Friday, August 15 2008

Mike Chapple Promoted to Assistant General Manager

Mike Chapple, Vice President of Security and Surveillance at Gulfstream Park, will have the title “Assistant General Manager” added to his already impressive resume.

Mr. Chapple has a long history with Magna Entertainment Corp. owner of Gulfstream Park and Remington Park, the latter in Mr. Chapple’s native Oklahoma. He came to Gulfstream Park in 2006 after serving at Remington for 17 years. Mr. Chapple was on hand when Remington opened its slot business in 2005 and was a consultant when Gulfstream opened its slots the next year.

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/15/8

12 REMAIN SOLID FOR $1-MILLION PACIFIC CLASSIC

A dozen older horses remain solidly committed to competing in the 18th running of Del Mar's signature race, the Grade I, $1-million Pacific Classic, on Sunday, August 24 at 1 1/4 miles on the main track.

The Pacific Classic has been designated a "Win and You're In" event by the Breeders' Cup with the winner getting an automatic spot in the $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday, October 25 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita, site of the two days of Breeders' Cup championship races.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Fri. Aug. 15

MORNING LINE OF DEMARCATION FAVORED IN SATURDAY’S FEATURE

Amerman Racing Stables Demarcation, who closed fast when finishing third in Arlington’s $150,000 Sea o’ Erin Stakes July 26, has been made the 9-5 morning line favorite when he faces six rivals in Saturday’s $50,000 The Tin Man Stakes at Arlington Park.

The altered son of Gulch, beaten three-quarters of a length for all of it in that one-mile turf test, should appreciate the added sixteenth of a mile distance in Saturday’s feature – also over Arlington Park’s world famous grass course – and will have the riding services of veteran Arlington jockey E. T. Baird once again.

RUN AWAY AND HIDE MAKES IT SPECIAL

Run Away and Hide, unraced since May 1, showed the benefits of a long rest by settling under jockey Robby Albarado and taking the inside path to a 1 ¼-length victory in Thursday’s 103rd running of the Saratoga Special for two-year-olds at six and a half furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

The Saratoga Special, a traditional prep for the meet’s biggest race for juveniles, the Grade 1, $250,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes at seven furlongs on September 1, gave Run Away and Hide a chance to do his sire, City Zip, proud. City Zip won the Sanford, Saratoga Special and dead-heated with Yonaguska in the Hopeful to complete the sweep of Saratoga’s graded stakes for two-year-olds in 2000.

TOP FILLIES SQUARE OFF IN PRESTIGIOUS ALABAMA

When Proud Spell arrived at Saratoga Race Course Thursday afternoon from the Fair Hill Training Center, the petite bay filly couldn’t stop looking around at her new surroundings.

“It’s her first time to Saratoga,” explained trainer Larry Jones. “She’s just figuring out the lay of the land.”

Figuring out the lay of the land at the Spa is one thing; figuring out the lay of the land in this year’s three-year-old filly division is something else. But Saturday’s 128th running of the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes at one and one-quarter miles could go a long way in clearing things up in a division rife with talent.

RED ROCKS FINALLY GETS TOP BILLING IN SWORD DANCER

The reporters flocked around 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin and majority owner Jess Jackson at Belmont Park on July 12 following the running of the Grade 1 Man o’War, which normally would have been expected.

Trouble was that Curlin, making his turf debut, wasn’t the winner.

That distinction belonged to the Irish-bred Red Rocks, whose trainer, Brian Meehan, told anyone in earshot after the race: “Today, (Red Rocks) confirmed he is one of the best middle distance turf horses in the world and has been for the last two, three years.”

NYRA BANS TOE GRABS

NYRA TO LIMIT HEIGHT OF TOE GRABS ON FRONT HORSESHOES AT START OF AQUEDUCT FALL MEETING, OCTOBER 29

Following the recommendation of the Thoroughbred Safety Committee of The Jockey Club, toe grabs with a height greater than two millimeters (.07874 inches) on front horseshoes will be banned from all horses racing at Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park, and Aqueduct Racetrack. The limitation takes effect on October 29 with the opening of the Aqueduct Fall Meeting, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced today.

The committee announced its recommendation to ban all toe grabs other than two-millimeter wear plates on June 17.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES, Thursday, August 14, 2008

Hostess, who was scheduled to run against males in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at a mile and a half on the turf, will skip the race, according to trainer H. James Bond.

“There’s been too much rain and the turf is just too soft for her,” Bond said “It really is a shame. We’ll see if the weather lets up and maybe she can run here in the Glens Falls Handicap (Grade 3, $100,000-added, fillies and mares, 3 and up, 11 furlongs, turf, Monday, September 1). If not, then we’ll look at races like the Yellow Ribbon, the Flower Bowl and the Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup.”

Executive Flight looks to soar in Victoriana

TORONTO, August 14 * Executive Flight, a dark bay daughter of Bold Executive, goes after her ninth career win in Sunday's $125,000 turf Victoriana Stakes, at Woodbine.

Owned by Bill Soroklit Jr. and trained by Darwin Banach, the five-year-old mare has one win this year, that coming in the Sweet Briar Too Stakes on July 1, along with two thirds in three starts.

EXCITABLE MISS, $41.20, UPSETS FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Excitable Miss, a 19-1 outsider, ran down front-running Empress Gracie in the final strides to score a neck victory in the $51,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Thursday.

Excitable Miss, trained by Joe Pierce Jr. and ridden by Elvis Trujillo, raced the one mile and 70 yards in 1:43 3/5 over the fast main track and paid $41.20, $16.60 and $8.80 across the board.

BALTIMORE BOB FACES SIX IN HUMPHREY FINNEY STAKES

LAUREL, MD. 08-14-08---Baltimore Bob is the 9-5 favorite to win the Humphrey S. Finney Stakes on Saturday. He will face a half-dozen 3-year-old Maryland-breds in the 1-1/8th mile test on the Laurel Park turf. The nine-race card features five races on the grass.

Baltimore Bob has three wins on the grass, including a pair of victories on the Laurel turf last fall, and has been ridden exclusively by Horacio Karamanos. The son of Malibu Moon has raced in stakes company all year, including a pair of graded races at Colonial Downs.

Hawthorne Summer Harness Recap

Stickney, IL---The Hawthorne Summer Harness Meet was a success by most any measure.

On site handle increased by nearly 11 percent, as full fields, contentious races, and a cornucopia of promotions brought more people to the Stickney venue.

The quality of racehorse was evident by no less than four new track-record performances, either equaled or surpassed, and by the continued popularity of the Harness Racing School, which has introduced scores of new fans into the standardbred arena.