Saturday, August 23 2008

MARZELLINE WINS CTT/TOC HANDICAP

Irish-bred Marzelline, the 5-2 second choice piloted by Tyler Baze, drew away in the final sixteenth to win the featured $85,400 CTT and Thoroughbred Owners of California Handicap Friday at Del Mar.

Marzelline, owned by Peter Harris and trained by Ben Cecil, won by two lengths over High Heel Sneakers, who was 1 1/2 lengths in front of the even-money favored Green Lyons. The latter was compromised by traffic problems during the mile and three-eighths test over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course."

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/22/8

WELL ARMED RANKS AS RODNEY DANGERFIELD OF PACIFIC CLASSIC

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, as in singer Aretha Franklin's rhythm-and-blues anthem or comedian Rodney Dangerfield's "I can't get no ... ", is what appears to be lacking for Well Armed's credentials heading into Sunday's Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Del Mar's main track.

Dismissed at 10-1 on the morning line, Well Armed, trained by Eoin Harty and to be ridden by regular pilot Aaron Gryder, brings to the race a resume that includes three victories, a second and a third in six starts for the Harty barn since 2007.

Friday, August 22 2008

Kip Deville, Ventura in strong group of Woodbine Mile nominees

TORONTO, August 22 - Woodbine Entertainment Group today announced a solid group of 24 nominees to its key September Thoroughbred event, the Woodbine Mile.

The Woodbine Mile, set for September 7 in 2008, is one of the continent's most prominent one-mile turf races. For the first time, the event is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and features a lucrative "Win and You're In" guarantee.

BALLERINA ADVANCE, for Sunday, August 24, 2008

Last year, trainer Doug O’Neill won the Grade 1 Ballerina here at Saratoga Race Course with 6-year-old Maryfield, who nosed Baroness Thatcher at the wire. She then went on to Monmouth Park, where she won the inaugural six-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in the slop by a half-length over Miraculous Miss, the Ballerina’s third-place finisher.

Sunday afternoon, O’Neill will try to trace similar steps when he sends out J. Paul Reddam’s Mistical Plan in the 30th running of the $250,000 Ballerina for fillies and mares. A strong field of eight is entered for the seven-furlong race and, because it is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge, the winner will automatically qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Friday, October 24.

BREEDERS’ CUP ESTABLISHES ALSO-ELIGIBLE RULE FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RACES

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 22, 2008) – The Breeders’ Cup announced today that, for the first time, also eligible horses will be designated following the close of entries for all oversubscribed races at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Oct. 24-25 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. An oversubscribed race is one in which there are more than 14 horses (or 12 in three instances) entered to participate.

There will be a maximum of two also-eligible horses for each Breeders’ Cup World Championships race that is oversubscribed. There are 14 Breeders’ Cup races held over the two days of the Championships. Eleven Championship races are limited to 14 horses per race. Three races are limited to 12 horses: the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

SARATOGA NOTES, FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2008

The 139th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes presented by Shadwell Farm will be the 11th race (5:45 p.m., ESPN) on Saturday’s 12-race card that begins at noon. Saratoga Race Course will open its gates at 7 a.m., and the last race will go to post at 6:20 p.m.

The Travers will cap a $1 million guaranteed all-stakes Pick 4 that will begin in race 8 with the Grade 3 Victory Ride (4:03 p.m.), and follow with the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap (race 9, 4:38 p.m.), the Grade 1 King’s Bishop (race 10, 5:10 p.m.) and the Travers.

HARLEQUIN SKY CAPTURES FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Madara Racing’s Harlequin Sky engaged the leader in midstretch and then drew off to win the $40,000 allowance feature by nearly a length at Monmouth Park on Friday.

The winner, trained by Alan Seewald and ridden by Eddie Castro, raced the mile and a sixteenth over a fast main track in 1:46 flat and paid $9, $2.60 and $2.10 across as second choice in the field of five.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Fri. Aug. 22

MR. NIGHTLINGER’S MARTINS MAY GET ANOTHER CHANCE AT BC

Saturday’s $200,000 Arlington Sprint favorite Mr. Nightlinger has rolled off four straight wins since finding a home sprinting on grass, and should he add a fifth to that total in this weekend’s Chicago feature, the 4-year-old son of Indian Charlie will be pointed to Santa Anita’s inaugural Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in late October.

That would give William and Stephanie Martin, who own Mr. Nightlinger in partnership with Carl Moore Management, another chance at a goal that eluded them last year.

WAIT A WHILE WORTH THE WAIT IN BALLSTON SPA

Arindel Farm’s five-year-old gray mare Wait a While showed Saratoga Race Course fans she is what she used to be Thursday afternoon, kicking clear in the stretch to post a repeat victory in the 20th edition of the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap on the turf.

Reunited with jockey John Velazquez, Wait a While raced just off the rail in second as Sharp Susan led the field of five fillies and mares through fractions of 23.93, 47.08 and 1:10.39 over a firm Mellon Turf Course, with the portable rail out 18 feet. Moving up on the turn, Wait a While eagerly took command straightening for home and had plenty left to hold off 10-1 shot Carriage Trail for the one-length victory.

PIMENTEL CAPTURES LAUREL PARK SUMMER RIDING TITLE

LAUREL, MD. 08-21-08---The 10-day Laurel Park summer meeting ended this evening with Julian Pimentel, Gary Capuano and Sondra Bender capturing individual titles. Live racing shifts to Timonium tomorrow for the seven-day state fair meet.

Pimentel won his first career title in Maryland in consistent fashion winning eight races, one more than Eric Camacho. After five years as one of the top riders on the New Jersey circuit, the now 27-year-old moved his tack to Maryland during the summer of 2006.

RENEGADE RUBY WINS DEL MAR FEATURE

Mercedes Stable's Renegade Ruby, the 3-2 favorite under jockey Tyler Baze, gamely withstood the late challenge of strongly-supported Brendolyn to win Thursday's feature, a one-mile event over the infield grass course.

Renegade Ruby took charge in the stretch and appeared en route to a clear victory until Brendolyn rallied late to get within a head of the winner at the wire. Silver Moonshine was third, 2 1/2 lengths back of the runner-up and a nose in front of Rosangela in the field of seven older fillies and mares.

Thursday, August 21 2008

Ian Black duo ready to deliver in Belle Geste

TORONTO, August 21 * Conditioner Ian Black will saddle a pair of four-year-old fillies, Glitter Rox and Prophetically, in Sunday's $100,000 Belle Geste Stakes, at Woodbine.

Glitter Rox, a bay daughter of Glitterman and Prophetically, a dark bay daughter of Pulpit, have established themselves as legitimate contenders in the seven-furlong turf event.

Black will have more girl power in the form of his riders.