Wednesday, August 06 2008

Arlignton International Festival of Racing Barn Notes: Tues. Aug. 5

ARCHIPENKO BREEZES ON SOFT ARLINGTON TURF

World traveler Archipenko, projected favorite in Saturday’s Grade I Arlington Million, accomplished a pedestrian seven-furlong breeze over Arlington’s turf course at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, picking up the pace to get the last quarter in :27 with regular South African jockey Kevin Shea in the irons.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and Dr. A. H. Parker, Archipenko’s last two starts this year consist of an impressive tally in Hong Kong’s Group I Queen Elizabeth II Cup last April 27 and another strong victory in Great Britain’s Group II Summer Mile Stakes July 12 at Ascot.

Tuesday, August 05 2008

A ROSE AMONG THORNS, CLASSY SHADOW STEPS UP IN SMITHWICK

Lilith Boucher wanted to train Class Shadow from the moment she saw her.

Now that Classy Shadow has proved herself in her last start, the 4-year-old Rock Point filly will take on eight experienced males and a reliable mare when she makes her Saratoga Race Course debut in Thursday’s 13th running of the Grade 2, $80,00-added A.P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase at two miles and a sixteenth.

It is tough enough that she will be facing William Pape’s 9-year-old Mixed Up, the 2007 Smithwick winner, but she will also have to contend with The Fields Stable’s Guelph, a 7-year-old Sky Classic mare who is on a two-race winning streak. Those horses are trained by Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard and Tom Voss, respectively.

THREE CHIMNEYS FARM TO SPONSOR HISTORIC HOPEFUL STAKE

Two prestigious names in the world of thoroughbred racing are now linked as Three Chimneys Farm has become the title sponsor of the Grade 1, $250,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes. The most significant stakes for two-year-olds run at the New York Racing Association’s Saratoga Race Course, the seven-furlong Three Chimneys Hopeful will be run for the 104th time on Labor Day, Monday, September. 1.

“The Hopeful Stakes has long held a unique place on the Saratoga stakes schedule, as the winner is automatically stamped as the crop’s first classic hopeful,” NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward said. “Three Chimneys Farm has such strong associations with classic-type horses, so we’re thrilled they’ve extended those associations to include the Three Chimneys Hopeful.”

SARATOGA NOTES, Monday, August 4

Just before 6 o’clock on a spectacular Monday morning, 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin stepped onto the Oklahoma training track for his final work before owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen decide whether his future is on the dirt or on turf. Both Jackson and his wife, Barbara Parke, were on hand for the work, in which the big chestnut breezed five furlongs in an easy 1:02.72 under regular exercise rider Carmen Rosas.

“He’s in a beautiful rhythm, he’s very comfortable,” said Asmussen. “He’s very loose. It amazes me how he jogs off afterward. For me, it's like Christmas morning -- I get giddy when I see him.”

Seaside Retreat captures Nijinsky Stakes

TORONTO, August 4 - Seaside Retreat carved out a new course record in Monday's Grade 2, $300,000 Nijinksy Stakes at Woodbine.

The Mark Casse trainee zipped 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.68, shaving 0.08 seconds off the mark set by Mrs. Lindsay in last year's E.P. Taylor Stakes.

Seaside Retreat finished one length in front of a game American invader in Strike a Deal, who now has five graded stakes placings in the past two years. French Beret closed to be third.

SAN MATEO COUNTY FAIR TO HOST FINAL 10 DAYS OF RACING AT HISTORIC BAY MEADOWS

SAN MATEO -- The San Mateo County Fair will host the final 10 days of horse racing at historic Bay Meadows when it conducts its 2008 meeting, a two-week session that begins Wednesday and continues through Sunday, Aug. 17.

Post time is 1:45 p.m. and racing will be presented Wednesday through Sunday. Grandstand gates open at 10 a.m. daily; club house and turf club gates at 11:30 a.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. weekends.

BIG BROWN “LOOKS GREAT” FOLLOWING HASKELL SCORE

Oceanport, N.J. - Less than one day after winning North America's richest invitational, The Grade 1 $1 million Haskell Presented by Vonage at Monmouth Park, Big Brown "looks great", according to trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. Big Brown left Monmouth Park at approximately 10:15 this morning for a van ride back to his Aqueduct headquarters. It is unclear what lies ahead for the dual classic winner.

"We'll take a closer look at him later this afternoon and then worry about down the line", said Dutrow, who conditions the 3-year-old Boundary colt out of the Nureyev mare Mien. "Once we see how he came out of it, we'll start to look ahead."

Del Mar Stable Notes 8/4/8

HENRY MORENO: HE KNOWS MARES AND HE LIKES ZENYATTA

Trainer Henry Moreno has had some very good female runners in his long career as a conditioner in Southern California so he knows of what he speaks when he says of the undefeated 4-year-old filly Zenyatta, "I think she's a very good mare. She could be a champion, and is a champion right now, as far as that goes.

"She could be one of the all-time greats with just a few more wins."

INSPIRATION WITHIN WINS AT DEL MAR

In a race marked by an unusual occurrence involving the starting gate, Inspiration Within and jockey David Flores led from wire-to-wire to win Del Mar's featured race Monday, a six-furlong dash for older California-bred fillies and mares.

Shortly after Inspiration Within crossed the finish line, Del Mar's board of stewards posted the inquiry sign concerning the break from the gate of Filter, who was positioned on the outside, in post number seven, under jockey Corey Naktani.

GARY BRINSON: DEL MAR HAS GIVEN HIM THE RIDE OF HIS LIFE

Some might wonder why Gary Brinson wears a broad beam of a smile that spreads a constant crease across his face.

It's simple. He's in his favorite spot doing his favorite thing. He gets the equine athletes that make Del Mar so delightful off and running for seven weeks each summer.

He's the starter at Del Mar.

Barn Notes: Monday, August 04, 2008

ARLINGTON MILLION’S ARCHIPENKO HAS TURF WORK SLATED TUESDAY

Globetrotting Archipenko, the European-based favorite for Saturday’s Grade I Arlington Million, will get his introduction to Arlington’s world famous turf course Tuesday morning in a dress rehearsal on latest stage of his 2008 world tour.

After capturing the Grade II Al Fahidi Fort Stakes in Dubai last February, the Group I Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong last April and the Group II Summer Mile Stakes in Great Britain last month, Archipenko is now attempting to add a victory in the showcase race of Chicago’s racing season to that impressive résumé.

Monday, August 04 2008

Marlang goes wire-to-wire in Breeders’ Stakes win

TORONTO, August 3 - Gus Schickedanz's Marlang led from gate to wire in Sunday's $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, the third and turf jewel of Canada's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing, at Woodbine.

The bay son of Langfuhr completed the 1 1/2-mile distance over a "firm" E. P. Taylor Turf Course in 2:28.58, besting Sligovitz by 2 3/4 lengths. Mutuel favourite Solitaire, third in the Queen's Plate, was third, a half-length back.