Tuesday, August 05 2008

SAN MATEO COUNTY FAIR TO HOST FINAL 10 DAYS OF RACING AT HISTORIC BAY MEADOWS

SAN MATEO -- The San Mateo County Fair will host the final 10 days of horse racing at historic Bay Meadows when it conducts its 2008 meeting, a two-week session that begins Wednesday and continues through Sunday, Aug. 17.

Post time is 1:45 p.m. and racing will be presented Wednesday through Sunday. Grandstand gates open at 10 a.m. daily; club house and turf club gates at 11:30 a.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. weekends.

BIG BROWN “LOOKS GREAT” FOLLOWING HASKELL SCORE

Oceanport, N.J. - Less than one day after winning North America's richest invitational, The Grade 1 $1 million Haskell Presented by Vonage at Monmouth Park, Big Brown "looks great", according to trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. Big Brown left Monmouth Park at approximately 10:15 this morning for a van ride back to his Aqueduct headquarters. It is unclear what lies ahead for the dual classic winner.

"We'll take a closer look at him later this afternoon and then worry about down the line", said Dutrow, who conditions the 3-year-old Boundary colt out of the Nureyev mare Mien. "Once we see how he came out of it, we'll start to look ahead."

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/4/8

HENRY MORENO: HE KNOWS MARES AND HE LIKES ZENYATTA

Trainer Henry Moreno has had some very good female runners in his long career as a conditioner in Southern California so he knows of what he speaks when he says of the undefeated 4-year-old filly Zenyatta, "I think she's a very good mare. She could be a champion, and is a champion right now, as far as that goes.

"She could be one of the all-time greats with just a few more wins."

INSPIRATION WITHIN WINS AT DEL MAR

In a race marked by an unusual occurrence involving the starting gate, Inspiration Within and jockey David Flores led from wire-to-wire to win Del Mar's featured race Monday, a six-furlong dash for older California-bred fillies and mares.

Shortly after Inspiration Within crossed the finish line, Del Mar's board of stewards posted the inquiry sign concerning the break from the gate of Filter, who was positioned on the outside, in post number seven, under jockey Corey Naktani.

GARY BRINSON: DEL MAR HAS GIVEN HIM THE RIDE OF HIS LIFE

Some might wonder why Gary Brinson wears a broad beam of a smile that spreads a constant crease across his face.

It's simple. He's in his favorite spot doing his favorite thing. He gets the equine athletes that make Del Mar so delightful off and running for seven weeks each summer.

He's the starter at Del Mar.

Barn Notes: Monday, August 04, 2008

ARLINGTON MILLION’S ARCHIPENKO HAS TURF WORK SLATED TUESDAY

Globetrotting Archipenko, the European-based favorite for Saturday’s Grade I Arlington Million, will get his introduction to Arlington’s world famous turf course Tuesday morning in a dress rehearsal on latest stage of his 2008 world tour.

After capturing the Grade II Al Fahidi Fort Stakes in Dubai last February, the Group I Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong last April and the Group II Summer Mile Stakes in Great Britain last month, Archipenko is now attempting to add a victory in the showcase race of Chicago’s racing season to that impressive résumé.

Monday, August 04 2008

Marlang goes wire-to-wire in Breeders’ Stakes win

TORONTO, August 3 - Gus Schickedanz's Marlang led from gate to wire in Sunday's $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, the third and turf jewel of Canada's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing, at Woodbine.

The bay son of Langfuhr completed the 1 1/2-mile distance over a "firm" E. P. Taylor Turf Course in 2:28.58, besting Sligovitz by 2 3/4 lengths. Mutuel favourite Solitaire, third in the Queen's Plate, was third, a half-length back.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES, Sunday, August 3, 2008

Trainer Bob Baffert was pleased with how Indian Blessing, juvenile filly champion of 2007, came out of her impressive seven-length win in the Grade 1, seven-furlong Test on Saturday.

“She looks great,” said Baffert. “She’s a little tired today. She ran great – her race before [Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Prioress on July 5] was pretty impressive and this race was extremely impressive. Plus, you know, the Test is a very important race so she stamped herself yesterday.”

RED GIANT RALLIES TO TAKE FOURSTARDAVE

There may have been a softer spot for Red Giant to make his first start in 10 months than Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga Race Course, but the 4-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway made it look easy.

Under jockey John Velazquez, the chestnut colt was content to save ground behind pacesetter Inca King through the early going, and after moving into contention on the inside on the turn, finally found running room at the top of the stretch and wore down Stalingrad in the final yards for the neck victory, his first since setting a course record in last year’s Grade 2 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs at 37-1.

BIG BROWN, 1-5 FAVORITE, WINS HASKELL INVITATIONAL

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Dual classic winner Big Brown displayed championship form at Monmouth Park on Sunday as he dug down deep to catch a stubborn Coal Play in the final furlong to win the $1 million Haskell Invitational Presented by Vonage (G1) by nearly two lengths.

The 45,132 fans on hand on a perfect summer afternoon were treated to a tremendous horserace as the 1-5 Big Brown was forced to call on all his reserves to gain his fourth Grade 1 victory of the year as jockey Kent Desormeaux kept him in a drive from the quarter-pole to the wire.

BLACK MAMBA WINS JOHN C. MABEE HANDICAP

Trapped along the rail until deep stretch, odds-on favored Black Mamba, under a cool ride by jockey Garrett Gomez, finally found running room nearing the wire to get up and win the featured Grade I $400,000 John C. Mabee Handicap Sunday at Del Mar.

The New Zealand-bred mare, returning to the scene of her first American triumph a year ago, needed a brilliant turn of speed to win by a half-length over a fast-closing longshot, the 24-1 I Can See, with pacemaker Passified hanging on for third, another three-quarters of a length back. Foxysox was fourth in the field of eight older fillies and mares.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/3/8

TRIPLE CROWN TRAIL GONE, YANKEE BRAVO MAY TACKLE LA JOLLA

Yankee Bravo, third in the Louisiana Derby and fourth in the Santa Anita Derby before finishing 10th in the Preakness Stakes, is on the comeback trail with a start in Saturday's Grade II, $150,000 La Jolla Handicap on trainer Patrick Gallagher's agenda.

"We're looking at the La Jolla," Gallagher said this morning.