Friday, August 08 2008

RAFFIE’S TREASURE STANDS ALONE IN STATUE OF LIBERTY

In the paddock before the 6th running of Thursday’s $147,000 New York Stallion Series, Statue of Liberty Division, trainer Dominic Galluscio called an audible before giving a leg up to jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard Raffie’s Treasure.

“He said, `Let’s try something today and tell the starter to leave her alone, to let her break by herself,’” said Desormeaux. “She actually turned her head still when the doors opened, but she broke running. So, we were able to engage and she enjoyed the going.”

FOUR OVERNIGHT STAKES ON 11-RACE SATURDAY CARD; YADDO HANDICAP RE-SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY

Saturday’s 11-race card, which includes four $100,000 overnight stakes, has attracted horses prepping for two key races – the 55th running of the Grade 1 Woodward and 29th running of the Grade 1 Forego Stakes -- on the final weekend of the 140th Saratoga Race Course season.

The 36-day meet, which began July 23 and concludes on Monday, Labor Day, September 1, is closing in on its half-way point.

Saturday’s featured 10th race will be the $110,000 Duke of Magenta for three-year-olds and up at a mile and three-sixteenths. It has attracted a field of seven, including Magna Graduate and Fairbanks, both of whom could be facing 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin in the $500,000 Woodward, a weight-for-age, nine-furlong event, on Saturday, August 30.

Dancer’s Bajan rallies for Shepperton score

TORONTO, August 6 - Dancer's Bajan captured his second stakes event of the season in Wednesday's $125,000 Shepperton Stakes at Woodbine.

The chestnut son of Trajectory rallied late and drew off in style to capture the 6 1/2-furlong event for Ontario-sired runners in 1:15.29.

Under jockey Corey Fraser, four-year-old Dancer's Bajan finished two lengths in front of Main Executive. No Dilettante was third.

JOCKEY FIGUEROA MAKES IT BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLES AT FAIR

SAN MATEO -- Jockey Omar Figueroa, who had a riding double on Wednesday's opening-day program of the San Mateo County Fair meeting, recorded another two victories Thursday at Bay Meadows.

Figueroa scored with heavy favorites Thursday, taking the sixth race with Fictional ($3.40) and the eighth race with Babu ($2.80). Figueroa's four victories has him in sole possession of first place in the jockey standings through two days of action at the fair.

DISTANT VICTORY WINS DEL MAR HEADLINER

Distant Victory, the 3-5 favorite under jockey Victor Espinoza, wore down pacemaking longshot In My Glory in a prolonged stretch battle to win Thursday’s feature at Del Mar, a mile and one-eighth contest over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Distant Victory, owned by Gross and Harris Farms and trained by Carla Gaines, was always prominent in the race, engaged In My Glory and jockey Martin Garcia in the upper stretch and proved best by three-quarters of a length.

Thursday, August 07 2008

PATIENCE PAYS OFF FOR HIGH ACTION IN SMITHWICK

High Action remained undefeated in the United States has he kicked clear after vaulting the final fence Thursday afternoon and drove on to a 1 ½-length victory in the 13th running of the Grade 2, $85,600 A.P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase at two miles and a sixteenth over National Fences.

The 8-year-old Theatrical gelding owned by Carl Barnes and trained by Doug Fout, held position on the inside as favored Salford City (IRE) set the pace to the final fence. There, jockey Paddy Young powered his mount home for the win in 3:53.45.

SARATOGA NOTES, Thursday, August7, 2008

Sackatoga Stable racing manager Jack Knowlton and trainer Barclay Tagg were still elated this morning after Doc N Roll won Wednesday’s $150,000 Cab Calloway Division of the New York Stallion Series for three-year-olds on the turf by a neck over Gold Vendetta.

It was the third victory in four turf starts for the three-year-old Wheelaway colt. After four tries over the Aqueduct inner dirt track, including two for a $35,000 maiden claiming tag against other New York-breds, Tagg put Doc N Roll on the turf at the same level for near 10-length victory.

ELECTRICITY CAPTURES MONMOUTH TURF FEATURE

OCEANPORT, N.J. * The Phipps Stable’s Electricity turned on the power in midstretch and charged to a three-quarters of a length score in Thursday’s $41,000 allowance feature on the Monmouth turf course.

The winner, trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by Elvis Trujillo, raced the mile and a sixteenth over firm turf in 1:40 3/5 and paid $8.40, $4.20 and $3.60 across the board as second choice in the field of seven older horses.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Thursday, August 7, 2008

STREAKING WHIRLIE BERTIE TAKES A STEP UP IN OAKS SATURDAY

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Whirlie Bertie, unbeaten in three starts around two turns, tries graded stakes company for the first time in Saturday’s $150,000 Monmouth Oaks * Owner Martin L. Cherry and trainer Steve Margolis have another filly to watch in Northern Belle, who broke her maiden here Wednesday.

Rapidly improving 3-year-old fillies are always a treat to watch, and Whirlie Bertie promises to make Saturday’s $150,000 Monmouth Oaks (G3) an exciting event.

SMALL ENTERS FOUR RUNNERS IN TWIXT STAKES

LAUREL, MD. 08-07-08---If it’s a stakes in Maryland for fillies and mares, count on trainer Dickie Small to enter one or two or three, or in this case four starters, as he’s done in Saturday’s $50,000 Twixt Stakes at Laurel Park.

Saturday’s one mile feature on the main track is the first of two added-money races to be presented during Laurel’s ten day summer mini-meeting, which begins Friday afternoon and concludes August 21.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/7/8

SPRINT CHAMP MIDNIGHT LUTE WORKS IN TRACK RECORD TIME

Midnight Lute, 2007 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and Eclipse Award champion, sizzled 7 furlongs under jockey Martin Pedroza in a workout this morning in 1:21.60, faster than the track record of 1:22.46 for the distance set by the filly Lethal Heat in Del Mar's Fleet Treat Stakes July 20.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who was at Saratoga Race Course overseeing his horses there, has not yet settled on where Midnight Lute might run next, but the August 24 Grade II, $300,000 Pat O'Brien Handicap has been mentioned in past conversations. The trainer also has as an option the Grade I, $250,000 Forego Handicap at Saratoga August 30.

Keeneland Partners with HOK Sport to Develop Master Plan

Lexington, KY ( August 7, 2008) – Keeneland announced today that it has contracted with HOK Sport, the world’s leading sports architecture firm, to develop a master plan for the current and future use of its facility.

As part of the process, HOK will undertake a review and assessment of Keeneland’s existing facilities and operations. The goal of the project is to enhance the “Keeneland experience” for racing, sales and simulcast guests and the community.