Sunday, September 14 2008

MUSIC NOTE TAKES IT EASY AND TAKES GAZELLE EASILY

Godolphin Stable’s Music Note returned to Belmont Park on Saturday afternoon and made herself right at home with a push-button, 8 ½-length victory in the 113th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Gazelle for three-year-old fillies at nine furlongs. She returned $2.10 as the favorite of 5,657 fans.

The A.P. Indy filly has now won five of seven starts, and one of her losses came against Proud Spell by a head in Saratoga’s Grade 1 Alabama. Proud Spell is heading for the Fitz Dixon Cotillion at Philadelphia Park next weekend, and it may be that the three-year-old filly championship will come down to the wire if those two continue their impressive seasons.

FUTURITY, MATRON RECAP

Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren’s Charitable Man turned in a solid, professional effort Saturday afternoon in just his second career start and won the 119th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Futurity at Belmont Park for two-year-olds at seven furlongs by a length over Flying Pegasus.

In fact, the victory impressed jockey Alan Garcia so much that he made a bold prediction

“He’s going to the Kentucky Derby,” Garcia said.

He is certainly on the right track. Charitable Man is a son of Lemon Drop Kid, who won the Futurity in 1998, and then went on to win the Belmont Stakes and Travers in 1999 and the 2000 Whitney.

Tenjectory pulls 17-1 La Prevoyante upset

Tenjectory, owned by T.V. Stables, wore down 3-5 favourite Authenicat in deep stretch to take Saturday's $125,000 La Prevoyante Stakes, an Ontario Sires event for three-year-old fillies, at Woodbine.

With Eurico Rosa da Silva at the controls, Tenjectory rallied stoutly in the one mile turf dash and outdueled Authenicat for her first added-money score.

After Manitoba Miss led the nine-horse field through a quarter-mile in :23.96 and a half in :47.84 over a 'yielding' turf, the daughter of Trajectory, sitting seventh, had her work cut out as the field straightened away for the lengthy stretch drive.

Second chance at big Megapick prize goes Sunday at Woodbine

Woodbine Racetrack presented three lucky Woodbine $1 million Megapick participants with their prizes this week.

The FREE-to-enter contest, at http://www.theracetrack.ca, offers up to $1 million in prize money and asks participants to predict the entire outcome of particular races from the winning horse to the last steed under the wire.

Off Duty repeats in Marfa Stakes

Off Duty was on the job Saturday at Turfway Park, winning the Marfa Stakes for the second consecutive year.

Off Duty enjoyed a perfect stalking trip under jockey Larry Melancon and got the best of a stretch duel to win by a neck over Nakayama Arashi, who raced right behind the winner throughout the 6 1/2 furlong sprint. Native Ruler, who led the field through the first half-mile, laid down fractions of :22.19 and :44.27 before settling for third, another 5 3/4 lengths back. Final time was 1:16.08.

Georgia Ryon upsets John Deere Sprint Stakes

Florence, KY . . . September 13, 2008 . . . Georgia Ryon pulled off a major upset in Friday’s $25,000 John Deere Turfway Park Sprint Stakes at Turfway Park, as American Quarter Horses made their debut over Polytrack.

The stakes race not only was a milestone for Quarter Horses on the newest generation of all-weather surfaces but also marked the first time the breed had raced at Turfway in 36 years. The race drew plenty of interest from a large crowd on hand for the track’s Friday night activities, including a barbecue festival. As the Quarter Horses broke the gate at 11:30 p.m., fans were lined up six and seven deep on the rail.

BIG BROWN GAMELY HOLDS OFF PROUDINSKY BY NECK TO CAPTURE $500,000 MONMOUTH STAKES ON TURF

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Big Brown thrilled a crowd of 17,047 at Monmouth Park Saturday, displaying championship form as he dug in gamely when challenged to win the $500,000 Monmouth Stakes Presented by IEAH Stables by a neck over the hard-charging Proudinsky.

Big Brown, who had just about locked up the 3-year-old title by winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Haskell Invitational earlier this season, defeated older horses for the first time in the inaugural running of the Monmouth Stakes at a mile and an eighth on the turf.

MR. KEEPER PREPS FOR MARYLAND MILLION WITH OLIVER’S TWIST STAKES VICTORY

William Backer’s Mr. Keeper let the others do their thing before he split horses and drew off to a convincing victory in the $50,000 Oliver’s Twist Stakes for 2-year-old Maryland-breds at Laurel Park. The son of Lion Hearted will be pointed to the $150,000 Maryland Million Nursery at Laurel on October 4.

Pilanesberg shot to the lead in the 5-1/2 furlong test on the yielding turf but bolted entering the turn, carrying Helookslikearnold to the outer rail. That left four runners with a fighting chance, but Mr. Keeper had their measure and won off by three lengths in 1:03.56. Morning line favorite Peace Town, promising Ready to Cruise and Count on Lou scratched.

Medaglia d’Oro Colt Brings $500,000 on Saturday at Keeneland

Zayat Stables paid $500,000 for a colt by Medaglia d’Oro to top Saturday’s session of Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale.

Consigned by Eaton Sales, agent, the colt is out of the unraced Clever Trick mare Game Trick, and from the family of champion sprinter and sire Langfuhr.

On Saturday, Keeneland sold 280 horses for gross receipts of $30,677,000, down 4.1 percent from 2007 when 267 horses brought $31,980,700. The average of $109,561 was down 8.5 percent from last year’s $119,778, while the median of $90,000 was down 10 percent compared to $100,000 in 2007.

Bunker Hill scores a hard fought victory in Go for the Green Stakes

After a long battle in the stretch run, Flying Dutchman Stable's Bunker Hill, with Rafael Mojica, Jr., prevailed by a head over Aspiring Nick, with Mario Pino, in the $100,600 Go for the Green Juvenile Stakes at Delaware Park. It was another 7 ¼-lengths back to Silent Shot, with Luis Garcia, in third. The 2-year-old stake was originally scheduled for the turf, but transferred to the main track due to the rain showers in the region yesterday.

Bunker Hill covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:48.36 over a fast main track and returned $6.80 as the second choice. Aspiring Nick was the slight 2-to-1 favorite in the field of seven.

$1.1 Million Medaglia d’Oro Filly Resold Privately at Keeneland

Keeneland has announced that a filly by Medaglia d’Oro out of Amizette, purchased for $1.1 million by Karen Sanderson during the Thursday session of the September Yearling Sale, has been sold privately.

Two other yearlings also bought by Sanderson on Thursday – Hip #942 and Hip #1132 – were scheduled to be resold at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Bon Jovi Girl cruises to easy win in Fairway Fillies Stakes

Blaze of Glory Stable and Tim Ritchey's Bon Jovi Girl cruised to an easy win and recorded her first career stake victory in the $100,600 Fairway Fillies Stake at Delaware Park today. The 2-year-old stake was originally scheduled for the turf but was transferred to the main track due to rain showers in the area last night.

With Jose Caraballo aboard, the daughter of Malibu Moon won by 9 3/4-lengths and returned $3.20 as the favorite in the field of seven. Her entry mate, Megachurch was scratched from the race.