Saturday, September 20 2008

WILD PROMISES GUNS FOR FOURTH TRAIGHT STAKES VICTORY

ALBANY -- Wild Promises will gun for her fourth consecutive stakes victory Saturday when she takes on eight opponents in the $75,000 Miss America Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

Wild Promises is a 9-to-5 favorite on the morning line to capture the Miss America, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares. Wild Promises will break from post position four and be ridden by David Lopez.

Trained by Greg Gilchrist, Wild Promises recorded her first stakes victory last May on the turf at Bay Meadows when she won the Mother's Day Handicap by a neck over Unspoken Word. She followed up that triumph with a front-running victory in the Yerba Buena Stakes on the Golden Gate Fields turf and then ran away to a six-length score in the Luther Burbank Handicap on the Santa Rosa turf.

Friday, September 19 2008

71st Pattison Canadian International nominees announced

TORONTO, September 19, 2008 - Woodbine Entertainment Group today announced a world-class group of 25 nominees for the Pattison Canadian International, recognized as one of the world's great horse races, on Saturday, October 4 at Woodbine.

The Pattison Canadian International is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and features a "Win and You're In" guarantee.

A victory in the 1 ½-mile race, which takes place over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, earns the victor a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf, set for October 25 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

ECLIPSE AWARDS TO TAKE PLACE JANUARY 26 IN MIAMI

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today the 2008 Eclipse Awards ceremony will be held January 26, 2009, at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. The event will mark the first Eclipse Awards to be held in Florida since the 2003 ceremony, which was held in January 2004 in Hollywood, Fla. For the last four years, the Eclipse Awards have been presented in Beverly Hills, Calif., and they will return there in January 2010. The Eclipse Awards are presented by the NTRA, the National Turf Writers Association (NTWA) and Daily Racing Form (DRF) in recognition of excellence in Thoroughbred racing.

"The Eclipse Awards return to Florida after a strong, four-year run in southern California," said Keith Chamblin, Senior Vice President of the NTRA. "The newly remodeled Fontainebleau Miami Beach will be a memorable venue at which to celebrate our 2008 Eclipse Champions."

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Friday, Sept. 19, 2008

COSTA SENDS OUT VERSATILE JOHN’S PIC IN LINCROFT HANDICAP

OCEANPORT, N.J. * John’s Pic, the 5-year-old gelding trained by Frank Costa, logged his final exercise before running in tomorrow’s Lincroft Handicap * Jenny Bean Girl makes her third straight appearance in the Jersey Girl Handicap in a long, successful career.

Frank Costa was in an anticipatory mood Friday morning on the backstretch, as he prepares to send out his speedy 5-year-old gelding, John’s Pic, in the $75,000 Lincroft Handicap tomorrow. John’s Pic, an earner of nearly $350,000, will meet Who’s the Cowboy and three other horses in the Lincroft.

STEEPLECHASERS RETURN TO JERSEY SHORE

The National Steeplechase Association returns to Monmouth Park Saturday for the Grade II Monmouth County Hunt Novice Stakes. Absent since 2004, the jump set heads to the Oceanport, N.J., track for the newly minted $75,000 affair. Restricted to those who have not won over hurdles prior to May 1, 2007, the 2 1/4-mile stakes features divisional leaders Be Certain and The Price Of Love.

The race will be the sixth on the day, with a 3:10 p.m. post time.

JIM MCKAY’s MARYLAND MILLION DAY

TIMONIUM, MD – September 19, 2008---Delegate Sandy Rosenberg (D) District 41, is planning to propose to the Maryland Legislature that, with a joint resolution, Jim McKay’s legendary sports name is to be officially adopted by Maryland Million Ltd.’s Board of Directors for the annual racing program for Maryland-sired horses. The announcement was made this morning at a news conference at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Jim McKay, who was the founder and primary standard bearer for the event, was chairman up until the time of his death in June of this year. “He was a great ambassador for the state of Maryland and his contributions to the horse breeding and racing community are celebrated annually on Maryland Million Day,” said Delegate Rosenberg. “I believe that adding his name to the event is a fitting honor.”

