Tuesday, October 14 2008

SHARP SUSAN TOPS FIELD OF 14 IN VIOLET STAKES

Fourteen fillies and mares, including graded stakes winner Sharp Susan, have been entered for Friday night's $150,000 Grade 3 Violet Stakes at the Meadowlands.

Trained by Bill Mott, Sharp Susan leads the charge from post eight for the mile and a sixteenth turf test. The 4-year-old Touch Gold filly captured the Dr. James Penny Memorial Handicap on July 7 at Philadelphia Park and also picked up checks in the Churchill Distaff Turf (G3) and Ballston Spa (G2). After a six-month layoff, Sharp Susan kicked off her season with a victory over grade III winner Criminologist in an allowance race April 6 at Keeneland. At three, Sharp Susan won the Grade II Lake Placid at Saratoga. Kentucky -based breeders Kenny Troutt and Bill Casner, who race as WinStar Farm, own the filly.

THIRD GENERATION RIDER MAKES HIS MARK AT MEADOWLANDS

East Rutherford, NJ [Oct. 14, 2008] -- Nearly 30 years after his father won his first riding title, 21-year-old Erick Lopez scored his first Meadowlands win on Tuesday afternoon.

The third generation jockey rode Young Queen to victory in the second race, a $12,000 claiming event, for trainer Alfredo Velasquez. Lopez and Young Queen led from start to finish over the mile and 70-yards and paid $8 to win. Lopez is the son of Chuck C. Lopez, a two-time Meadowlands riding champion and Monmouth Park titlist. His grandfather, Carlos Lopez, counts the 1980 Haskell and 1990 Meadowlands Cup among his many victories.

Sunday, October 12 2008

ZADA BELLE SURGES TO SETON HALL STAKES WIN

East Rutherford, NJ [Oct. 11, 2008] - Godolphin's Zada Belle repelled challengers on both sides and edged away in the final strides to win the $65,000 Seton Hall University Stakes on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

Sent off the 3-5 favorite, Zada Belle [$2.80, $2.40, $2.10] bested the persistent Shananie's Song [$7.80, $4.00] by 1 1-2 lengths. With Stewart Elliott up, she stepped the six furlongs in 1:09.12. Princess Janie [$2.40] finished third after making a brief bid on the outside.

Friday, October 10 2008

PRIVATE MIRACLE TAKES MEADOWLANDS FEATURE

East Rutherford, NJ [October 9, 2008] Private Miracle seized command from the dueling leaders at the top of the stretch and held on to win the $50,00 allowance for three-year-old fillies and mares Thursday night at the Meadowlands.

Trained by Alan S. Seewald, Private Miracle is perfect in two career starts. With Jose Velez Jr. in the saddle, Private Miracle paid $4.40 to win the night's sixth race in 1:11.14. It was a photo for the place spot, with Billy We Got You nosing out a very game Aly Blair in third.

Saturday, October 04 2008

ARSON SQUAD FIRES LATE TO WIN MEADOWLANDS CUP

East Rutherford, NJ [October 3, 2008] - Arson Squad [$10.80, $4.80, $4.00] flew home late to give trainer Richard Dutrow his second straight win in the $350,000 Grade II Meadowlands Cup on Friday night.

Ridden by Edgar Prado, Arson Squad sat well off the swift early pace set by Timber Reserve and slipped through an opening in the stretch to best Anak Nakal [$6.20, $3.60] by 2 1-2 lengths in 1:48.81. It was a nose back to Timber Reserve [$3.20] in third.

Friday, October 03 2008

ACTIN GOOD READY FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE IN MEADOWLANDS CUP

Actin Good put on a gutsy front-end performance to win the Grade III Pegasus on Breeders' Cup Day at Monmouth Park last October, but trainer Bobby Dibona feels the gelding's best effort is yet to come.

The trainer has high hopes for Actin Good in the $350,000 Grade II Meadowlands Cup on Friday night. The 4-year-old gelding is rated 8-1 on the early line in the 1 1-8 mile race. The competitors he will face include Pennsylvania Derby winner Anak Nakal and Belmont victor Da'Tara.

"I think we have a better horse now [as compared to last year before the Pegasus]," Dibona. "He's much more relaxed and settles down real nice for me now. He's training good, real solid."

