Thursday, March 22 2012

ALPHA ONCE AGAIN POINTING FOR RESORTS WORLD CASINO NEW YORK CITY WOOD MEMORIAL

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With juvenile champion and Grade 3 Gotham winner Hansen now probable to make his next start in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland, Grade 3 Withers victor Alpha is once again likely to compete in the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack on April 7.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and owner Godolphin Racing have been mulling multiple options for Alpha, among them the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial, the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 31, and the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on April 1. On Tuesday, McLaughlin said the colt was probable for the Louisiana Derby but today announced Alpha is expected to make his next start at Aqueduct.

EIGHTTOFASTTOCATCH TOWERS OVER RIVALS IN HARRISON JOHNSON MEMORIAL STAKES

LAUREL, MD. 03-22-12---Defending champion Eighttofasttocatch has a mile and an eighth to dispense with five rivals in Saturday’s $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes, the closing day feature of the winter meeting at Laurel Park.

Eighttofasttocatch (4-5) won five races at Laurel in 2011, including four stakes races, with an average Beyer Speed figure exceeding 100 and finished fourth in the voting for Maryland-bred Horse of the Year behind graded winners Ben’s Cat, Ask the Moon and Havelock.

Champion Hansen to Run in Keeneland’s Toyota Blue Grass (G1)

LEXINGTON, KY (March 22, 2012) – The 88th running of the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Grade 1), scheduled for April 14, received a major boost in horsepower today when it was announced that 2011 Eclipse Award-winning juvenile champion Hansen would use the race as his final prep for the 138th running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

Description: Description: I:\Gen Office\Communication\Group\Releases\2012\Photos and Graphics\Hansen Breeders Cup small.jpgOwned by Dr. Kendall E. Hansen and Sky Chai Racing, Hansen is trained by Mike Maker, who won this race in 2010 with Stately Victor. Maker came within a nose of winning last year’s Toyota Blue Grass with Twinspired, who also was co-owned by Sky Chai Racing.

Inspired, Speedacious Vie in Saturday’s Happy Ticket

NEW ORLEANS (Thursday, March 22, 2012) – Peter Blum’s Inspired and Carl Moore’s Speedacious will each be putting win streaks on the line if they match strides in Saturday’s Fair Grounds feature – the 25th renewal of the $75,000 Happy Ticket Stakes for older fillies and mares at about 5 1/2-furlongs over the Stall-Wilson turf course.

However, with the tumultuous rain storms hitting New Orleans hard enough to cancel Thursday’s Fair Grounds racing program, the Happy Ticket Stakes has a chance of being transferred to the main track.

Woodbine To Host Six Breeders’ Cup Challenge Races As Part Of 2012 Schedule

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 22, 2012) -- The Breeders' Cup announced today that the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Challenge series will consist of 73 automatic qualifying races into the Breeders' Cup World Championships. This year’s series has been expanded to 10 countries and will feature 13 new races to the schedule including 52 Grade or Group 1 events. Breeders’ Cup will pay entry fees and provide travel allowances for the connections of the Challenge winners into the Championships. Woodbine will host six races during the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Challenge season beginning on September 15 with the Natalma Stakes. (Complete 2012 schedule is available at https://members.breederscup.com/challenge/schedule.aspx)

Horses around the globe will be qualifying for the 29th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on November 2-3, and will be televised live by the NBC Sports Network. The Breeders’ Cup Classic will be shown live in primetime on NBC from 8-9 p.m. ET on Nov. 3.

Heavy Breathing Favored in Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes

FLORENCE, Ky., March 22, 2012 – Oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has made Todd Pletcher’s Heavy Breathing the 3-1 favorite for the $500,000 Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway on Saturday.

Went the Day Well, trained by last year’s winning trainer Graham Motion, and Handsome Mike, Doug O’Neill’s California shipper, are co-second choice at 4-1.

Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes Draws Full Field

FLORENCE, Ky., March 22, 2012 – The gate will be full for the $500,000 Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway on Saturday, with an even dozen set to go in the 1 1/8-mile prep for the Kentucky Derby (G1).

The Spiral Stakes picked up its final contender in All Squared Away, trained by Peter Miller.

BELMONT PARK TO HOST TWELVE BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE RACES AS PART OF 2012 SCHEDULE

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 22, 2012) -- The Breeders' Cup announced today that the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Challenge series will consist of 73 automatic qualifying races into the Breeders' Cup World Championships. This year’s series has been expanded to 10 countries and will feature 13 new races to the schedule including 52 Grade or Group 1 events. Breeders’ Cup will pay entry fees and provide travel allowances for the connections of the Challenge winners into the Championships. Belmont Park will host twelve races during the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Challenge season beginning on May 28 with the Metropolitan Mile Handicap. (Complete 2012 schedule is available at https://members.breederscup.com/challenge/schedule.aspx)

Horses around the globe will be qualifying for the 29th Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on November 2-3, and will be televised live by the NBC Sports Network. The Breeders’ Cup Classic will be shown live in primetime on NBC from 8-9 p.m. ET on Nov. 3.

Fort Loudon Confirmed to Start in Florida Derby

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - Jacks or Better Farm’s Florida homebred 3-year-old colt Fort Loudon will take at least one more chance with division leaders in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park (G1) on Sat., Mar 31 after picking up minor checks earlier this winter in the Holy Bull (G3) and Fountain of Youth (G2).

“He ran a decent race to be fourth in the Holy Bull (Jan. 29) and fifth to Union Rags in the Fountain of Youth (Feb. 26),” said trainer Stanley Gold. “He had a little trouble at the start of the Fountain of Youth, but not enough to give him an excuse. He was beaten only nine lengths by Hansen and Union Rags in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), which is hardly a disgrace.

Thursday’s Racing Cancelled Due to Heavy Rain

NEW ORLEANS (Thursday, March 22, 2012) – Thursday’s live racing program at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has been cancelled due to torrential rain. The state and track stewards made the final decision in consultation with Fair Grounds officials at 10:30 a.m. CDT.

Live racing is scheduled to resume Friday with a 10-race program beginning at 12:40 p.m. The Fair Grounds OTB and all 10 Fair Grounds OTB Casino locations remain open for simulcasting from tracks around the country and the Fair Grounds Slots facility is open for play on its 600 machines until midnight.

Wednesday, March 21 2012

Saturday Deadline Looms for Late Nominations to 2012 Triple Crown Series

LOUISVILLE, KY. (Wednesday, March 21, 2012) – Thoroughbred owners and trainers who wish to make their late-blooming 3-year-olds eligible to compete in the 2012 Triple Crown series of classic American races have until Saturday, March 24 to add their horses to the roster of late nominations to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), the Preakness (GI) and the Belmont Stakes (GI).

A payment of $6,000 must accompany each nomination made during the late phase of Triple Crown nominations, which will close on Saturday at 11:59 p.m. (all times Eastern). This year’s early nomination period, during which each nomination was accompanied by a $600 fee, closed on Jan. 21 with 398 horses made eligible to seek an elusive sweep of the coveted three-race series.

Gulfstream Today: 3.21.12 - John Velazquez Presented with Hartack Award

Jockey John Velazquez was presented after the last race Wednesday with the Bill Hartack Memorial Award.

The Bill Hartack Charitable Foundation was established by the friends of Bill Hartack to honor the memory and lifetime achievements of the five-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey. Through its philanthropic arm, the Hartack Foundation will annually contribute to thoroughbred racing charities and recognize the jockey who rides the Kentucky Derby winner. Velazquez won the 2011 Kentucky Derby aboard Animal Kingdom.