Sunday, August 03 2008

SKY MOM RALLIES TO TAKE GRADE III ARLINGTON OAKS

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (August 2, 2008) – Heather Stark’s Sky Mom rallied wide into the stretch to engage front running Dreaming of Liz at the furlong marker, battled that one for a sixteenth of a mile before drawing clear to a one-length victory in the Grade III Arlington Oaks Saturday at Arlington Park. Ramsey Zimmerman was aboard the Steve Asmussen-trained daughter of Maria’s Mon, who covered the mile and an eighth over Polytrack in 1:52.92.

“(Dreaming of Liz) came back a little bit but my horse had enough to hang on,” said Zimmerman. “I’m really happy with her. She relaxed and had a big kick.”

Arlington Million Barn Notes: August 2

ARLINGTON MILLION XXVI AUG. 9 ATTRACTS TEN

Ten of the world’s best turf horses – including three star-quality European invaders – were pre-entered Friday for the upcoming Arlington Million on Aug. 9.

The Grade I mile and a quarter turf test – centerpiece event of the Chicago Thoroughbred racing season – will be run along with the Grade I Beverly D. for grass-favoring fillies and mares and the Grade I Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds of international caliber on grass to make up Arlington Park’s one-day International Festival of Racing on the second Saturday in August.

Saturday, August 02 2008

“CHIEF” TAKES HONORABLE MISS WITH WIRE-TO-WIRE ANY LIMIT

Watching on television from his barn at Saratoga Race Course on Friday afternoon, Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens could not have been more pleased as the field turned for home in the 17th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Honorable Miss.

Sitting on a two-length lead and a ton of horse, jockey Cornelio Velasquez had yet to ask the Jerkens-trained Any Limit for run. When he did, the response was instantaneous. Opening up through the stretch, the 5-year-old mare rolled to a 5 ¾-length victory over Zada Belle for her second straight stakes win.

MALEK, “MIRACLE HORSE” SEEK CAREER HIGHS IN FOURSTARDAVE

Sunday’s 24th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Fourstardave Handicap for three-year-olds and up at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf is filled with horses from well-known trainers like Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher, Dale Romans, Kiaran McLaughlin and Steve Asmussen

And Raja Malek.

Who?

Most United States racing fans have never heard of Malek, but that could all change on Sunday if his horse, the South African-bred Elusive Fort, has anything to say about it.

SARATOGA NOTES, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2008

With an extra $32,000 added to the purse from the New York Racing Association’s new incentive program for distance races, the connections of Borrowing Base were well rewarded when the five-year-old daughter of Personal Flag won Thursday’s eighth race, a mile and one-eighth optional claimer on the dirt worth $100,000, at Saratoga Race Course.

“Only three weeks ago, we ran the same race at Belmont for $53,000,” said Pat Quick, who trains Borrowing Base for Daddie’s Girl’s Stable. “And with the New York-bred bonus, the horse won something like $72,000. It was like winning a stakes race. It was a great day for everyone.”

JOHN PASSERO TO RESIGN AS NYRA DIRECTOR OF RACING SURFACES

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that John Passero has resigned as Director of Racing Surfaces, effective September 1st at the conclusion of the Saratoga Race Course meeting.

Passero has served in the position, where he is responsible for 11 racing surfaces at Saratoga, Belmont Park, and Aqueduct Race Track, since January 2005. Prior to that he was Senior Vice President, Racing Surfaces, for the Maryland Jockey Club

NYRA also announced that Glen Kozak will assume the post of Director of Racing Surfaces on September 5th at the start of the Belmont Park Fall Championship Meeting.

Breeders’ Stakes Notes for Friday, August 1, 2008

Marlang looks to shake off sub-par showing

Marlang, who looked impressive in taking the Charlie Barley Stakes in June, will try and get back to his winning ways in Sunday's Breeders' Stakes, at Woodbine.

A bay son of Langfuhr, it was splendor in the grass for the bay colt in his first try on the turf, a 2 3/4-length score in the one-mile Charlie Barley.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Friday, August 1, 2008

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Big Brown blew out on the turf at Aqueduct Friday for Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational Presented by Vonage (G1) and is scheduled to school in the Monmouth paddock Saturday afternoon * The Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner goes from Post 4 in the mile and an eighth Haskell and is the 1-2 morning line favorite.

BIG BROWN, Post 4, 1-2 * The dual classic winner, who starts from the middle of the field in Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational Presented by Vonage (G1), had his final breeze for the race Friday morning at Aqueduct when he blew out three furlongs in :38 3/5 over the Big A turf course.

Night of Champions: Two-Year Old Trotters in Spotlight

Southern Rocketop Tries to Top Record-Setting Performance In Maxter

Stickney, IL---As part of Hawthorne’s annual Night of Champions that takes place tomorrow night, we’ll feature a pair of Trotting events, The Maxter and the Lil Bit Tuff, for ICF 2-year-olds.

Much of the attention will be focused on Claude Powers’ talented colt, Southern Rocketop, the probable favorite in the Maxter Final, for 2-year-old ICF Colt and Gelding Trotters. In a dominating and track-record shattering performance, Southern Rocketop, with driver Brian Carpenter in the bike, grabbed the immediate lead and never let a rival within three lengths of him, ultimately winning by nine lengths. He stopped the clock in 1:57.3, lowering the standard of 1:59.1, that was set last year by Maxter himself and equaled the previous week by Definer, another member of this field.

HIGHLAND TORREE, COCO BELLE WIN CERF HANDICAP DIVISIONS

Highland Torree and Coco Belle, two fillies with contrasting running styles, accounted for divisions of the featured C.E.R.F. Handicap Friday at Del Mar.

Highland Torree, ridden by Martin Garcia, rallied from off the pace to win the opening section of the six-furlong sprint for older distaffers, while Coco Belle, under Hall of Famer Mike Smith, led from start to finish to win her division.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/1/8

JOEL ROSARIO IS TURNING UP THE HEAT IN JOCKEYS' RACE

Patience is a virtue, they say, and perhaps it's no more evident than on the racetrack.

Right now, that seems to be what's working best for young rider Joel Rosario, who has put together two consecutive three-win days to vault into second place in the jockey standings, just two victories behind season-long leader Rafael Bejarano's 16. Rosario's two triples give him six for the week and pushed him ahead of Tyler Baze 14-13.

Calder Barn Notes: 8-1-08

Awesome Alexandra Bids for Fifth Straight in Ema Bovary at Calder

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (August 1, 2008) – Farnsworth Stable’s 4-year-old filly Awesome Alexandra has posted four consecutive easy victories at Calder Race Course at the meet for trainer Marty Wolfson as she worked her way through starter/allowance and allowance conditions, and will take another step up in class Saturday as one of the choices in the $55,000 Ema Bovary overnight stakes.

Apprentice jockey Paco Lopez has been aboard Awesome Alexandra for each of her last four tallies and gets a return call for Saturday’s 6 ½ furlongs test, facing seven rival fillies and mares in her toughest challenge to date. Wolfson claimed the daughter of Awesome Again for Farnsworth at Gulfstream Park for $25,000 on Mar. 10 and has won five of six since then.