Saturday, April 07 2012

HALLS DESIRE A BEAUTY OF A RACE FOR MY ADONIS

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Ten months ago, George and Lori Hall found themselves atop the racing world when Ruler On Ice held off Stay Thirsty to win the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes – not bad for a couple who bought their first horses in 2004.

Now, they’re hoping My Adonis will take them on a similar journey beginning in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial, New York’s final stop before the spring classics.

NYRA NOTES; Friday, April 6, 2012

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – For Godolphin Racing’s Alpha, tomorrow’s Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial is important for a couple of reasons.

First, it’s a Grade 1, $1 million race that will go a long way towards determining graded stakes earnings for the May 5 Kentucky Derby, which is limited to the 20 top-earning 3-year-olds.

Thursday, April 05 2012

TENACIOUS, RESILIENT, SPEEDY: SHACKLEFORD

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – He emerged in the public eye last spring in the Florida Derby, winging along on the lead – big, fast and aggressive – and just getting beat by Dialed In at odds of 69-1. From that day on, if there was a major race in the country for 3-year-olds, Shackleford was likely in it.

Participating in an incredible seven Grade 1 events in a single season, Shackleford turned back Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom to win his Classic, the Preakness Stakes, at 1 3/16 miles at Pimlico. By the end of the year, however, trainer Dale Romans had begun to turn back his star in distance, and the decision proved a wise one as Shackleford placed second in the one-turn Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Churchill Downs.

BROADWAY’S ALIBI TO TAKE STAND AGAINST 6 FILLIES IN COMELY

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Broadway’s Alibi, a 16 ¾-length winner of January’s Grade 2 Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park, will attempt to deliver another brilliant performance when she competes in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Comely at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Comely, a one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies, will go off as race 6 and will be the first leg of a $500,000 Guaranteed All Graded Stakes Pick 4 that will conclude with the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial.

TRINNIBERG TOPS BAY SHORE

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial is the likeliest race for Kentucky Derby-minded 3-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, the Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore Stakes also offers an earnings opportunity for sophomores. Topping a field of eight is Trinniberg, whose connections have one eye on the May 5 “Run for the Roses” as they send out the son of Teuflesberg in the seven-furlong Bay Shore.

Carded as race 8 (approximate post 4:38 p.m.), the Bay Shore serves as the second leg of a $500,000 Guaranteed, All Graded Stakes Pick 4 on races 7-10.

IN SPRINT DIVISION, GRADE 1 CARTER IS THE GOLD STANDARD

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Led by 2011 Eclipse Award finalist Caleb’s Posse, the 112th running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Carter Handicap has attracted most of the top sprint and middle-distance older horses in the country.

Four of the six runners for Saturday’s seven-furlong sprint at Aqueduct Racetrack have combined for 14 stakes victories since the beginning of last year, four in Grade 1 events. The other two runners have reeled off three of the top 10 Beyer Speed Figures recorded this year in races up to a mile. In fact, Carter entrants Calibrachoa, Caleb’s Posse and Emcee have five of the top six Beyers put up this year in races up to a mile.

UNDEFEATED GEMOLOGIST TO FACE SEVEN IN $1 MILLION RESORTS WORLD CASINO NEW YORK CITY WOOD MEMORIAL (

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The road to the Kentucky Derby makes a $1,000,000 swing through New York on Saturday when unbeaten Gemologist headlines a field of eight 3-year-olds for the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack.

In the storied history of the Wood, the winner has gone on to capture the Run for the Roses 11 times. This year, Gemologist, the 8-5 choice on the morning line, has a chance to go into the Triple Crown races with an unbeaten 5-0 record if the colt can give trainer Todd Pletcher his second Wood win in the last three years.

Monday, April 02 2012

DOMINGUEZ PLANS TO RIDE NEXT TWO FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS; RETURN TO FULL SCHEDULE APRIL 18

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After conferring with his doctor (Dr. Stephen O’Brien) on Monday, jockey Ramon Dominguez will ride a few horses on Friday and Saturday each of the next two weeks, and aim to return to a full schedule of mounts starting on Wednesday, April 18.

“The doctor was happy with the progress I have made and the tests looked great, but he feels that we should take a conservative approach for now,” said Dominguez, the two-time defending North American Eclipse champion jockey who suffered a separated collarbone in a spill at Aqueduct on Sunday, March 18.

NYRA NOTES; Sunday, April 1, 2012

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Undefeated Gemologist turned in his final serious work for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial this morning at Palm Meadows training center, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.44. Exercise rider Hector Ramos was aboard for the move, the fastest of six workouts at the distance.

“I was really, really pleased,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains the homebred son of Tiznow for WinStar Farm, by telephone. “He was going well, in hand, throughout.”

Sunday, April 01 2012

DOMINGUEZ EXPECTED TO RESUME RIDING FRIDAY AT AQUEDUCT

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Two-time defending North American Eclipse champion Ramon Dominguez is expected to resume riding Friday, April 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack, less than three weeks after suffering a separated collarbone during a race.

Dominguez, 35, has dominated The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit as the leading jockey each of the past three years, while racking up 16 individual meet titles at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course.

Saturday, March 31 2012

NYRA NOTES: Friday, March 30, 2012

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Two contenders for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack took to the road today, with Grade 3 Withers winner Alpha jetting to New York from Florida and Grade 3 Gotham runner-up My Adonis traveling from Belmont Park to the Big A for a bullet half-mile breeze.

Alpha boarded a Tex Sutton flight to Farmingdale, Long Island, following his final serious Wood work at Palm Meadows, where he went a half-mile in 49.17.

Thursday, March 29 2012

BOBS PINUP GIRL TAKES 2012’S INUAGURAL TURF RACE AT BIG A

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A thrilling finish marked the first turf race of 2012 at Aqueduct Racetrack, with favored Bobs Pinup Girl getting up in the final jump to edge 38-1 In Her Hey Day by a head.

While turf racing usually resumes at the Big A in early April, the mild winter allowed the course to open in March for the first time in memory. The turf course had been closed for the season since December 4.