Friday, September 05 2008

Curlin Loves New York

Stonestreet Farms announced today that the next start for Curlin, 2007 Horse of the Year, will be the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at Belmont Park in New York City.

“The Jockey Club Gold Cup was selected for Curlin in order to continue his legacy as one of America’s greatest thoroughbreds,” said Jess Jackson, majority owner of Curlin.

BIG BROWN HEADS LIST OF 35 NOMS FOR SEPT. 13 MONMOUTH STAKES

Kentucky Derby and Haskell Invitational winner Big Brown tops a list of 35 nominations for the Monmouth Stakes, a mile and an eighth turf test to be contested at Monmouth Park on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., Big Brown will be making just his second career start on turf in the Monmouth Stakes, having broken his maiden on the grass at Saratoga in his debut on Sept. 3, 2007. Following that maiden score, a majority interest in the colt by Boundary from the Nureyev mare Mien was purchased by IEAH Stables. Big Brown races for IEAH Stables, Paul Pompa Jr., Gary Tolchin, Andrew Cohen and Pegasus Holdings Group.

SIX FILLIES SET TO GO IN GIN TALKING STAKES

A promising band of two-year-old fillies will try the turf in the $50,000 Gin Talking Stakes, the feature offering on Saturday at Laurel Park. A “Back to Racing Barbeque” is the on-track promotion for the first weekend of the 17-week fall meeting at the central Maryland track.

The Gin Talking is set for 5-1/2 furlongs and restricted to registered Maryland-breds. Six fillies are entered, topped by Graceful Ginger, the 8-5 morning line favorite.

Keeneland September Yearling Sale Opens Monday

Keeneland will play host to the international Thoroughbred community for the next two weeks as its 65th annual September Yearling Sale opens Monday.

Keeneland has cataloged a record 5,555 yearlings – the largest ever offered – for the September Sale, to be held September 8-23. Sessions begin daily at 10 a.m. ET; no sale will be conducted Friday, September 12.

Arlington Park Barn Notes - Thursday, September 4, 2008

TIMMY’S SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

All’s well that ends well – and that’s the way it worked out for Arlington jockey Tim Thornton following his apparently wasted weekend trip to Delaware Park.

Thornton, a 21-year-old native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, flew from Chicago to Philadelphia to ride Ron Frankel, Gerald Frankel and Michael Coit’s Sagaponack in Delaware’s Grade III Kent Stakes last Saturday.

Thursday, September 04 2008

FRANKEL LOOKING FOR A THIRD WOODBINE MILE WIN

Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel will be looking for his third win in the Woodbine Mile on Sunday, when he sends out Juddmonte Farms' Ventura in the Grade 1, $1 million turf classic.

Ventura, a four-year-old daughter of Chester House, has won three of her five starts this year after campaigning in England as a two and three-year-old. She'll also try to become the first filly to win the Woodbine Mile in its 12 editions.

Fall Championship draws 10 for “Win and You’re In” shot

The 59th running of the $100,000 Turfway Park Fall Championship (G3), lengthened to 1 1/2 miles for its debut as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, has drawn a talented field of 10 for Saturdays’ renewal at Turfway Park.

Under the Challenge series’ “Win and You’re In” provision, the winner of the race automatically qualifies for the Breeders’ Cup Marathon, part of the $25.5 million Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita next month. Breeders’ Cup races that traditionally run on dirt will instead be run for the first time on an all-weather surface akin to Turfway’s Polytrack.

OAK TREE COMMEMORATIVE STEIN TO BE GIVEN AWAY OPENING DAY, SEPT. 24

ARCADIA, Calif. (Sept. 3, 2008)—The Oak Tree Racing Association will kick off its 40th anniversary season by rewarding all fans who attend on-track with a beautiful Oak Tree Commemorative Stein on opening day, Sept. 24. This is the 22nd consecutive year the stein has been offered to fans, making it the longest running and most popular promotion in Oak Tree history.

The steins, free with paid admission, have become prized collector’s items and will feature the likeness of Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who won an unprecedented four Breeders’ Cup races at Oak Tree in 2003. His four Breeders’ Cup champions, Halfbridled, Pleasantly Perfect, Johar and Action This Day, will also be depicted.

MCLAUGHLIN HOPES SPA SUCCESS CONTINUES IN GARDEN CITY

When Kiaran McLaughlin wrapped up his first training title at last Monday at Saratoga Race Course, the first congratulatory phone calls he received came from a pair of former title holders -- Todd Pletcher, who finished a close second in the standings, and D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall of Fame trainer for whom both McLaughlin and Pletcher were assistants.

“It meant a lot that both called me,” said McLaughlin. “It was a very nice accomplishment and a credit to my owners and the quality of the horses they sent me, and to my staff. We’ve got a nice group of horses.”

INDIAN BLESSING RETURNS VS. OLDER FOES IN RUFFIAN

The other morning at Saratoga Race Course, jockey John Velazquez was standing outside Indian Blessing’s stall after working the 2007 juvenile filly champion six furlongs in preparation for Saturday’s 33rd running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Ruffian at Belmont Park.

“I never rode her going long, but if you can sit quietly with her, you can get her to rate in the middle of the track and give her a chance,” said Velazquez.

IDIDNTMEANTO CAPTURES FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

Jack Mandato’s Ididntmeanto prompted the early pace, dropped back to third on the turn, and then came with a rush through the stretch to take the $40,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Wednesday.

The winner, trained by Rick Dutrow Jr. and ridden by Pablo Fragoso, scored by nearly three lengths and stopped the timer in 1:10 3/5 for six furlongs on the fast main track.

LIVE RACING RETURNS TO LAUREL PARK ON SEPTEMBER 4

Live racing returns to Laurel Park tomorrow afternoon for the fall meeting. First post is 1:10 p.m. Opening day features free admission. Other September promotions include Back to Racing Barbeque (September 6); College Pride Day (September 13); Track Diva Day and Crab Feast (both September 20) and Vegas or Bust (September 27).

The first three days of the meet will include 10 races on the turf course, including the $50,000 Gin Talking Stakes for two-year-old fillies on Saturday.