Thursday, July 17 2008

Piper in the Glen upsets Deputy Minister

TORONTO, July 16 - Piper in the Glen tagged 2-5 favorite Stuck in Traffic in the shadow of the wire to capture Wednesday's $125,000 Deputy Minister Stakes at Woodbine.

The son of Trajectory rallied stoutly from the rear of the four-horse field to capture his first career stakes event in a time of 1:24.30 for seven furlongs.

Piper in the Glen, who is owned by Jesse Self, finished a neck in front of Stuck in Traffic, who established fractions of :22.94 and :45.87. Delaforce finished third.

Colin Stakes latest challenge for talented Southern Exchange

TORONTO, July 16 - Southern Exchange attempts his second stakes score in a row in Saturday's $150,000 Colin Stakes at Woodbine.

The gray son of Exchange Rate was an impressive 4 3/4-length winner of the June 15 Victoria Stakes.

Unlike most two-year-olds that draw off to win by a strong margin, Southern Exchange has won both of his career starts from off the pace, both under jockey Jono Jones.

KILDERRY, DIXIE CHATTER WIN BEFORE RECORD OPENING-DAY CROWD

In front of the largest opening-day crowd in Del Mar history -- 43,459, Irish-bred Kilderry, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, and Dixie Chatter, under Richard Migliore, won divisions of the featured Oceanside Stakes.

Kilderry, sent postward at 5-1, barely held off the closing charge of Moral Compass and jockey Garrett Gomez to win by a nose in the opening section of the one- mile race for three-year-olds. Kilderry, who paid $12.60, ran the distance in 1:35.45.

Jungle Wave was third

Wednesday, July 16 2008

SARATOGA SEASON PASSES NOW ON SALE

Saratoga Race Course opens its 140th season one week from today on Wednesday, July 23, and regular race-goers know that the Saratoga Season Pass is the most convenient and economical way to take in all the action of the 36-day Spa racing season. Season passes are on sale now at the Saratoga Race Course Customer Service Office, located in the track’s Administration Building (entrance by ATMs), through Saturday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Del Mar Stable Notes 7/16/8

MULTIPLE STAKES WINNER SURF CAT HEADS SAN DIEGO 'CAP FIELD

Multiple graded stakes winner Surf Cat, looking to surpass the million-dollar earnings mark, heads a field of 10 for Saturday's 67th edition of the San Diego Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

A victory in the Grade II, $300,000 race would not only send the son of Sir Cat well beyond $1 million in purse money but would guarantee him a spot in the new Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile as a part of the "Win and You're In" series.

SWAY, 11-10 FAVORITE, WINS FEATURE ON MONMOUTH TURF

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Lee Lewis’s Sway charged into command on the stretch turn and then held off a late surge by Zulmin to win Wednesday’s $41,000 allowance feature on the Monmouth Park turf course.

Sway, sent off the 11-10 favorite in the field of six fillies and mares, stepped the mile and a sixteenth over firm turf in 1:42 flat under Eddie Castro and paid $4.20, $2.60 and $2.20 across the board.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Wednesday, July 16, 2008

TALKIN ABOUT LOVE SEEKS RETURN TO WINNING WAYS

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Talkin About Love, a graded stakes winner last year, will be looking for her first win of the year in Saturday’s Goldfinch Handicap * Don’t Stop Dreamin, a former claimer, moves up to stakes company in Saturday’s Klassy Briefcase on the turf * The “Fagedaboudit Gang” had a weekend to remember.

Talkin About Love was a sensation here last season when she became the first New Jersey-bred to win the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks. This year, she’s giving breeder-owner-trainer Kevin Sleeter fits with a third and a second in two starts.

“I want to get her to win again,” Sleeter said. “She’s got to get back to where she was last year.”

To that end, the 4-year-old filly by Not for Love will drop back to a sprint Saturday when she takes on state-breds again in the $60,000 Goldfinch Handicap at six furlongs.

Talkin About Love is coming off a second to Open Skies in the Spruce Fir Handicap at a mile and 70 yards on June 28 when she carried highweight of 125 pounds. In her first start of the season, the Open Mind ‘Cap on May 26, she was third behind Heckuva Good Time and Pure Disco at six furlongs, again with 125 pounds.

The filly has not won since the Monmouth Oaks last Aug. 12, and Sleeter wants to give her a chance to regain some confidence.

“She’s better going long, but she’s won sprinting,” he said. “My main goal is the Lady’s Secret Stakes (mile and a sixteenth on Haskell Day, Aug. 3). I can’t sit on her that long, so the Goldfinch looked like the best spot for a prep. And hopefully a win.”


DON’T STOP DREAMIN EARNS BERTH IN KLASSY BRIEFCASE STAKES

Ever since December of 2006, Don’t Stop Dreamin has been one of those claims trainers hope to make every time they drop a slip in the box. And on Saturday, the 4-year-old filly will get a chance to enter rare territory when she makes her first stakes start in the $60,000 Klassy Briefcase Stakes at five and a half furlongs on the turf.

Eddie Broome took the daughter of West Acre * Precise Storm, by Storm Creek, for $25,000 at Calder on Dec. 6, 2006, and ever since she’s been the dream claim.

Running in Broome’s colors, Don’t Stop Dreamin has won seven races and earned nearly $180,000. Last season, she did all her running on the dirt here, winning two claiming events. Broome moved her to a bottom-level allowance at the Meadowlands, and Don’t Stop Dreamin passed that test with flying colors.

