Thursday, September 04 2008

Delaware Park Hires Jerome Doro as Assistant Racing Secretary

Delaware Park, the Delaware Valley's premier racetrack and gaming venue, is pleased to announce the hiring of Jerome Doro as assistant racing secretary.

Doro, who hails from a racing family, began his career in racetrack management working for trainers Anthony Dutrow, Charles H. Hadry and Bob Bealle. For the last eight years, he has worked in a variety of track roles, including claims clerk, paddock judge and horse identifier at the Maryland Jockey Club; the Timonium Race Track, Timonium, MD, and Colonial Downs, New Kent, VA.

Dinner in Odem takes Cape Henlopen with late rally

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, September 3, 2008 - Sharyn and Peter Wasiluk Jr.'s Dinner in Odem rallied from last to notch an upset victory in the $62,250 Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park today.

With Terry Thompson aboard, the 4-year-old son of Quaker Ridge won by a neck and returned $33.20. The 3-to-5 favorite in the field of eight, Herboriste with Gabriel Saez, finished second. It was another ¾-length back to Ra Der Dean, with Rosemary Homeister, Jr, in third.

Del Mar Remains A State, National Racing Leader

"No doubt, we were swimming against a strong (economic) current this year. But we swam well and we will get stronger because of it. While this economy has threatened to drown a lot of folks out there, we held our own and we don't need to be making any excuses for that."
--- Joe Harper, president and general manager, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Del Mar closed out its 69th summer of racing Wednesday with a 10-race card highlighted by the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity, a Grade I test that was won in dramatic fashion by the promising colt Midshipman in a comeback of sorts for the track's leading stakes trainer, Bob Baffert.

MIDSHIPMAN WINS DEL MAR FUTURITY

Stonerside Stable's Midshipman and jockey Tyler Baze forged to the front in the final stride to edge out Coronet of a Baron and win the featured Grade I $250,000 Del Mar Futurity for two-year-olds Wednesday, closing day of the 43-day Del Mar summer season.

Closing gamely in the middle of the track, Midshipman gave trainer Bob Baffert his first success in the seven-furlong Futurity since 2002 when Icecoldbeeratreds supplied the conditioner with his seventh consecutive success in the race.

Del Mar Stable Notes 9/3/8—CLOSING DAY

RIDER CHANGE FOR BELIEVE IN HOPE FOLLOWS VALDIVIA INJURY

High hopes for impressive maiden winner Believe in Hope, pegged at 9-2 odds on the morning line for the Grade I, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity, took a little dip when an injury to regular rider Jose Valdivia Jr. sidelined him for today's big race. He's off all his mounts.

Valdivia suffered a broken toe when his mount, Kindred Creek, in Monday's third race stepped on his foot after unseating him in the gate. The rider was excused from his mounts for the rest of the day.

Joe Talamo will ride Believe in Hope for trainer Ron Ellis.

Arlington Park Stakes Advance

FULL FIELDS OF FILLIES FOR GRADE III PUCKER UP STAKES AND GRADE III ARLINGTON-WASHINGTON LASSIE

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Sept. 3, 2008) – An overflow field of 13 sophomore fillies passed the entry box Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade III $200,000 Pucker Up Stakes at a mile and an eighth on the turf. The Pucker Up shares the Saturday spotlight with the Grade III $150,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie for 2-year-old fillies as part of the track’s “Ladies Day” program.

Frank C. Calabrese’s Dreaming of Liz, winner of the 2007 Lassie, seeks to become the first filly to win both the Lassie and the Pucker Up and comes into the race off a runner-up effort in the Grade III Arlington Oaks over Polytrack in her last start. The daughter of El Prado has made only one start in her career, finishing sixth in the $200,000 American 1000 Guineas over this course in May. Earlier this year, the Wayne Catalano trainee won the $50,000 Double Delta and the $50,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes on the main track. Hall-of-Fame jockey Earlie Fires, Arlington’s all-time winningest jockey and second all-time amongst active rider, has the mount.

Wednesday, September 03 2008

KIP DEVILLE RARING TO GO IN WOODBINE MILE

IEAH Stables & Partners' Kip Deville, winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Mile at Monmouth Park, is expected to be the heavy favourite for Sunday's $1 million, Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.

Trained by Richard Dutrow, Jr., the Oklahoma-bred five-year-old, the top-ranked turf miler on the continent, is unbeaten in his last three outings, including the Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland in April and the Poker Handicap at Belmont Park in July.

Marie Rossa tops George Rosenberger Memorial

Marie Rossa will be looking for her first career stake victory in the $100,000 George Rosenberger Memorial at Delaware Park this Saturday. The mile and a sixteenth turf stakes has attracted a total of 15 fillies and mares. The Rosenberger, which is restricted to horses that have started at Delaware Park in 2008, is limited to twelve starters.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Tuesday, September 2, 2008

LEZCANO, LEVINE AND BROOME SHOW WAY WITH 4 WEEKS TO GO

With four weeks of racing to go in the 2008 Monmouth Park season, jockey Jose Lezcano, trainer Bruce Levine and owner Eddie Broome show the way in the respective categories for meet-end honors come closing day on Sept. 28.

Lezcano, a 23-year-old native of Panama, has 105 victories, 14 more than his nearest rival Eddie Castro. Joe Bravo, 13-time riding champion at Monmouth, is third with 73 wins. Stewart Elliott is fourth with 59 victories, four more than Elvis Trujillo.

Solar Flare looks tough in DTHA Owners Day Stakes

After facing Grade I stakes competition in his last two starts, Fox Hill Farms' Solar Flare will be looking to get back into the winners' circle in the $100,000 Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen Association Owners Day Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday. A field of eleven has been entered in the mile and an eighth test for 3-year-olds and upward. The DTHA Owners Day Stakes is restricted to horses that have started at Delaware Park in 2008.

The last three starts for the Argentina-bred trained by J. Larry Jones have been state side. The 4-year-old son of Salt Lake made his first seven starts in his native country. In his last, he ran seventh in the mile and an eighth $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on July 26. On June 28, the he ran second in the mile and a quarter $400,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park. In his United States debut, he posted ¾-length triumph in the mile and seventy yard allowance at Delaware Park on June 3. He has a career record of four wins and four seconds from ten starts from $146,462.

Graeme Six tops Endine Stakes

The $200,000 Grade III Endine Stakes highlights the 16th annual Owners Day Card at Delaware Park on Saturday, September 6. The thirteen-race card will feature 140 of the top thoroughbreds in the area competing for more than $400,000 in purses.

In the Endine Stakes, Team West Side Stable's and Tom O'Grady's Graeme Six tops a field of nine in the six-furlong contest for fillies and mares.

Tuesday, September 02 2008

VINEYARD HAVEN GETS TRIP—AND THREE CHIMNEYS HOPEFUL

Jockey Alan Garcia had already ensured himself of at least a tie with John Velazquez for the Saratoga Race Course leading rider title earlier on the meet’s Closing Day card Monday afternoon.

So, when he went to post aboard Vineyard Haven in the 104th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful, Garcia just wanted a clean trip and to give his horse a fighting chance.

He did just that, and got more than a little help from Cribnote and Munnings to win the seven-furlong sprint for two-year-olds by two and a quarter lengths in 1:23.40 on the fast track. It was Garcia’s 39th winner of the 36-day meet.