Tuesday, September 02 2008

HOSTESS IS THE MOSTEST IN GLENS FALLS ‘CAP

Jockey Rajiv Maragh had a tough beat on William L. Clifton Jr.’s Hostess when he rode her for the first time on June 21.

But Maragh gained knowledge and put it to good use Monday afternoon, as he patiently rated Hostess and then turned her loose in the lane to win the 13th running of the Grade 3, $108,900 Glens Falls Handicap by a neck over rallying Palmilla.

Her winning time of 2:11.66 for the 11 furlongs was a Saratoga Race Course inner turf course record, breaking the old mark bet by Babinda (GB) on July 26, 1997.

KIMMEL’S STREAK REACHES SEVEN

When Premium Gold spurted away to victory in Monday afternoon’s third race at Saratoga Race Course, he handed trainer John Kimmel his seventh consecutive victory.

Before the unprecedented streak began, Kimmel had saddled only one winner at Saratoga this season. That changed when Kimmel saddled three winners on Friday, August 29 and one each on Saturday, Sunday and two of the day’s first three winners on Monday’s card.

Kimmel also entered Break Water Edison in Monday’s featured 10th race, the 104th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful

YEARLING SALES STAKES RECAPS

TORONTO, September 1 * Jono Jones piloted three Yearling Sales graduates to victory during the 2008 edition of Woodbine's Yearling Sales Stakes day on Monday.

The six $125,000 added-money events are featured annually on Labour Day weekend in advance of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's Canadian-bred horse auction.

The 2008 sale will be held on Tuesday, September 2 (Select Session, 3 p.m.) and Saturday, September 6 (Preferred Session, 3 p.m.) at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion at the south end of the Woodbine property.

WHO’S THE COWBOY TAKES ICECAPADE GIVING ELLIOTT 5TH WINNER

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Gerald Sleeter’s Who’s the Cowboy ran down Joey P. in the shadow of the wire to capture the $75,000 Icecapade Stakes at Monmouth Park on Monday, giving jockey Stewart Elliott his fifth winner on the card. Earlier in the day in the $60,000 Gilded Time Stakes, Run Sully Run came flying down the center of a firm turf course, stepping the 5 ½ furlongs in 1:01 4/5.

Who’s the Cowboy covered the six furlongs over a fast main track in 1:09 2/5 and returned $21, $6.20 and $2.80. It was a neck back to Joey P. who paid $3.20 and $2.10 and completed a $48 exacta. Maddy’s Lion rallied from last to third, two lengths farther back, and returned $2.60 to show.

STARDOM BOUND WINS DEL MAR DEBUTANTE

Rallying from the clouds under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Stardom Bound charged from twelfth and last place to win Monday's Grade I $250,000 Del Mar Debutante and clinch the two-year-old filly championship of the 2008 Del Mar meeting.

Slow from the gate in the seven-furlong sprint, Stardom Bound, a non-winner in two maiden races in which she was second, looped her rivals on the stretch turn and continued on powerfully to win by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:22.50. She became only the second maiden in the history of the race to win, emulating the feat of Cindy's Hero in 2000.

I’m Smokin Stakes

GARRETT GOMEZ (Babs Moossa) -- "I'm sittin' there on the fence and I'm watching Russell (Russell Baze on Control Seeker). He's got horse and he's ahead of me and he's got to make a decision. I'm thinking he's an old (veteran) rider and his first decision has got to be to keep his horse out of trouble. So I figure he's going to go to the outside and leave the inside to me. Sure enough, it happens that way. This time it worked out. Sometimes it doesn't. You're either a hero or a zero."

RUSSELL BAZE (Control Seeker) -- "This is only his third start and he's still figuring things out. He's still putting it together. I had a good trip and just got beat. No complaints."