Star-Studded list of Nominees for 72nd Hawthorne Gold Cup

Nominations are complete for the Gold Cup, no, not the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but the venerable Grade 2, $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup, which will be run on Saturday, September 27. The 72nd edition of Hawthorne’s signature fall race has 20 nominees, including defending champion Student Council, and last year’s third place finisher, A.P. Arrow.

Who actually races in the one-mile and one-quarter dirt race will be determined next week, but the quality of the field may shape up to be first rate.

Trainer Steve Asmussen may not have nominated Curlin (you can find him in that other ‘Gold Cup’), but he has graded winners Magna Graduate and Zanjero on the list of possible starters, in addition to the aforementioned Student Council.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sept. 19

JOCKEY JESSE JUMPS BACK IN WITH THURSDAY WIN

Veteran jockey Jesse Campbell, who suffered neck and shoulder injuries at Arlington in a spill Sept. 6, wasted little time getting back to the local winner’s circle by scoring a three-quarter length victory with his first mount back in Thursday’s opener.

Riding George Mellon’s Oro Gatita, trained by his father Michael Campbell, the 30-year-old native completed his golden, catty move outside the leaders in the last strides to be best at the wire. Oro Gatita’s victory was made more significant by the strong handling from a jockey who is recovering from slight tear in his rotator cuff and a hairline fracture of his collar bone.

Golden Doc A heads Weekend Delight

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 18, 2008 . . . Grade I winner Golden Doc A heads a strong field in the $75,000 Weekend Delight Stakes at Turfway Park Saturday. Eleven entered the six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares three years old and upward.

Golden Doc A won the Las Virgenes (G1) on the all-weather surface at Santa Anita in February and followed with runner-up finishes in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and the Beaumont (G2) at Keeneland. She next was fourth in two Grade I races behind some of the year’s strongest fillies, including Proud Spell and Pure Clan in the Kentucky Oaks and Zaftig and Indian Blessing in the Acorn. After a three-month break she returned to finish fourth in the Torrey Pines on the all-weather surface at Del Mar.

Tale of the Cat Colt Brings $190,000 on Thursday at Keeneland

Lexington, KY (September 18, 2008) – Maverick Racing paid $190,000 for a colt by Tale of the Cat to top Thursday’s session of Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale.

Consigned by Woods Edge Farm (Peter O’Callaghan), agent, the colt is out of the stakes-placed Dehere of the Dog, by Dehere, and from the family of graded stakes winners Heavenly Cause, Northern Soldier and Sunray Spirit.

Gross receipts on Thursday totaled $7,386,400, down 16.4 percent from the $8,840,400 posted last year. The session average of $28,519 dipped 5.8 percent from $30,275 recorded in 2007, while the median of $20,000 was down 9.1 percent from last year’s $22,000. A total of 259 horses were sold this year compared to 292 in 2007.

JOCKEY ALVARADO NOTCHES HIS 2,000TH CAREER VICTORY

ALBANY -- Jockey Frank Alvarado is known as a strong finisher and he displayed that strength while recording his 2,000th career victory Thursday at Golden Gate Fields.

Alvarado scored the milestone win aboard longshot Skimasco, who battled gamely along the rail to win the 5 1/2-furlong fourth race by a nose over Special Therapy. Skimasco responded to strong urging from Alvarado down the stretch to pull out the victory.

Upon returning to the winner's circle, Alvarado was surprised to see Golden Gate Fields personnel holding a sign that read, "Congratulations jockey Frank Alvarado - 2,000 wins."

Thursday, September 18 2008

SEVEN TO START IN DEPUTED TESTAMONY STAKES

LAUREL, MD. 09-18-08---Trainer Gary Capuano has entered both Wonder Mon and Legendary Lover in the $50,000 Deputed Testamony Stakes at Laurel Park Saturday afternoon. The test for three-year-old Maryland-breds also attracted five others who will race a one mile on the main track.

Wonder Mon is the 2-1 morning line favorite. Away from action since last May, the Maria’s Mon colt won his first two starts in Maryland, raced in Florida during the winter and came back to run in Maryland in the spring.

Capuano’s other runner is Legendary Lover (4-1), who is not coupled with Wonder Mon in the betting. The son of Not For Love is two for five lifetime, with a maiden claiming win and an allowance score at Laurel Park. Travis Dunkelberger has the mount.