Stable's Sugar Bay, ridden for the first time by Jono Jones, rallied down the centre of the E.P. Taylor Turf Course to take the featured $182,800 Ontario Colleen Stakes, Saturday at Woodbine.

At the finish of the one-mile event for three-year-old fillies, Sugar Bay, an Ontario homebred product of Syncline-Otra Vez, proved a definitive four and one-quarter length winner over import Fareena, with the 9-5 favourite, Lickety Lemon, a further one and one-quarter lengths back in third. The final time over a 'good' turf was 1:34.44.