Sunday, August 31 2008

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/30/8

ABRAMS' MENSA HEAT JOINS THE CROWD FOR DEL MAR FUTURITY

Maiden winner Mensa Heat becomes the 11th potential starter in Wednesday's Grade I, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity, the final stakes race of the 43-day meet where the turf meets the surf.

Jockey Joel Rosario has been chosen to ride if the 2-year-old son of Unusual Heat goes in the 7-furlong Futurity. Abrams has another option: The colt is entered in Monday's $100,000 I'm Smokin Stakes for 2-year-old Cal-breds at 6 furlongs on the main track. If Abrams exercises that option, Clinton Potts will ride.

Barn Notes: Saturday, August 30, 2008

THE BRITISH ARE COMING – ONCE AGAIN THIS SEASON AT ARLINGTON!

European-based horses finished one-two-three in this summer’s Grade I Arlington Million, and one-two in Arlington’s Grade I Secretariat Stakes on that same afternoon, but apparently once was not enough. Now the British have sent one more invader to America in advance of Arlington’s Grade III Pucker Up Stakes Sept. 6.

Upcoming on the Arlington graded stakes turf stage is a Jazz Jam. She’s a British-bred sophomore filly owned by Faisal Salman and trained by Paul Cole in Great Britain, but will probably run in the name of British-born but American-based trainer Graham Motion when she goes to the post in the Pucker Up. The $200,000 race is restricted to 3-year-old fillies and run at nine furlongs over Arlington’s world famous turf course.

Saturday, August 30 2008

UNBEATEN FILLIES HUNGRY IN SPINAWAY; FAWKES BACK IN SARANAC

The problem with winning, especially at Saratoga Race Course, is that it makes you hungry for more.

It’s the best track in the world, and if you can beat the best, well, it lifts you pretty high as well.

Sunday afternoon, two undefeated two-year-old fillies, Saratoga winners already, will head a speed-laden field of eight in the 117th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway at seven furlongs, which will go as the 10th race on an 11-race card. The 101st running of the Grade 3, $100,000-added Saranac for three-year-olds at a mile and three-sixteenths on the turf will be run earlier as the ninth race on Sunday’s card.

WHAT’S HAPPENING FINAL STRETCH WEEKEND AT SARATOGA RACE COURSE

Final Stretch Weekend, Saratoga Race Course and downtown Saratoga Springs. The Spa’s 140th meet culminates in a four day, community–wide, family oriented celebration featuring sunset racing, live music, entertainment, games, food, and the world’s best Thoroughbred racing.

· Sunset Racing, Saratoga Race Course, special first post time 2:45 p.m., gates open at 12 Noon. Kicking off the first evening of Final Stretch weekend, Saratoga Race Course will feature a late-afternoon card with sunset racing at the Spa. Happy hour pricing will be available on food and beverages throughout the track, including Restaurant Row, beginning at 5 p.m.

Not Bourbon tries turf for the first time in Vice Regent

TORONTO, August 29 - Queen's Plate champ Not Bourbon returns to the Ontario-sired ranks in Sunday's $125,000 Vice Regent Stakes at Woodbine.

The Charles Fipke-owned colt hasn't raced since finishing sixth in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie on July 13.

The one-mile Vice Regent will be the homebred's first attempt over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

DUFFY’S TAVERN SETS RECORD IN MONMOUTH VICTORY

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Joel A. Kligman’s Duffy’s Tavern ran down the speeding pacesetters in the stretch and drew off to a record-setting victory in the $45,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Friday.

The winner, trained by Jim Ryerson and ridden by Pedro Cotto Jr., sped the five furlongs over a firm turf course in :55.18 to erase the mark of :55.37 set just Thursday by Knockinelder. It is a record for the distance with the portable rail set 36 feet out from the hedge.

SLEW’S TIZNOW WINS EL CAJON STAKES

Unraced since October of last year, Slew's Tiznow displayed no signs of rustiness
as he breezed to an impressive victory Friday in the featured $108,700 El Cajon Stakes for three-year-olds at one mile.

Slipping through on the rail turning into the stretch under leading rider Rafael Bejarano, Slew's Tiznow disposed of pacesetting Young Joe and then drew off to win by three lengths in 1:35.62.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/29/8

TWO MORE ADDED TO POSSIBLE DEL MAR FUTURITY LINEUP

Maiden winner Wild Wild Posse, from the barn of trainer Doug O'Neill, and Myung Kwan Cho's non-winner Street Hero have joined the potential field for Wednesday's 61st Grade I, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity at 7 furlongs on the main track.

Wild Wild Posse, a $210,000 yearling purchase at the 2007 Keeneland September sale, is owned by Vinery Stables and Jeff Singer. He was a winner at first asking August 9 at Del Mar, finishing 1 1/2 lengths in front at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Aug. 29

RIVELLI READIES ‘RAVIN’ FOR UPCOMING LASSIE; ‘JAMES’ FOR FUTURITY

The 73rd renewal of the Grade III Arlington-Washington Lassie approaches Sept. 6, and one week later on Sept. 13 is the 74th running of the Grade III Arlington-Washington Futurity.

And the way things are going lately, Arlington Park trainer Larry Rivelli appears loaded for bear in both spots.

Richard Ravin and Rivelli’s Ravin Maniac, coming off an impressive win over Arlington’s Polytrack course Aug. 7, breezed five-eighths Friday morning in 1:01.20 in preparation for next weekend’s Lassie, Arlington’s traditional one-mile main event for juvenile fillies.

Friday, August 29 2008

DARK EQUATION MAKES HIS TURN COUNT IN NY TURF WRITERS CUP

Beverly R. Steinman’s Dark Equation bounced back from a loss to his stablemate earlier this meet to take the 67th running of the Grade 1, $159,300 New York Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase Handicap by a half-length over Be Certain. Stablemate High Action, who defeated Dark Equation in the Grade 2 A.P. Smithwick Memorial here on August 7, finished third.

Trained by Paul Fout and ridden by Matt McCarron, who teamed up to win this race in 2005 with Hirapour, 7-year-old Dark Equation completed the two miles and three-eighths over national fences in 4:31.28 on the firm course. He paid $19 to win.

LUCKY ISLAND SCARES NO ONE OUT OF FOREGO

Saturday’s 29th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Forego was to have been a battle royal between Benny the Bull and Lucky Island, who would have put their respective five- and four-race win streaks on the line in this seven-furlong event that is the last major sprint on Saratoga Race Course’s 2008 calendar.

Wednesday, it was announced that a chip was discovered in Benny the Bull’s right-front ankle, essentially ending his racing career. Yet, his defection has not thinned the field and now Lucky Island will face nine others in the Forego. The Forego, always an entertaining race, figures to get the crowd warmed up for the day’s biggest race, the 55th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward and the Saratoga debut of 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin (MSG; 5:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern).

HORSE OF THE YEAR CURLIN MAKES SARATOGA DEBUT IN WOODWARD

Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero, Jr., a six-time winner of the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, put it this way: “The Woodward has been a race that’s always been won by a good horse, and this year will be no different.”

Unless it is won by a great horse.

And that horse just might be Stonestreet Stable’s Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year, Breeders’ Cup Classic champion and Dubai World Cup hero who is making his historic debut at Saratoga Race Course in Saturday’s 55th running of the $500,000 Woodward at a mile and an eighth..