Thursday, July 31 2008

Hypocrite Gets Class Break in Valid Video Overnight

Jacqueline Tortora and Toni and Richard Ancona’s homebred 3-year-old colt Hypocrite ran a very good race to finish fourth in the $250,000 Carry Back Stakes (G2) on ‘Summit of Speed’ day at Calder Race Course on July 12; beaten only 2 ½ lengths for it all by Golden Spikes as a 28-to-1 longshot; and comes back as the probable favorite in Saturday’s $55,000 Valid Video overnight stakes.

Jockey Manoel Cruz will be aboard Hypocrite for trainer Manny Tortora in Saturday’s 6 1/2-furlong test, facing eight rivals his own age. A son of Outofthebox, Hypocrite was a sharp winner of an allowance race over the same distance as the Valid Video on June 28 prior to the Carry Back in his first start since finishing third in the Foolish Pleasure Stakes here in September.

Joffe’s Run a Standout in Regal Gal Overnight

Andrew Rosen’s 3-year-old filly Joffe’s Run romped home an 11-length winner of the Sweettrickydancer overnight stakes going a mile on the main track on July 5 in her last start after that race was forced off turf, and comes back over the same track and distance as a likely odds-on choice in Saturday’s $55,000 Regal Gal overnight stakes.

Jockey Jermaine Bridgmohan gets a return call on Joffe’s Run for trainer Marty Wolfson as she faces five rivals her own age. A chestnut daughter of Giant’s Causeway, Joffe’s Run raced in England last year with trainer Brian Meehan before coming to the U.S. to finish 10th over a ‘yielding’ course in the Epitome Breeders’ Cup at Monmouth Park in late October.

Georgia Juvenile Filly Turf Dash One of Three Stakes Saturday at Calder

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 31, 2008) – The $75,000 Georgia Juvenile Filly Turf Dash to be run Saturday at Calder Race Course drew a wide-open field of 10, including two first-time starters and two other maidens that can’t be discounted. The race leads a trio of stakes to be run on the 12-race program, followed by editions of the $55,000 Regal Gal overnight and the $55,000 Valid Video overnight.

Raymond Feldman and co-owner-breeder-trainer Wesley Ward’s My Sweet Natalie and Joel Kligman’s Jungle Jill will be among the choices in the five-furlong Georgia Juvenile Filly Turf Dash with jockeys Paco Lopez and Ariel Smith aboard, respectively.

ADD TWO MARES TO BEVERLY D.’S PROBABLE STARTERS

Arlington’s Grade I Beverly D. Stakes, the Arlington Million’s sister race restricted to fillies and mares but also run along with the Grade I Secretariat Stakes on Arlington Million Day, had two late names added to its probable field size late Wednesday.

Irish-bred Rosinka, owned by The Lavington Stud and trained by Graham Motion, was third in Delaware Park’s Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes July 12 after winning Delaware’s $75,000 John W. Rooney Memorial on June 7.

SECRETARIAT STAKES FIELD SIZE SWELLING SUDDENLY

Like sudden storm clouds in a Chicago summer, the field size for Arlington’s Grade I Secretariat Stakes Aug. 9 has taken on dramatic new dimensions this week.

The $400,000 Secretariat, restricted to 3-year-olds of international caliber, will be contested along with the Arlington Million and $750,000 Beverly D. as one of three Grade I races to make up Arlington’s International Festival of Racing nine days away, but the grass race for sophomores which also serves as the final leg of Arlington’s Mid-America Triple is now attracting late interest from numerous horsemen based in the Midwest.

VON HEMEL TAKES ANOTHER STAB AT HONORABLE MISS

Last summer, trainer Kelly Von Hemel ran his first horse at Saratoga Race Course.

Naturally, the Spa’s history and standing as racing’s premier meet was not lost on Von Hemel, who is based at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, located about five miles from Des Moines. When he ran fourth in the Honorable Miss with Miss Macy Sue, Von Hemel knew he would love to come back for another chance at the Spa.

SARATOGA NOTES, JULY 30, 2008

Today’s ninth race is the $80,000 Fleet Indian Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at seven furlongs, and for the second year, it will herald the presentation of the Fleet Indian Scholarship.

Named for the Todd Pletcher-trained New York-bred champion who won eight straight races, including Saratoga’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign and Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Beldame in 2006, the scholarship was founded by Fleet Indian’s owner, Paul Saylor, to help New York students hoping to pursue a career in the Thoroughbred racing industry.

Breeders’ Stakes Notes for Wednesday, July 30

The 118th running of the $500,000 Breeders' Stakes, the third gem in Canada's Triple Crown for three-year-olds foaled in Canada, is set for Sunday, August 3, at Woodbine.

The race will be contested at 1 ½ miles (one mile and four furlongs) on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Post time for the Breeders' is 5:08 p.m. The race will air live on The Score in a special presentation from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

CORVO, $18.60, CAPTURES FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Nicholas Picariello’s Corvo rallied on the inside in the stretch and drew of to a nearly five-length victory in the $51,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Wednesday.

The winner, trained by Joseph Picariello and ridden by David Cohen, raced the one mile and 70 yards in 1:43 and paid $18.60, $8.20 and $4.40 across the board as second longest shot in the field of six.

Monmouth Park Barn Notes for Wednesday, July 30, 2008

NISTLE’S CRUNCH ARRIVES FOR SUNDAY’S HASKELL INVITATIONAL; BIG BROWN SCHEDULED TO BREEZE AT BIG A FRIDAY, ARRIVE SATURDAY

OCEANPORT, N.J. - A field of seven, topped by Big Brown, is in prospect for Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational Presented by Vonage * Big Brown is expected to breeze Friday at Aqueduct and ship to Monmouth on Saturday * Nistle’s Crunch, the only New Jersey-bred in the field, arrived at Monmouth Wednesday morning after a van ride from Kentucky * Atoned schooled in the gate with blinkers on Wednesday morning * The Haskell draw at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, will be webcast live on the Monmouth web site --- http://www.monmouthpark.com -and can be found in the “live video” section of the Racing menu.

ZAPPA COASTS HOME IN COUGAR II HANDICAP

Barber and Barber's Kentucky- bred Zappa cruised to an easy early lead and never looked back under jockey Garrett Gomez in coasting to a 6 1/4 length victory today in the $150,000 Cougar II Handicap at a mile and one-half on the main track.

The Cougar II Handicap is part of the Breeders' Cup's Win and You're In Marathon Division series of races. Thus, Zappa qualified for a spot in the $500,000 B.C. Marathon on Saturday, October 25 at Santa Anita.

Del Mar Stable Notes 7/30/8

ZENYATTA DRAWS EIGHT CHALLENGERS FOR HIRSCH HANDICAP

Undefeated Zenyatta will try to run her winning streak to seven Saturday in the Grade II, $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap for fillies and mares on the main track.

Eight others are scheduled to tackle the 4-year-old filly owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss and trained by John Shirreffs in the 38th running of the 1 1/16-mile handicap. Zenyatta, winner of four straight graded stakes, is assigned high weight of 124 pounds, including Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.