Monday, August 11 2008

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.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/10/8

PACIFIC CLASSIC PROSPECT McCANN'S MOJAVE IN SHARP WORK

McCann's Mojave, fourth in the Hollywood Gold Cup, took a step toward the Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic this morning with a sizzling 6-furlong move in 1:10.60 at Golden Gate Fields for trainer Steve Specht.

The 8-year-old California-bred son of Memo, who has posted career purse earnings of $1.5 million, would be making his 36th lifetime start if he goes in Del Mar's signature event Sunday, August 24. Owner Mike Willman said a decision on a Pacific Classic start will be made Tuesday.

Nominations for the Pacific Classic close Thursday.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sun.,Aug. 10

EUROPEANS ONE-TWO-THREE UNDER MILLION’S WIRE FOR FIRST TIME

For the first time in Arlington Million history, European-based invaders for the centerpiece event of Chicago’s Thoroughbred racing season crossed under the wire as the first three finishers Saturday afternoon.

French-based Spirit One was the winner of Arlington Million XXVI, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of globally-based Archipenko, who crossed under the wire a length and a half to the good of Irish-based and British-bred Mount Nelson.

Sunday, August 10 2008

SARATOGA OVERNIGHT STAKES ROUNDUP; Saturday, August 09, 2008

Team Valor Stables’ Fairbanks ended an eight-race losing streak Saturday as he led wire to wire under his old pal, jockey Richard Migliore, to win the featured $111,750 Duke of Magenta for three-year-olds and up at a mile and three-sixteenths on Saratoga Race Course’s fast main track.

Despite Fairbanks’ recent slump – he had not won since taking the Grade 3 Tokyo City Handicap at Santa Anita on March 31, 2007 – the Spa’s fans made him their favorite for two reasons: he was the lone, legitimate speed and, along with longshot stablemate Sam P., had a win over the track.

Fairbanks did not disappoint them.

NYRA TO HONOR OLAH WITH DEDICATION OF SPA SILKS ROOM

Louis Olah, who was the silks man for the New York Racing Association for more than 40 years, will be honored on Monday, August 11th at 10:30 a.m. when the Saratoga Race Course silks room is dedicated to his memory. Additionally, Monday's first race has been named in his honor.

Olah passed away in March at the age of 79 and is greatly missed by everyone who had the pleasure of meeting the 4-foot-8-inch tall, 90-pound lifetime racetracker.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES, Saturday, August 9, 2008

Hall of Famer Nick Zito has some very promising three-year-olds coming out of the Jim Dandy and Haskell Invitational. Da’Tara, upset winner of the Belmont Stakes, and his stablemate, Anak Nakal, both came out of the Jim Dandy no worse for wear.

Da’ Tara worked well yesterday, going a half-mile in 50.66 on the Oklahoma Training Track. Friday, Zito has decided to try something new for Anak Nakal. He sent him to the turf course.

Sugar Bay’s sweet stretch run takes Duchess

TORONTO, August 9 - Sugar Bay closed determinedly in the stretch to capture Saturday's $150,000 Duchess Stakes at Woodbine.

For the Augustin Stable homebred, the seven-furlong event was her first career stakes victory and third victory lifetime from nine starts.

The chesnut three-year-old filly tagged Verdana Bold, who stalked the pace from fourth, in the shadow of the wire for the nose score. Gloriously finished third after prompting the pace.

MAREN’S MEADOW, $24, NEVER HEADED IN MONMOUTH OAKS UPSET

OCEANPORT, N.J. * River Ridge Ranch’s Maren’s Meadow looked like a winner every stride as she led from gate to wire to upset the $150,000 Monmouth Oaks (G3) at Monmouth Park on Saturday.

In the day’s co-feature, M J’s Enchanteur used similar front-running tactics to win the $70,000 Select Stakes.

Maren’s Meadow, trained by J. Larry Jones and ridden by Terry Thompson, hit the wire four and a half lengths in front of Acoma, who had four lengths on Whirling Bertie, the 8-5 favorite in the field of five 3-year-old fillies.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Saturday, August 9, 2008

SUNDAY’S MY FRENCHMAN COMES UP COMPETITIVE TURF SPRINT

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Our Friend Harvey, winner of the Wolf Hill and second in the McSorley last out, tops a competitive field in Sunday’s $60,000 My Frenchman Stakes on turf * Owner-trainer Amy Tarrant will point Kiss the Kid for the Aug. 16 Iselin Stakes, holding out Indy Wind for stakes later in the meet.

The $60,000 My Frenchman, third and last in the series of turf sprint stakes at Monmouth, will be run Sunday, and promises to be a highly competitive event.

HARTIGAN TAKES TWIXT STAKES VIA DISQUALIFICATION

LAUREL, MD. 08-09-08---They were 4-5-6 as the field raced down the backstretch but the Dickie Small trained entry of Pissarro, Hartigan and Inventive crossed the finish line 1-2-3 in the $50,000 Twixt Stakes for Maryland-bred fillies at Laurel Park.

That would not become as the official order of finish, however.

A claim of foul by Jozbin Santana, who was aboard Hartigan, was lodged against Josue Arce, who rode Pissarro, for interference through the stretch. After a brief review by the stewards, Hartigan was named the winner, Pissarro was disqualified to second and Inventive remained third.