Broome put the filly on grass the end of last season in Florida, and Don’t Stop Dreamin appears to love the green, with a record of 2-1-1 in five turf starts. In her last two turf tries at Monmouth, both at five and a half furlongs, the Florida-bred was second by a nose to Czarina’s Girl, and then won an allowance going away.

Her only poor races this year have come in off-the-turf events at Gulfstream Park during the winter.

“She liked the turf as soon as I tried her there,” Broome said. “In fact, since she went on the grass she doesn’t like dirt any more.

“That’s okay, though,” Broome said. “As long as she keeps running like she does on the grass.”


WEEKEND TO REMEMBER FOR ‘FAGEDABOUDIT’ GANG

First there was Fagedaboudit Sal. Then came Fagedaboudit Gal. Now there’s Fagedaboudit Pal. Has Salvatore Racing Stable gone over the top? Fagedaboutit!

The racing stable owned by Salvatore Tringola, who named all the horses, came into the spotlight last weekend when “Sal,” the 6-year-old New Jersey-bred by Yarrow Brae, led every step at 39-1 to win the Bob Harding Stakes in his first turf start on Saturday, and “Gal,” a 3-year-old Unbridled filly, broke her maiden on turf at 12-1 on Sunday.

“Sal” has run well against New Jersey-breds in the past, winning the Bernie Dowd and Lincroft handicaps here last year. But the Harding was an open event, and marked his turf debut. Even the owner was skeptical.

“Sal called me on Friday and asked if I was drinking when I made the entry,” said trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. with a smile. “He said we were in over our heads, and he wanted me to scratch the horse.

“I told him that the horse had some turf pedigree and was doing really well. I figured he would like the turf course really firm. I knew he was going to the front from the start, and they would have to catch him.

“Sal said he thought I was crazy, but go ahead,” Carvajal said. “And it worked out great.”

“Gal,” still a maiden after 10 starts, apparently caught the winning stable vibes Saturday night because on Sunday, she came out rolling in a mile and a sixteenth maiden claimer on the grass and led every step.

But Carvajal will have to wait a while to complete the triple. “Pal,” a 2-year-old colt by Tree, bucked shins after his first career start here on May 18. He’ll be back by mid-August, though, so pay attention.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: July 16

AMERICAN DERBY RUNNER-UP CONSIDERED FOR SECRETARIAT STAKES

Barry Golden and Peter Callahan’s Sr. Henry, who ran the best race of his career to be clearly second best in the Grade II American Derby July 12, is now under strong consideration for Arlington’s Grade I Secretariat Stakes Aug. 9 as the final leg of the Mid-America Triple.

“We’re going to be nominated,” said Sr. Henry’s trainer Mike Stidham Wednesday morning during training hours, “so we’re going to take a look at it and hopefully run in it.

“This horse has had some difficulties in his last four starts,” said Stidham. “Either traffic problems or pace problems. Saturday’s race (middle leg of the Triple) finally gave him a chance to show what he can do.”

Road To The Million VI:  Wednesday, July 16, 2008

ARCHIPENKO ADDS TO ARLINGTON MILLION BILLING WITH WIN AT ASCOT; ARLINGTON ‘CAP HERO STREAM CAT POUNCES ON LIST OF THOSE POSSIBLE

With a courageous three quarter-length tally in Ascot’s Group II Summer Mile Stakes July 12, the globetrotting Archipenko, owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, now takes on the long-range favorite’s mantle for the upcoming Grade I Arlington Million less than four weeks away on Aug. 9.

The Arlington Million, along with the $750,000 Beverly D. and the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes, is one of three Grade I races that will make up Arlington’s International Festival of Racing on that second Saturday in August, and with Archipenko on track for this summer’s centerpiece event of Chicago’s Thoroughbred racing season, the international flavor of this Festival gets an appetizing additional garnish.

‘Swirl’ gives Scotzanna a whirl

TORONTO, July 15 * Sugar Swirl, a chestnut daughter of Touch Gold, goes after her tenth lifetime score in Friday afternoon's $100,000 Scotzanna Stakes, at Woodbine.

Owned by Stronach Stables and trained by Brian Lynch, the five-year-old mare sports an impressive record of nine wins, three seconds and four thirds from 20 career starts. Her bankroll stands at $724,502.

Sugar Swirl comes into the six-furlong Scotzanna off a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 3.

LAUREL PARK SUMMER MEETING APPROVED

LAUREL, MD. 07-15-08---The Laurel Park summer meeting was approved this afternoon at the monthly Maryland Racing Commission meeting. After an eight-week break, live racing will return to Maryland on Friday, August 8. The 10-day summer meeting will include twilight racing (3:30 p.m. post time) on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The meet will include a pair of $50,000 state-bred stakes races for three-year-olds: Twixt Stakes (Saturday, August 9) and Humphrey S. Finney (Saturday, August 16). First post for the weekend dates is 1:10 p.m.

Tuesday, July 15 2008

Del Mar Stable Notes 7/15/08

NEW 'KING OF THE NORTH' HOPES FOR BIG DEL MAR MEET

William E. Morey, who knocked Jerry Hollendorfer from his perennial perch atop the Golden Gate Fields trainers' standings, has 12 horses stabled at Del Mar as he hopes to build on that title for a solid meet at the shore.

Hollendorfer had won 32 straight trainer titles at the Northern California oval going back to 1986.

"It feels really good," said Morey, son of longtime trainer William E. Morey Jr. "It was a long time coming. Jerry's done very well for himself, both north and south [at the three Southern California venues]. Eventually, somebody was going to do it and I'm glad it was me."