Thursday, August 07 2008

Barn Notes: Thursday, August 7

IMPROVING WITH AGE, EINSTEIN IS READY FOR THE MILLION

At the somewhat advanced age of six, Einstein is having a career year for trainer Helen Pitts. He has already accounted for two Grade I grass victories in 2008 and has banked $817,649 of the $1,336,731 he has made during his career.

“He's progressively gotten older and better as he’s gone along, and this year everything's just kind of fallen into place,” said Pitts. “From being able to start the year with that money allowance race [a January 11 win at Gulfstream Park] and move forward from there, it's just kind of played out as the year's gone on, and he's just moved forward off of every race.”

`DOC’ COULDN”T WAIT TO ROLL IN CALLOWAY

Patience is one of the more important traits a jockey can possess, but sometimes, it may not be his choice to use it.

Wednesday afternoon, certain that he didn’t have an ideal scenario, jockey Eibar Coa let Sackatoga Stable’s Doc N Roll loose on the turn and then helped him hold off Gold Vendetta for a neck victory in the sixth running of the $150,000 Cab Calloway Division of the New York Stallion Series for eligible three-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth on the inner turf.

TOWNSHIP CAT WINS SPRINT FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * New Farm’s Township Cat turned on the speed in midstretch and scored a one-length victory in the $41,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Wednesday.

The winner, trained by Ben Perkins Jr. and ridden by Eddie Castro, stopped the timer in 1:10 3/5 for six furlongs over the fast main track.

JOCKEYS AYARZA, FIGUEROA AND DURAN RECORD OPENING-DAY DOUBLES AT FAIR

SAN MATEO -- Jockeys Jorge Ayarza, Omar Figueroa and Francisco Duran celebrated opening day of the 2008 San Mateo County Fair meeting by winning two races apiece Wednesday at Bay Meadows.

Ayarza captured the first two races of the season, taking the 870-yard opener with the 6-year-old Quarter Horse Slow Motion ($3.40) and the five-furlong second race with the 3-year-old thoroughbred gelding Solo Tour ($42.60).

EVITA ARGENTINA WINS SORRENTO STAKES

Evita Argentina made it two wins in as many starts Wednesday with a come-from-behind triumph in the featured $150,000 Sorrento Stakes for two-year-old fillies.

Piloted by Tyler Baze, Evita Argentina entered contention by closing strongly on the far outside on the stretch turn, then kept to her task to grind out a one-length decision over fast-closing Stardom Bound, the 9-5 favorite in the field of ten fillies.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/6/8

WELL ARMED, SURF CAT WORK TOWARD PACIFIC CLASSIC

Well Armed and Surf Cat, one-two finishers in the Grade II San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles, worked Tuesday toward their apparent next starts -- Del Mar's Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic Sunday, August 24 at 1 1/4 miles on the main track.

The Pacific Classic is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Classic division. In winning the San Diego, Well Armed already has qualified for a spot in the gate for the new $1-million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile set for Saturday, October 25 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

TIZDEJAVU SHOOTS FOR FOURTH IN A ROW IN GRADE I SECRETARIAT STAKES

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (August 6, 2008) – Michael Cooper & Pamela Ziebarth’s Tizdejavu, undefeated on turf, will be after his fourth consecutive victory over the surface in Saturday’s Grade I, $400,000 Secretariat Stakes. Tizdejavu, trained by Gregory Fox, was installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite and will break from post six in the field of nine 3-year-olds.

The mile and a quarter turf test for international-caliber sophomores is one of three Grade I stakes races on the card that comprises Arlington’s International Festival of Racing. The others are the $1 million Arlington Million for older turf stars and its sister race, the $750,000 Beverly D., for grass distaffers.

Wednesday, August 06 2008

NO BULL! NAFZGER TOOK THE LONG ROUTE TO HALL OF FAME

It’s safe to say that trainer Carl Nafzger has taken the road less travelled on his self-described “unbelievable journey” from his father’s farm in Olton, Texas to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, NY where he was inducted on Monday morning.

It all began in the saddle. Not a horse saddle, but a saddle on the back of a bull.

The young Nafzger became entranced by the beauty and independent spirit of the bull. Even today, the legendary trainer known for his knack with a story will tell you that “…there’s nothing prettier than a bucket bull.” Few people would describe an animal known for its aggression as “pretty,” but then again, few people are legends in not one, but two industries centered on fickle animals.

SARATOGA IS HALL OF FAMER PRADO’S “SUMMER PLACE TO BE”

When he left his native Peru in pursuit of greater success in the United States, Edgar Prado’s goal was simply to do the best he could. Twenty-two years later, Prado’s best has landed him in Thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame.

“It’s a dream that’s come true all my career,” said Prado, who was inducted on Monday and then crossed Union Avenue to ride at his favorite track, Saratoga Race Course, where he has been leading rider three times (2002, 2005 and 2006). “I wanted to be the best that I could.”

The son of an assistant trainer, with one brother who is a jockey and another a jockey-turned-trainer, the 41-year-old Prado clearly has horse racing in his blood.

SARATOGA NOTES; Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Saratoga Race Course got exciting news Tuesday afternoon when Jess Jackson of Stonestreet Farms announced that the next race for 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin will be the 55th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward for three-year-olds and up at nine furlongs on Saturday, August 30.

For years a fixture at Belmont Park’s Fall Championship Meet, where its victors included four-time winner Forego (1974-’77)’ three-time winner Kelso (1961-’63) and two-time winners Sword Dancer (1959-’60), Slew o’Gold (1983-’84), Cigar (1995-’96) and Lido Palace (2001-’02), the Woodward was moved to Saratoga in 2006, where Premium Tap (2006) and Lawyer Ron (2007) were winners. Curlin later defeated Lawyer Ron in Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup and won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the slop at Monmouth Park, defeating a field that included Lawyer Ron.

MIXED UP OUT OF SMITHWICK

Hall of Fame rainer Jonathan Sheppard indicated that he would scratch Mixed Up from Thursday¹s $80,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial (Gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course. The morning-line favorite at 3-1, Mixed Up developed a leg injury after a workout Monday on the Oklahoma training track¹s turf course.

“It¹s been sort of a nagging problem,² said Sheppard of the high suspensory ligament. “When he had that fast work (5 furlongs in 1:00 2/5) the other day it flared up again. We had it scanned and they said `if you like this horse you probably shouldn¹t run.’ Well, we like him so we¹ll give him some time.”

SPLENDID SOLUTION COULD STEP UP IN MONMOUTH OAKS

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Splendid Solution, who had an eye-catching breeze here Tuesday, is a possibility for Saturday’s 84th running of the $150,000 Monmouth Oaks (G3), trainer Chad Brown reports * Brown and his wife, Terrill, welcomed a new addition to the family Tuesday with the birth of a daughter * Eddie Broome is nearing the 1,000 career victory mark, entering Wednesday’s card with 996.

The $150,000 Monmouth Oaks (G3), which will be run for the 84th time on Saturday, has a rich history. It is the oldest Oaks run in America (first run in 1871, four years before the Kentucky Oaks), and its roster of winners includes six Hall of Fame fillies and 17 champions of the 19th and 20th Centuries. And this century, it’s been a highly entertaining race as well.