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sept. 1

BRANDON COUNTERS WITH SUNDAY PUNCH RIDING DOUBLE

Apprentice jockey Brandon Meier landed a significant counterpunch Sunday in the battle for leading apprentice honors this summer at Arlington, winning two races to increase his lead to eight victories over rival “bug” rider Inez Karlsson.

One day earlier, Karlsson scored a riding triple to close the gap between them, but Karlsson went winless Sunday. There are now 13 racing days remaining in Arlington Park’s 2008 season entering Monday’s Labor Day program.

Meier, a 20-year-old native of nearby Elk Grove Village, cut the teeth of his career as a jockey on May 11 – literally. Meier won that riding debut by 4 1/4-lengths aboard Frank Calabrese’s Houseboat, but suffered some fractured teeth and received seven stitches as a result of a starting gate mishap with that mount.

Monday, September 01 2008

NYRA BACKSTRETCH NOTES

Today is the final day of racing at Saratoga Race Course for 2008.

Entering today’s card, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin holds a tenuous 16-15 lead over Todd Pletcher in the standings. McLaughlin has entered two today as he seeks his first Spa leading trainer title, while six-time Saratoga leader Pletcher has four set to go to post.

McLaughlin and Pletcher are good friends and both were former assistants to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

MANI BHAVAN BEHAVES BEAUTIFULLY IN SPINAWAY

Mani Bhavan, making her third career start and second start in 18 days, led at every call Sunday afternoon and held off Jardin for a one-length victory in the 117th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway for two-year-old fillies at seven furlongs.

Owned by Puglisi Stable and TYB Stable, the Storm Boot filly broke her maiden at first asking at Delaware Park on July 12. Trainer Steve Klesaris considered running her here at Saratoga Race Course on July 23 in the Opening Day Grade 3 Schuylerville, but rainy weather convinced Klesaris to wait.

His patience was promptly rewarded when Mani Bhavan won the Grade 2, 6½-furlong Adirondack by seven lengths on August 13. Obviously, she had a lot more left in the tank for the Spinaway, Saratoga’s biggest race for juvenile fillies.

MARLANG LEADS PARADE IN SARANAC

Following Marlang’s 1¾-length victory in Sunday’s 101st running of the Grade 3 Saranac, 80-year-old owner Gustav Shikendanz by-passed the winners’ circle and paraded the colt and jockey Richard Do Ramos up the track to the delight of Saratoga Race Course’s fans.

“That’s his tradition,” said winning trainer Deborah England. “He sort of does whatever he wants.”

Sort of like Marlang did in the mile and three-sixteenths Saranac.

Marlang, a son of Shikendanz’s 1996 Forego Handicap and Vosburgh winner Langfuhr, spurted from the gate to set fractions of 24.40, 48.44, 1:11.88 and 1:35.58 before winning in 1:53.10 on the firm Mellon Turf Course. It was the first Spa stakes win for both England and Dos Ramos.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES

It was a mellow Sunday morning at trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn at Saratoga Race Course following champion Curlin’s 1 ¼-length victory over Past the Point in the 55th running of the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes on Saturday afternoon. Barbara Banke, wife of majority owner Jess Jackson, son Chris Jackson, and winning rider Robby Albarado all paid visits to the reigning Horse of the Year, who came back from the nine-furlong race “very well,” according to Asmussen.

“He seemed very comfortable this morning, ate up, did all the things you want to see happen,” said Asmussen, who said he and his wife, Julie, celebrated by eating leftovers and watching “Jaws 2” with sons Keith, Darren and Eric.

“BEST HORSE ON THE PLANET” COULD BRIGHTEN BELMONT’S FALL

2007 Horse of the Year Curlin, largely considered the “best horse on the planet,” could be making his final New York appearance in the 90th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational on Saturday, September 27 – the biggest race of Belmont Park’s 38-day Fall Championship Meet.

Curlin’s majority owner, Jess Jackson, has said that no decision will be made until Curlin works again at Saratoga Race Course in a week or so, and that he has several options for the 4-year-old Smart Strike colt.