Thursday, October 02 2008

BRAVO BACK ABOARD ANAK NAKAL

Jockey Joe Bravo sat patiently early before putting Anak Nakal into high gear around the far turn and driving that challenge to a neck victory in the $1 million Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 1. Just over one month later he'll be reunited with Anak Nakal as the two take on seven challengers in the $350,000 Meadowlands Cup this Friday night.

"This is a big talented horse, said Joe Bravo, a nine-time Meadowlands riding champion. "While he was younger he had his mind in other business. If he's happy, he'll overcome everything and hopefully we'll see the same Anak Nakal we saw in his last race."

Friday will be the third time that Bravo and Anak Nakal have left the paddock together on their way to the post. On March 15 they were united in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, where they were a disappointing seventh. However, that effort did not deter his connections as they sent Anak Nakal on to run fifth in the Wood Memorial and then seventh in the Kentucky Derby.

Wednesday, October 01 2008

ZITO ENTRY TOPS MEADOWLANDS CUP FIELD

The Nick Zito-trained duo of Da'Tara and Anak Nakal heads the field for the $350,000 Grade II Meadowlands Cup on Friday night.

Da'Tara will break from post one with Alan Garcia aboard in the track's signature thoroughbred stakes. In the upset heard 'round the world, Da'Tara romped gate-to-wire in the 2008 Belmont, as Triple Crown hopeful Big Brown pulled up in the stretch. In his next start, Da'Tara succumbed to an early speed duel and finished last in the Jim Dandy at Saratoga. The 3-year-old son of Tiznow was a game fifth in the Travers on Aug. 23 after being pressured on the lead.

Four Roses Thoroughbreds' Anak Nakal got up in the final strides to win the Pennsylvania Derby, his second Grade II victory, on Sept. 1. He capped his two-year-old campaign with a victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last November at Churchill. Lifetime, the Victory Gallop colt has won three of 10 starts. Anak Nakal will break from post four with Joe Bravo in the irons on Friday night.

Friday, September 26 2008

MEADOWLANDS MEET BEGINS WITH A BANG

A seven-week engagement of live thoroughbred racing kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Meadowlands.

The 41-day meet runs through Saturday, Nov.15, with live racing six days a week. Post time is 1:10 p.m. Monday - Wednesday, and 7 p.m. Thursday - Saturday.

The $350,000 Grade II Meadowlands Cup on Friday, Oct. 3, headlines an action-packed opening week. Probable starters for the race include Belmont winner Da'Tara and 2007 Grade III Pegasus champion Actin Good. Trained by Bobby Dibona, Actin Good posted his first win in five starts this season in an allowance on Sept. 7 at Monmouth. Also expected to run are Shopton Lane, who swept the Formal Gold and Skip Away Stakes this year at Monmouth, and Indy Wind, two-time winner of the Alysheba Stakes at the Meadowlands.

Tuesday, September 23 2008

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR MEADOWLANDS THOROUGHBRED SURVIVAL CHALLENGE

It will be a battle to the finish for cash and Meadowlands IPODS in the 2008 Meadowlands Thoroughbred Survival Challenge powered by 123Racing, an online handicapping competition that begins Tuesday, September 30.

Enrollment for the game, which has a fresh, new look this season, opens Tuesday, September 23.

The game covers the 41-day Thoroughbred Meet, which features over $1.5 million in stakes purses highlighted by the $500,000 Grade II Meadowlands Cup for 3-year-olds and up on Friday, October 3.

MEADOWLANDS HOSTS BREEDERS’ CUP LEGENDS

The three jockeys who dueled in the inaugural Breeders' Cup Classic are together again -- and racing fans can meet them in person Friday, October 3 at the Meadowlands.

Pat Day, Angel Cordero, Jr. and Laffit Pincay, Jr. will greet fans and sign autographs beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the Paddock Level. Plus, 15 lucky fans and their guests will win dinner with the Hall of Fame jockeys in Pegasus Restaurant that night. The three legendary jockeys are touring the country to commemorate the 25th running of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Their ultimate finish line is the 2008 championships at Santa Anita Park.

Wednesday, September 17 2008

WOLFF NAMED MEADOWLANDS TRACK SUPERINTENDENT

The New Jersey Sports Exposition Authority has named Gary Wolff as Superintendent of Track and Backstretch Operations at Meadowlands Racetrack.

Wolff will oversee the maintenance of both the Meadowlands harness and thoroughbred racing surfaces and its backstretch properties. He was the track superintendent at Hoosier Park and a consultant for the 2008 Breeders Cup and Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.