Thursday, July 24 2008

SARATOGA NOTES, July 23, 2008

Trainer Neil Howard sent William S. Farish’s Grasshopper out this morning on the wet-fast main track for a half-mile work of 50.17, breezing, but is still undecided if he will run the 4-year-old Dixie Union colt in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap.

“The weather has nothing to do with whether we run in the Whitney or not,” Howard said. “I want to talk to Mr. Farish and look over our options. We might go in the Whitney, but we may decide on an overnight race instead. We’ll just wait and see.”

TALKIN ABOUT LOVE, 2-5, WINS FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Talkin About Love made a big run down the backstretch, gained command at the quarter-pole and went on to a four-length victory as the 2-5 favorite in the $45,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Wednesday.

It was the first victory for Talkin About Love since she took the Grade 3 Monmouth Breeders’ Cup Oaks here last August.

INDY WIND WILL PREP FOR ISELIN IN SATURDAY’S SKIP AWAY STAKES

Hardacre Farm’s Indy Wind, the 6-year-old son of A.P. Indy who has been a Monmouth favorite for four seasons now, will have another chance to get his first graded victory in the 73rd running of the $300,000 Iselin Stakes (G3) here on Aug. 16. But to get there, he’ll go in Saturday’s $70,000 Skip Away Stakes, the Iselin prep he won last year.

“We’ll keep going with him as long as he’s healthy,” said owner-trainer Amy Tarrant. “He’s feeling good, and this is his last year of racing, so he’ll keep on running.”

CHANGE OF EQUIPMENT COULD BOOST ATONED TO WINNER’S CIRCLE

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Atoned, a candidate for Monmouth’s $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 3, will get blinkers added to his equipment, trainer Todd Pletcher says * Indy Wind looks for repeat in Saturday’s Skip Away Stakes as springboard to Aug. 19 Iselin * Jose Velez Jr. will return to Monmouth next week after riding in Chicago.

Dogwood Stable’s Atoned, who has developed a case of seconditis since his two victories at Monmouth last year, is likely to get a chance to make amends in a big way in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on Aug. 3, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

BABS MOOSSA WINS GRADUATION STAKES

Halo Farms’ Babs Moossa responded to the strong urging of jockey Garrett Gomez to get up in the final strides and nose out 7-5 favored Triumphant Flight in today’s featured $136,000 Graduation Stakes for California-bred two-year-olds.

Outrun in the early furlongs of the 5 1/2 furlong dash, Babs Moossa, the 3-1 second choice, rallied into contention in the upper stretch and then wore down Triumphant Flight for the photo finish triumph.

Del Mar Stable Notes 7/23/8

FULL FIELD OF 10 OAKS PROSPECTS TO LINE UP FOR SAN CLEMENTE

Ten 3-year-old fillies with dreams of running in the Grade I, $400,000 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday, August 16, will head for the starting gate Saturday for the 41st edition of the Grade II, $150,000 San Clemente Handicap at a mile on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Heading the field are a couple of unplaced runners -- Bel Air Sizzle and Missit -- from Hollywood Park's Grade I American Oaks, Honeymoon Handicap winner Misty Ocean and Hollywood Oaks third-place finisher Tasha's Miracle.

Arlington Park Barn Notes - Wednesday, July 23, 2008

ARLINGTON MILLION-BOUND SILVERFOOT GETS WEDNESDAY BREEZE

Chrysalis Stables’ Silverfoot, winner of Arlington Park’s Grade III Stars and Stripes Handicap July 4, breezed a half-mile over Arlington’s world famous turf course in :51 Wednesday morning in advance of a projected start in the Grade I Arlington Million Aug. 9.

“He’s always been a good work horse, and this morning he went exactly the way I wanted him to go,” said conditioner Leigh Bentley, who is handling the daily training chores in Chicago for Silverfoot’s Kentucky-based trainer Dallas Stewart.

Wednesday, July 23 2008

FUTURE STARS LOOK TO STEP UP IN SANFORD STAKES

When Todd Pletcher saddled Ready’s Image to victory in last year’s Sanford Stakes, it seemed to be a harbinger of yet another spectacular Saratoga meet for the trainer. But, as it turned out, Ready’s Image was the lone juvenile stakes winner at the Spa for Pletcher, who would send out only two more two-year-old winners from 47 starters and who, not uncoincidentally, saw his string of five consecutive training titles snapped.

“At Saratoga, a lot of our success depends on our two-year-olds,” said Pletcher, who was 1-for-23 with first-time two-year-old starters last year. “And this year, we’re kind of in the same position we were last year. We’ve got 30 or so just getting close to ready to run.”

“SARATOGA AT BELMONT” TO OPEN ON SCHEDULE

“Saratoga at Belmont” will be up and running on Wednesday, July 23, despite last weekend’s transformer fire that short-circuited the final day of the Belmont Park Spring/Summer season on Sunday.

As the faulty transformer is being replaced, generators have been installed to provide more than enough electricity to power Belmont Park’s simulcasting of the prestigious Saratoga meet and action from other top tracks. Air-conditioning has already been restored to the Belmont Café (first floor clubhouse), and could be restored to the Paddock Dining Room, along with the adjacent Players Club and Paddock Bar, as early as Friday.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Continuing their commitment to one another and to the health, safety and welfare of the Thoroughbreds on the racetrack and their life thereafter, Monmouth Park Racetrack has provided office space to ReRun, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which provides care and rehabilitation to off the track Thoroughbreds while awaiting adoptive homes.

“This is really win-win for everyone involved,” said Bill Knauf, assistant general manager of Monmouth Park. “Monmouth Park has always been supportive of programs such as ReRun and we look forward to working together in the future, offering assistance and helping them achieve their goals and objectives.”

Tuesday, July 22 2008

POPULIST TOPS DENISE RHUDY MEMORIAL

John Fike's Populist tops the $75,000 Denise Rhudy Memorial to be run at Delaware Park this Saturday. The one mile and a sixteenth turf contest for 3-year-old fillies has attracted a field of eleven.

In her most recent outing, Populist scored 1 ¾-length victory in the mile and a sixteenth $55,000 St. Georges Stakes at Delaware Park on June 28. The St. Georges was originally scheduled for the turf, but was transferred to the main track. Previously, the daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus, won a mile and a sixteenth allowance by ¾-lengths at Pimlico on May 31. The Kentucky-bred trained by Gary Capuano sports a career record of three wins, a second and a third from six starts with earnings of $87,810.

Del Mar Stable Notes 7/21/8

LAVA MAN FANS MAY HAVE SEEN LAST OF HIM AT THE RACES

It's not official, and it might not happen right now, but there's a good chance that Lava Man may have raced for the last time, in Sunday's Grade I Eddie Read Handicap.

The 7-year-old warrior finished last of six in the 1 1/8-mile turf race and the owners -- STD Stable and Jason Wood -- expect to make a decision soon on his future.