Wednesday, March 14 2012

Unbeatens Currency Swap & Gemologist Meet in Friday Allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence’s Currency Swap, 2-for-2 for trainer Terri Pompay, and WinStar Farm’s Gemologist, 3-for-3 for trainer Todd Pletcher, will clash in their respective 2012 debuts in Friday’s third race at Gulfstream Park.

Currency Swap captured the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga in his 2011 finale, while Gemologist won the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs in his last race as a juvenile.

ELLAFITZ AIMS FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT STAKES WIN, CAREER HIGH NOTE IN SATURDAY’S GRADE I SANTA MARGARI

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 14, 2012) – Late-blooming 5-year-old Ellafitz will aim for a career high note as well as her fourth straight stakes victory Saturday when facing five challengers in Santa Anita’s Grade I, $300,000 Santa Margarita Stakes, the season’s racing highlight for older fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.

“She’s in a zone right now,” trainer Bob Baffert said of the bay daughter of Tiznow who did not win her first stakes race until last Dec. 11 when taking the Grade II Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park in her 12th start. Moving to Santa Anita, Ellafitz promptly followed with impressive victories in the Paseana Handicap and the Grade II Santa Maria on Feb. 18.

SANTA ANITA TO HOST ZENYATTA BABY SHOWER

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 14, 2012)—Santa Anita Park will proudly host an equine baby shower in honor of the great Zenyatta’s newly arrived foal this Saturday, March 17. All on-track attendees will receive one “It’s a Boy” poster, free with their paid admission and will have an opportunity to meet “Team Zenyatta” in an autograph session prior to the races.

“The entire racing world is buzzing about Zenyatta’s new colt, who was born in Kentucky last Thursday night (March 8),” said Chris Quinn, Santa Anita’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Zenyatta is easily the most popular horse of the past 25 to 30 years and people are clamoring to see and learn more about her new baby.

Horse of the Year Havre de Grace Draws Post 2 for Saturday’s $150,000 New Orleans Ladies

NEW ORLEANS (Wednesday, March 14, 2012) – Reigning Horse of the Year Havre de Grace drew post position 2 for her 2012 debut in a field of five set for Saturday’s $150,000 New Orleans Ladies at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Here’s the complete field in post-position order, from the rail out (with jockey, trainer, owner): Sterling Madame (James Graham, Tom Amoss, Paul and Andrena Van Doren); Havre de Grace (Ramon Dominguez, Larry Jones, Fox Hill Farms); Annabel Lee (John Jacinto, David Schwartz, David and Sarah Schwartz); Distorted Love (Richard Eramia, Helen Pitts, A D K Racing); and Juanita (Rosie Napravnik, Mike Maker, William and Graydon Patterson).

FLORIDA DERBY FESTIVAL TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITIES

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Gulfstream Park will offer fans a week of activities and attractions leading up to the $1 million Florida Derby on Saturday, March 31, including a concert by a mystery Grammy-winning country artist as well as golf and poker tournaments, a cocktail party with jockeys serving drinks, and the official Florida Derby cocktail party with live and silent auctions.

All money raised at these events will go toward The Gulfstream Park Thoroughbred After-Care Program (http://www.gpaftercare.com) and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (http://www.pdjf.org).

Inside Information & Honey Fox Highlight Next Weekend

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - Older fillies and mares will be in the spotlight next weekend at Gulfstream Park with renewals of the $150,000 Inside Information Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs on the main track Saturday (Mar. 17) and $150,000 Honey Fox Stakes (G2) to be run at one mile on turf Sunday (Mar. 18).

Trainer Todd Pletcher has a trio of nominees for the Inside Information, a race he has won four times before, including last year when he sent out Starlight Racing’s Hilda’s Passion to win in track record time of 1:20:45. His three prospects for Saturday are E Paul Robsham Stable’s pair of R Holiday Mood and R Gypsy Gold and Gainesway Thoroughbreds’ Afleet Lass.

Tuesday, March 13 2012

CHURCHILL DOWNS INCORPORATED REPORTS 2011 FOURTH-QUARTER AND YEAR-END RESULTS

Fourth Quarter 2011

Record revenue of $149.3 million up 9% over fourth quarter 2010
Record EBITDA of $19.6 million up 144% over fourth quarter 2010
Record earnings from continuing operations per diluted common share of $0.25 versus a loss of $0.26 in fourth quarter 2010

Horse of the Year Havre de Grace Gets Final Work in Advance of Saturday’s New Orleans Ladies

NEW ORLEANS (Monday, March 12, 2012) – Reigning Horse of the Year Havre de Grace put in her last workout in advance of Saturday’s $150,000 New Orleans Ladies this morning at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, breezing five furlongs in :59 3/5 with regular exercise rider Jen Brasser aboard. The 5-year-old mare worked in company with an unraced 3-year-old filly, Just Jan, who went the same distance in 1:00 under Rosie Napravnik while breezing to the inside of Havre de Grace.

Due to short but heavy showers earlier in the morning, trainer Larry Jones decided to wait until after the renovation break ended at 8:30 a.m. to work Havre de Grace, as opposed to going out at her usual 6 a.m. slot.

Monday, March 12 2012

IZZY RULES KEEP ROLLING WITH DAZZLING 4 ¼-LENGTH WIN IN GRADE III LAS FLORES

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 11, 2012) – Extending a remarkable winning streak that began in a $20,000 claimer last December, Izzy Rules registered her fourth straight decisive victory and first in a stakes race Sunday with a dazzling display while capturing Santa Anita’s Grade III, $100,000 Las Flores Stakes for older fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs.

As jockey Edwin Maldonado gained his first stakes win at Santa Anita, the 5-year-old Florida-bred mare simply blew away her graded stakes opposition while covering the distance in 1:14.59 after paving the way through robust fractions of 21.73, 43.31 and 1:07.40.

Howe Great Hits Road to Derby with Palm Beach Stakes Score

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Howe Great strode from the Gulfstream Park turf course onto the Road to the Kentucky Derby Sunday with an impressive triumph in the $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes.

Trained by Graham Motion, who saddled Animal Kingdom for a Kentucky Derby (G1) upset victory last year, the 3-year-old colt withstood constant pressure before opening up in the stretch and holding off a strong bid by Dullahan by a length.

Dayatthespa Wins Hard-Fought Victory as Favorite in Herecomesthebride

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - Jerry Frankel, Ronald Frankel and Steve Laymon’s Dayatthespa was sent off as the 9-to-10 favorite in a field of eight 3-year-olds fillies in Sunday’s $150,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, but was all out to hold Steven Ciccarone’s 11-to-1 Regalo Mia safe for a neck victory in the 1 1/8 miles turf test.

Leading Gulfstream jockey Javier Castellano let Daystatthespa take a comfortable stalking position in second behind Stride Rite Stable’s longshot Frolic’s Revenge early in the race, and took command turning for home before turning back a final challenge from the runner-up.

Pagano’s Pressure Cook Debuts on Travel Channel Wednesday Night

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Gulfstream Park’s Executive Chef and Vice President of Hospitality, Ralph Pagano, will go national Wednesday evening when his television show Pressure Cook debuts with back-to-back episodes on the Travel Channel at 11 p.m.

Pressure Cook, which has previously aired on National Geographic and SKY Network, was a recent acquisition by the Travel Channel for syndication. In each episode, Pagano gets a one-way ticket to an undisclosed international location, gets three days to immerse himself in the local culture, and earn a trip home by making magic in the kitchen.