Sunday, July 27 2008

LOCAL HOPES WILL SQUARE OFF IN OCEANPORT ON HASKELL DAY

The 62nd running of the $150,000 Oceanport Stakes (G3) at a mile and a sixteenth will be one of the highlights of the Haskell Day undercard on Aug. 3, and three Monmouth-based runners are expected to be among the main rivals.

Topping the local contingent is Patricia Generazio’s Presious Passion, who is coming off a victory in the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes. Trainer Mary Hartmann said the Oceanport will serve as a prep for Presious Passion’s run at another Grade 1 turf event * the $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at a mile and a half on August 16 at Saratoga.

WOLFSON SENDING PAIR FOR TAYLOR MADE MATCHMAKER

Florida-based trainer Marty Wolfson, whose horses always bear watching at Monmouth, is sending two fillies up from his Calder base for the $150,000 Taylor Made Matchmaker Stakes (G3), which highlights the Haskell Day undercard.

Wolfson will be represented by Edmund A. Gann’s Eclisse and Howard Roberts Farm’s Dancing Band in the mile and an eighth turf race for fillies and mares.

BIG BROWN, ATONED, NISTLE’S CRUNCH BREEZE FOR HASKELL

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Big Brown, Atoned and Nistle’s Crunch, all contenders for the $1 million Haskell Invitational, had sharp breezes on Saturday * Marty Wolfson will send two fillies up from Florida for the Grade 3 Taylor Made Matchmaker * Three local heroes will head the field in the Grade 3 Oceanport Stakes on Haskell Day.

Big Brown, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner who will kick off the second half of his season in the $1 million Haskell Invitational Presented by Vonage on Sunday Aug. 3, and Dogwood Stable’s Atoned and Alien Farm’s Nistle’s Crunch all turned in fast breezes Saturday morning.

Action Figure Dominates Robert F. Carey Jr. Memorial Preview

Stickney, IL---The Robert F. Carey Memorial Preview held Saturday, July 26, at Hawthorne Race Course was the stage for a powerful performance by Hazel Park invader Action Figure, as the 5-year-old gelding held off 4-5 favorite Load The Dice and scored by one and three-quarter lengths in a career best time of 1:49.4. Last year’s Carey Memorial winner Thisbigdogwilfight finished third, beaten more than two lengths by the winner.

Record $1,561,987 Pick Six Carryover at Del Mar

An almost unprecedented string of longshots Saturday led to a record Pick Six carryover at Del Mar of $1,561,987, which will be added to Sunday’s Pick Six pool. The track’s previous high carryover was $1,117,973 on July 29, 1990.

The six-race sequence saw every favorite defeated, several by stout outsiders. The upsets mean Sunday’s Pick Six Pool at the track is likely to surpass the track’s all-time Pick Six total pool of $3,555,771 established on August 15, 1998.

EASTERN INVADER STORM MESA WINS SAN CLEMENTE HANDICAP

Storm Mesa, an invader from the East who won the Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows in her previous race, made a successful leap into racing's major leagues today with an upset victory in Del Mar's featured $150,000 San Clemente Handicap for three-year-old fillies.

Ridden by veteran Eddie Martin, Jr., who was making his Del Mar debut, Storm Mesa overcame traffic trouble to rally wide and wear down the leaders to score a convincing 1 1/4–length triumph in stakes record time of 1:33.54 for the mile over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course. The previous mark was 1:33.62 by Katdogawn in 2003.

Del Mar Stable Notes 7/26/8

STREET BOSS CROSBY FAVORITE, REIGNING CHAMP THIRD CHOICE

Street Boss, on a four-race win streak, rates as a clear favorite on the morning-line for Sunday's 63rd running of the Grade I, $300,000 Bing Crosby Handicap at 6 furlongs on the main track.

The late-running sprinter is the 9-5 program choice in a field that smacks of much early speed, which should help set the race up for Street Boss' big stretch kick. That's what trainer Bruce Headley and jockey David Flores are banking on.

Yesbyjimminy Impressive in Friday Allowance Victory

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 26, 2008) – Trilogy Stable’s 4-year-old homebred colt Yesbyjimminy romped home an eight-length winner of Friday’s eighth race ‘money’ allowance at Calder Race Course as the even-money favorite, and trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. will ponder options for the future that could include an overnight stakes here or a trip to the mid-Atlantic to join his full division stabled at Monmouth Park for the summer.

“I think it just took him a race or two to get going again when he came back,” said Plesa Saturday morning from Monmouth where he will send out Centaur Farms’ homebred 5-year-old Gottcha Gold as the morning line favorite in the $75,000 Skip Away Stakes this afternoon. “He (Yesbyjimminy) indicated that he was coming back to himself when he won his last start.”

Pick’s Express & Capulet Likely Choices in Monday Allowance Feature

Herman Heinlein’s Pick’s Express and Padua Stable’s Capulet are homebred 2-year-olds that have shown promise early on breaking their maidens at Calder, and will take the next step in their careers as the probable favorites among seven colts and geldings entered in Monday’s ‘a other than’ allowance race at 5 ½ furlongs.

Jockey Manoel Cruz has ridden Capulet in all three of his starts for trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. and was aboard Pick’s Express in his only appearance for trainer Jose Pinchin, and had opted for the latter in Monday’s race while Manuel Aguilar gets the call on Capulet.

How’s Your Halo is Heaven-Sent for Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 26, 2008) – When Brian Prichard’s How’s Your Halo finished second in the $400,000 Smile Sprint Handicap (G2) behind the country’s top-ranked sprinter Benny the Bull on July 12 at Calder Race Course, the folks at Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida may have not been aware of what an important accomplishment it was. But after local country radio station WKIS 99.9 FM held a “radiothon” benefiting the organization on Friday, July 25, they now know.

KARELIAN RETURNS WITH SEA O’ERIN VICTORY

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 26, 2008) – D. Richard Masson’s Karelian returned from an 11-month layoff to post an upset score in the $150,000 Sea o’Erin Handicap Saturday at Arlington Park. James Graham rode the son of Bertrando to a three-quarter length victory in 1:36.37 for the mile over a turf course rated as “firm.”

“Rusty (trainer George Arnold) did a great training job,” said Graham. “I was a little worried that he was being a little aggressive early, but it played to his advantage and he finished up strong. He wouldn’t let the field go by him.”

EARLY PICK FOUR CARRYOVER FOR SUNDAY, JULY 27

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 26, 2008) – There will be a $16,942 carryover into Sunday’s Early Pick Four pool at Arlington Park. Since there were no perfect tickets on Saturday’s Early Pick Four, those who had three of four correct received a consolation payoff of $104.60 on a $1 ticket.

Saturday’s Early Pick Four winners were: