Tuesday, March 20 2012

World Richest Day in Horse Racing Gets out of Starting Gate at 4:30PM

The 17th running of the Dubai World Cup racemeeting will feature an expanded race programme of nine events, offering a world record in total prizemoney US$27.25 million for the March 31st day of racing.

The title event is sponsored by Emirates Airline and is worth US$10 million alone – making it the world’s richest race. Gates will open for the public at 12:00pm with the following post time schedule for the impressive roster of races:

Big Field Likely for Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes

FLORENCE, Ky., March 19, 2012 – The field for the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park this Saturday is expected to fill or nearly fill the gate as trainers solidify plans for their Kentucky Derby hopefuls. The race’s $500,000 purse virtually assures the winner a spot in the Derby gate, as proved true for the 2011 Spiral Stakes and Kentucky Derby winner, Animal Kingdom.

Mr. Prankster won the first two local preps for this year’s Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes, racing first at 6 1/2 furlongs and then at a mile, but he finished fourth in the third prep, the 1 1/16-mile John Battaglia Memorial on March 3. Trainer Mike Maker looks for him to rebound this Saturday.

Schedule Set for 2012 New York Stallion Series Races

NYRA recently released the schedule for the New York Stallion Stakes (NYSS) series. The series, which runs from May to November at all three NYRA racetracks and is worth $950,000, is restricted to the progeny of registered New York stallions who were nominated to the NYSS in the year of the foal’s conception. Eligible foals may be nominated to the series for as little as $200 in the weanling year.

The 2012 edition of the NYSS series will consist of 8 stakes races (+2 bonus stakes) and begins on May 6 when Belmont hosts male and female divisions of 6 1/2-furlong dirt sprints for 3-year-olds (the Times Square and Park Avenue Divisions). Male and female divisions of 7-furlong turf sprints for 3-year-olds will be run on June 3 (Spectacular Bid and Cupecoy's Joy Divisions).

Monday, March 19 2012

Tapitsfly Fills Void in Resume with Honey Fox Victory

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – It only takes a peek at the past performance lines in the Daily Racing Form to figure out that Tapitsfly’s triumph in Sunday’s $150,000 Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream Park can hardly be regarded as an upset.

What was surprising about the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner’s stretch-running victory in the mile turf event is that it marked her very first success in a graded stakes.

Gulfstream Today: 3.18.12

P and G Stable and Off the Hook et al’s 4-year-old ridgling Turbo Compressor made an auspicious turf course debut Sunday at Gulfstream Park with a wire-to-wire victory in the fourth race allowance at 1 1/16 miles to score by 5 ½ lengths over Stella Perdomo’s Forte Dei Marmi.

Ridden by leading jockey Javier Castellano for leading trainer Todd Pletcher, Turbo Compressor was doing just fine racing on the main track after winning the Carl Rose Classic in November at Calder by 10 ½ lengths and finishing a game third last out behind Mucho Macho Man in the Sunshine Millions Classic here on Jan. 28, but opened up additional options after posting his fifth victory in 11 career starts.

Lopez Out 6 to 8 Weeks

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Jockey Paco Lopez is expected to miss up to two months after suffering a broken collarbone and six fractured ribs in a spill at Gulfstream Park Saturday evening, according to his agent Cory Moran.

Lopez and jockey Antonio Gallardo were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital after the spill. Gallardo, complaining of pain Saturday, was released from Memorial Sunday.

CHAMPION HANSEN BREEZES EASY HALF-MILE AT TRACKSIDE

LOUISVILLE, KY. (Sunday, March 18, 2012) – Reigning American 2-year-old champion Hansen breezed an easy half-mile Sunday at Churchill Downs’ Trackside Training Center as the major contender for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) worked for the first time since his return to Kentucky following a winter spent mostly in Florida.

Dr. Kendall Hansen and Sky Chai Racing’s 3-year-old son of Tapit covered the half-mile in :50.40 just after the mid-training session break for track maintenance. Despite heavy rain in Louisville overnight, the six-furlong Trackside training course was rated “fast” for Hansen’s move.

El Padrino Breezes Sunday for Start in Florida Derby

Let’s Go Stable’s El Padrino worked five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 Sunday morning at Palm Meadows for trainer Todd Pletcher as he is kept on edge for a start in the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Sat., Mar. 31 in a field led by early Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Union Rags.

“It was a very good work with a strong gallop out,” said Pletcher of the chestnut colt by Pulpit. El Padrino was an impressive allowance winner over the Gulfstream track on Jan. 29 and shipped to New Orleans to win the $300,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds last out on Feb. 25.

CANONIZE PROVIDES JAY EM ESS STABLE, ELLIS WITH MEMORABLE WEEKEND

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 18, 2012) – Racing around two turns for the first time at the age of 6, Canonize capped a bountiful weekend for his owner and trainer on Sunday by capturing Santa Anita’s $71,800 Santana Mile by a hard-fought half-length over Gladding following a stretch-long duel.

Canonize’s first victory in a stakes race provided the Jay Em Ess Stable of Samantha Siegel and trainer Ron Ellis with a sweep of Santa Anita’s prime weekend features after Include Me Out won the biggest race of her career by taking Saturday’s Grade I Santa Margarita Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.

PICK SIX CARRYOVER OF $94,093 INTO THURSDAY

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 18, 2012)—With 29-1 shot East Sky, ridden by Joy Scott, galloping home a winner in the day’s eighth and final race, Santa Anita’s popular Pick Six carried over to the tune of $94,093 into Thursday. It is expected the total Pick Six pool on Thursday will exceed $500,000.

East Sky paid $60.20 to win and provided veteran jockey Scott with her first Santa Anita win since Feb. 10, 2011.

CAMACHO, DOMINGUEZ RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL; DOMINGUEZ DIAGNOSED WITH DISLOCATED CLAVICLE

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Ramon Dominguez and apprentice rider Samuel Camacho, Jr. were released Sunday evening from North Shore University Hospital where they were transported following a spill in this afternoon’s eighth race at Aqueduct Racetrack.

According to the NYRA Jockey Advocate, X-rays were negative on Camacho, while Dominguez suffered a dislocated, but not fractured, clavicle. Camacho is expected to ride Wednesday as scheduled; reigning Eclipse champion Dominguez will miss an unspecified amount of time.

CHIPS ALL IN AIMS TO REPEAT EDDIE LOGAN SUCCESS FRIDAY IN $70,000 PASADENA STAKES

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 18, 2012) – Chips All In, who faltered against Grade II competition in the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, returns to more favorable conditions Friday in Santa Anita’s $70,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf.

With regular rider Alonso Quinonez aboard, the Kentucky-bred son of North Light will attempt to replicate his 1 ¼-length victory in the Eddie Logan Stakes, also at one mile on turf, when facing nine of his contemporaries.