Tuesday, August 12 2008

UNCOOPERATIVE WEATHER FOR SARATOGA WEEK THREE

Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, and nearly continuous inclement conditions, with only one glorious, rain-free Saturday, played havoc on attendance and handle figures during Week Three of the 2008 Saratoga Race Course meeting, according to the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA).

The uncooperative weather was punctuated by a deluge which washed out part of the main track and forced the cancellation of eight races on Friday, August 8th.

SARATOGA RAC COURSE NOTES, Aug. 11, 1980; CURLN WORKS

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES

Trainer Steve Asmussen called an audible early Monday morning, switching 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin’s scheduled workout from Saratoga Race Course’s main track to the Oklahoma training track because of overnight rains.

“Mother Nature said, ‘Not today’,” said the trainer, who apparently made the right call as rain again hit the area a few hours after the work.

With regular exercise rider Carmen Rosas aboard, the four-year-old chestnut went out in the second set after the first break, working three-quarters in 1:14.67 over the muddy training track in company with stablemate Hawaii Calls as he prepares for the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward at nine furlongs at Saratoga Race Course on August 30.

TRAVERS FESTIVAL BEGINS SATURDAY

FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 139th TRAVERS presented by Shadwell Farm WITH NINE DAYS OF FESTIVITIES, FOLLIES AND FUN

The 13th annual Travers Festival returns to the Capital Region in anticipation of the summer’s most celebrated Thoroughbred race, the $1 million Travers presented by Shadwell Farm. A nine-day tribute to the “Mid-Summer Derby”, the Travers Festival culminates in the 139th running of the Travers presented by Shadwell Farm, on Saturday, August 23.

The Travers Festival, sponsored by the New York Lottery, kicks off on Saturday, August 16, and continues through Sunday, August 24. Within that time period, the Travers Festival will help generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities through a variety of community-wide fundraising events and activities including concerts, wine tastings, golf tournaments, art exhibits, a hot-dog eating contest, an ice-cream eating contest, a battle of the brews, and more.

PUT IT IN WRITING WINS TURF SPRINT

Benefitting from a perfect stalking trip, Put It In Writing and jockey Garrett Gomez won Monday's feature at Del Mar, a five-furlong sprint over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Taking charge on the outside entering the stretch, Put It In Writing persevered in the drive to score a half-length victory over longshot King of the City, with another outsider, Seth the Candeyman third in the field of eight grass speedsters.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/11/8

BAZE TAKES REINS OF AWESOME GEM FOR PACIFIC CLASSIC

Second-leading rider Tyler Baze will guide Awesome Gem in the Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic Sunday August 24, choosing the 2007 Pacific Classic runner-up over Hollywood Gold Cup winner Mast Track.

Baze was reunited with Awesome Gem for the July 25 Wickerr Handicap on the Del Mar grass, where he missed by a nose to One Union. That performance clinched the deal to ride in the Pacific Classic. Baze had ridden Awesome Gem during a four-race stretch in late 2006 and early '07.

Monday, August 11 2008

BANROCK ROCKS IN WEST POINT HANDICAP

Nyala Farm’s Banrock had a couple of things going for him in Sunday’s $111,000 West Point Handicap for New York-breds at Saratoga Race Course – the weather, and jockey Kent Desormeaux.

Over nine furlongs of an outer turf course rendered soft by afternoon rains, the 5-year-old gelded son of Go for Gin enjoyed a perfect trip, staying three-wide off fractions of 35.37, 50.48 and 1:14.60 set by Mission Approved, then barreling into the lead in the stretch and finishing with a flourish to earn the victory over a pair of longshots.

LATITUDE FORTY HOLDS ON FOR YADDO SCORE

Dee Zee Stable’s Latitude Forty took a liking to Saratoga Race Course’s yielding inner turf course Sunday afternoon, collaring front-running Factual Contender and holding off You Go West Girl for a neck victory in the 29th running of the $107,500 Yaddo Handicap for New York-bred fillies and mares at nine furlongs.

Rain continued to vent its wrath on the Spa’s turf schedule – races 5 and 11 were taken off the turf on Sunday and run on the main track – but the Yaddo survived. Originally carded for Saturday, it was moved to Sunday to share top billing with its male counterpart, the West Point Handicap.

SARATOGA NOTES, Sunday, August 10, 2008

2007 Horse of the Year Curlin is scheduled to work Monday morning between 5:45 and 6 a.m. on the main track, weather permitting, in preparation for his next start, the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes here on August 30.

Last Wednesday, Timeform of England ranked Curlin as the best horse in the world. According to Timeform publishers, its ratings are “the merit of the horse expressed in pounds, and is arrived by careful examination of its running against other horses using a scale of weight for distance beaten which ranges from around three pounds a length at five furlongs and two pounds a length at a mile and a quarter to one pound at two miles.”

Win and Reign triumphs in Vandal

TORONTO, August 10 - Win and Reign recorded the first stakes victory of his young career in Sunday's $150,000 Vandal Stakes at Woodbine.

The two-year-old son of red-hot freshman Ontario sire Tomahawk desperately staved off a late rush from Clarendon runner-up El Brujo for the neck score. Silver Rocket, who led at the top of the stretch, finished third.

Win and Reign, who is owned by Garland Williamson's Hillsbrook Farms, traveled six furlongs in 1:10.88.

TRAVOLTA TAKES SUNDAY’S MY FRENCHMAN AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * La Marca Stable’s Travolta gained command midway on the turn before drawing off to a 4 ½ length score in the $60,000 My Frenchman Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sunday.

Ridden by David Cohen, Travolta covered the 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03 4/5 over the main track labeled “good.” The winner returned $5.40, $3.20 and $2.20 as the favorite and topped an $18 exacta. Museeb rallied up the inside to pay $4 to place and $2.20 to show. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Blue Sailor who returned $2.10 to show. A field of five contested the My Frenchman, which was transferred to the main track after afternoon showers.

KAENEL RIDES FOUR WINNERS AT FAIR, VAULTS TO TOP OF JOCKEY STANDINGS

SAN MATEO -- Kyle Kaenel rode four winners Sunday at Bay Meadows and vaulted into first place in the jockey standings at the San Mateo County Fair meeting.

There is no racing at the fair Monday or Tuesday. Racing resumes Wednesday with an eight-race card that begins at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday's program will kick off the final five days of racing at historic Bay Meadows, which will be razed sometime after the fair meeting. The property will be redeveloped for housing and commercial and retail use.

AZUL LEON INHERITS WIN IN BEST PAL STAKES

Azul Leon, the 9-5 favorite under leading rider Rafael Bejarano, remained unbeaten in three races, but only after Del Mar's board of stewards disqualified original winner Kelly Leak for causing stretch interference in Sunday's featured $150,000 Best Pal Stakes for two-year-olds.

Kelly Leak, with Victor Espinoza aboard, nosed out Azul Leon in the final strides of a lengthy stretch battle, with second choice Coronet of a Baron a close-up third, less than a length behind Azul Leon and almost two lengths ahead of longshot Charlie's Moment.