Tuesday, August 26 2008

Juvenile’s Unexpected Win Puts Trainer on Different Track

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," as the saying goes.

It may be a bit extreme to think that trainer Ron Ellis is facing desperate times, but he is facing a time calling for some measures he didn't think he'd need to call on quite so soon.

And it's all because of a precocious 2-year-old named Believe in Hope.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/25/8

POSSIBLE FULL FIELD SHAPING UP FOR GRADE II DEL MAR DERBY

With seven potential starters already in the fold, a full field of 10 appears likely for Sunday's 64th running of the Grade II, $350,000 Del Mar Derby.

Leading lights of those committed at this point to the 1 1/8-mile race on the Jimmy Durante Turf are Sky Cape, winner of Del Mar's Grade II La Jolla Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the turf August 9, and Gio Ponti, winner of the Grade II Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs July 19.

Monday, August 25 2008

A TANGIBLE REWARD FOR INTANGAROO IN THE BALLERINA

By Jenny Kellner

Trainer Gary Sherlock had one thing in mind when he brought Intangaroo from California to Saratoga Race Course: setting her up for year-end honors.

Sunday, the 4-year-old filly came through for the third time in as many Grade 1 starts this year, rallying six-wide around the turn and pulling clear to a 2 ¾-length victory over Miraculous Miss in the 30th running of the $250,000 Ballerina. Favored Sugar Swirl was another three parts of a length back in third.

LADY RIZZI SETS MELLON COURSE RECORD

Lady Rizzi set the Mellon Turf Course record of 1:00.66 for five and a half furlongs at Saratoga Race Course on Sunday afternoon, winning the seventh race by three lengths over entrymate Myakka in the allowance/optional claiming event for New York-bred fillies and mares.

The previous record of 1:01.11 was set by Second in Command – who was once trained by Rice -- in the Troy Stakes on August 14, 2006.

“I set the course record? Are you sure the gate was set in the right spot?,” Rice quipped.

‘Glitter’ rocks the Belle Geste Stakes

TORONTO, August 24 - Glitter Rox rallied from just off the pace to capture Sunday's $100,000 Belle Geste Stakes at Woodbine.

For the Glitterman filly, the seven-furlong event for Ontario-foaled fillies and mares was the first added-money tally of her career.

Glitter Rox finished one length in front of Dance to My Tune, who nosed out Half Sister for the runner-up position.

Koonunga Hill takes Ice Water Stakes

TORONTO, August 24 - Koonunga Hill captured Sunday's inaugural running of the $100,000 Ice Water Stakes at Woodbine.

The seven-furlong E.P. Taylor turf event is for two-year-old fillies.

After a dramatic stretch battle, even-money choice Koonunga Hill prevailed by a nose over Panther Strike. Freyga closed to be third.

Monmouth Park Recap for Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Rancho San Miguel’s Hystericalady successfully defended her crown in the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher Stakes, drawing off to an eight length score after stepping the mile and a sixteenth over a fast main track in 1:43 1/5.

Shining Image, who finished second by a head, was placed first in the Miss Woodford Stakes after Peisinoe, who crossed the wire first, was disqualified for coming out on her rival in the stretch.

Hystericalady broke sharply, before sitting second behind the pacesetter Rolling Sea. She powered past that foe nearing the quarter pole before drawing off easily through the stretch. She won last year’s Molly Pitcher by 6 ¼ lengths.

GO BETWEEN, GOMEZ WIN PACIFIC CLASSIC

Peter Vegso's favored Go Between, runner-up in both the Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup this year, gave jockey Garrett Gomez his second million-dollar victory in two days East to West, capturing the Grade I $1 million Pacific Classic, signature event of the summer racing season at Del Mar.

Gomez, who won the $1 million Travers Stakes for three-year-olds aboard West Coast-based Colonel John at Saratoga, Saturday, drove Go Between to a neck victory over Well Armed, with Mast Track third and Zappa fourth in a field of ten older horses.

WHATSTHESCRIPT WINS DEL MAR MILE

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' Irish-bred Whatsthescript, the 2-1 favorite ridden by 2007's champion jockey Garrett Gomez, unleashed a devastating rally in the stretch Sunday to win the Grade II $400,000 Del Mar Mile, a "Win and You're In" qualifying event for the Breeders' Cup Oct. 24-25 at Santa Anita.

Whatsthescript, trained by John Sadler, won by three-quarters of a length over Bold Chieftain, with Global Hunter third and Daytona fourth in a field of nine grass runners.

LEWIS MICHAEL WINS PAT O’BRIEN HANDICAP

Eastern invaders Lewis Michael and jockey Rene Douglas combined to score a major upset Sunday in the Grade II $300,000 Pat O'Brien Handicap as 2007 Eclipse Award winning-sprinter Midnight Lute, the 4-5 favorite, finished a disappointing tenth in the field of a dozen horses.

Lewis Michael, always well-placed in the seven-furlong dash, took command from pacesetting Barbecue Eddie in the upper stretch and then drew away to score by almost three lengths in convincing style.

DEAREST TRICKSKI WINS RANCHO BERNARDO ‘CAP

Strongly supported Dearest Trickski held on tenaciously in the final strides to barely withstand the late challenge of longshot Tiz Elemental and win the Grade III $200,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap Sunday, the day of the 18th running of the $1 million Pacific Classic.

Dearest Trickski, a swift four-year-old filly owned by Tom Mankiewicz and trained by John Sadler, took command after the break under jockey Mike Smith and prevailed in the narrowest of finishes over the 11-1 Tiz Elemental and her rider, Joel Rosario.

Sunday, August 24 2008

Saratoga Race Course Notes, Sunday, August 24, 2008

Just before leaving for an 8:30 flight this morning from Albany, N.Y. to Southern California, trainer Eoin Harty checked in at the barn at Saratoga Race Course to see how WinStar Farm’s Colonel John came out of yesterday’s exciting nose victory over Mambo in Seattle in the 139th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes presented by Shadwell Farm. The 1 ¼-mile “Mid-summer Derby” marked Colonel John’s first victory on a dirt surface.

A crowd of 40,723 cheered on as a field of 12, the largest Travers field since 13 went to post in 1990, faced the starter.