Saturday, July 26 2008

LAKE GEORGE RECAP

Jockey Eibar Coa capped a three-win day Friday afternoon with a three-quarter length victory aboard Lael Stable’s My Princess Jess in the first grass race of the Saratoga Race Course season, the 13th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Lake George Stakes for three-year-old fillies.

The race was the feature on a Sunset Racing card to kicks off “Hats Off to Saratoga” -- the traditional Opening Weekend celebration in Saratoga.

PYRO SET TO SPARKLE IN JIM DANDY

There was a time earlier this year that nearly every Kentucky Derby poll had Pyro on or close to the top of the list. Overshadowed at age 2 by juvenile champion War Pass, who had beaten him three straight times, the son of Pulpit finally got everyone’s attention in February with his scintillating last-to-first victory in the Risen Star Stakes and followed that up with another impressive performance in the Louisiana Derby.

But Pyro’s flame flickered out as quickly as it had ignited. Sent off as the even-money favorite in the Blue Grass Stakes, he finished 10th in a 12-horse field, beaten 11 ½ lengths over Polytrack. Three weeks later, he clunked home eighth, a dull 15 lengths behind Big Brown at Churchill Downs.

SARATOGA NOTES, Friday, July 25, 2008

Cue The Who.

“You Bettor, you better, you bet!”

If you like betting action, you have to love Saratoga Race Course, which will offer fans plenty of wagering options this meet.

Already in place are rolling doubles and superfectas on all races that qualify.

Saturday, there will be an all-stakes $500,000 guaranteed Pick 4 on races 7-10, beginning at 4:12 p.m.

PARADISE TONIGHT CAPTURES FEATURE AT MONMOUTH

OCEANPORT, N.J. * Paradise Tonight charged down the center of the track in deep stretch and rolled on to a nearly four-length victory in the $51,000 allowance feature at Monmouth Park on Friday.

The winner, trained by Joe Pierce Jr. and ridden by Elvis Trujillo, raced the one mile and 70 yards in 1:42 1/5 over the fast main track, and paid $6.80, $3.40 and $3.40 across the board as second choice in the field of seven fillies and mares.

DIXIE UNION WINS WICKERR IN BLANKET FINISH

In a blanket finish to end all blanket finishes, One Union held on tenaciously in the final strides under jockey Victor Espinoza to win a thrilling renewal of the $92,610 Wickerr Handicap today, with the first five horses under the line separated by mere noses.

One Union, who led from the start, barely nosed out the onrushing Awesome Gem, who in turn was a nose in front of third-place Dark Islander. Worldly was a nose back in fourth and the same margin ahead of fifth-place Stoneside in the field of ten horses. Thus, the margin from the winner to the fifth-place horse was only a neck.

Del Mar Stable Notes 7/25/8

'MYSTERY HORSE' STORM MESA SETTLES IN FOR SAN CLEMENTE

For all those oldtimers who remember radio's "I Love a Mystery," the hunch bet for Saturday's Grade II, $150,000 San Clemente would be Storm Mesa, tabbed as the race's "mystery horse."

The mystery moniker comes from the fact the 3-year-old filly has run only in the Midwest and South since going to trainer W. Bret Calhoun from Southern California-based Tim Yakteen after two unsuccessful races, the first at Del Mar last summer. She's now on a four-race win streak which includes the Grade III Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows in her most recent start.

Calder Barn Notes: 7-25-08

My Sweet Natalie Prominent on Georgia Juvenile Fillies Roster

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 25, 2008) – Owner-breeder-trainer Wesley Ward is busy with horses campaigning at major racing centers coast-to-coast this summer, including a division at Calder Race Course, and shipped 2-year-old filly My Sweet Natalie in earlier this season with apparent designs on the $75,000 Georgia Juvenile Filly Turf Dash on Sat., Aug. 2, a race he won last year.

Ward brought Excessive Heat to Calder last summer after his homebred daughter of Bring the Heat had made her first two starts in California where she was bred, and she won the Georgia Juvenile Filly Turf by 4 ¾ lengths in her grass course debut, later selling her privately to Chicago-based trainer Larry Rivelli and partner Richard Ravin.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Friday, July 25, 2008

MILLION CANDIDATE ‘MAISON’ BETTING THE HOUSE AT YORK SATURDAY

Irish-bred Hearthstead Maison, owned by Hearthstead Homes Ltd. and trained by Mark Johnston, is likely to make or break his chances as a candidate for the Grade I Arlington Million Aug. 9 when he goes to the post in Great Britain’s Group II York Stakes at York on Saturday.

The 4-year-old son of Peintre Celebre out of a Seattle Slew mare was a creditable third in Great Britain’s listed Steventon Stakes at Newbury in his first start of the year on July 19. Hearthstead Maison concluded his sophomore campaign last Sept. 23 with a sixth-place run in Germany’s Group I Europa Preis at Koln, but won Ireland’s Group III Kilternan Stakes at Leopardstown two weeks earlier in the month.

Friday, July 25 2008

Unusual Suspect in Seagram Cup lineup

TORONTO, July 24 - Unusual Suspect will take a shot at Canada's toughest older runners in Sunday's Grade 3, $150,000 Chinese Cultural Centre Seagram Cup Stakes at Woodbine.

The 1 1/16-mile event has attracted eight entrants, including True Metropolitan, Jiggs Coz and Presque Isle Mile hero Summer Doldrums.

After two off-the-board finishes in sprints, longshot Unusual Suspect appears to be cycling back towards a peak effort.

DESERT PARTY SCORES IN SHORT SANFORD FIELD

Thursday afternoon, on the second day of Saratoga Race Course’s 140th season, the main topic of conversation was the rainy weather that dampened the spirits of many and forced the cancellation of several turf races and the postponement one steeplechase event.

But by day’s end, there was plenty of sunshine, as well something else to talk about. His name is Desert Party, a $2.1 million purchase who was making his debut on dirt.

A Street Cry colt owned by Darley Stable, Desert Party found room at the rail on the muddy/sealed track and came through in the lane for a 3 ¼-length victory under jockey Edgar Prado in the 94th running of the Grade 2 Sanford for two-year-olds at six furlongs.

GINGER PUNCH TO DEFEND GO FOR WAND TITLE

Hall of Fame trainer Robert Frankel and Stronach Stable’s Ginger Punch want to take the same road to Breeders’ Cup Championships that they did last year. And the first leg of the journey will be Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, when Ginger Punch seeks to repeat a winner in the 55th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Go for Wand for fillies and mares at nine furlongs.

Last year, Ginger Punch earned an automatic entry into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Monmouth Park after winning the Go for Wand by six lengths. At the Breeders’ Cup, Ginger Punch held off Hystericalady by a neck.

PLETCHER HOPES THE WAIT WILL BE WORTH IT FOR WAIT A WHILE

Two summers ago, Wait a While ran one of the biggest races of her life at Saratoga Race Course when she swept to a nearly five-length victory in the Grade 2 Lake Placid on the turf, a performance which, along with her Grade 1 wins in the Yellow Ribbon and the American Oaks, helped earn her the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top three-year-old filly.

A year later, still competitive but not as consistent at finding the winner’s circle, she came back to Saratoga looking like her old self and ran her record here to 2-0 with a convincing win in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa over the firm inner turf course.