Friday, March 09 2012

GRADE I SANTA MONICA WINNER HOME SWEET ASPEN LIKELY CHOICE TO ANNEX GRADE III LAS FLORES

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 8, 2012) – Her gritty victory in the Grade I Santa Monica Stakes seems certain to cast Craig Stables’ Home Sweet Aspen as the solid choice on Sunday in Santa Anita’s 60th running of the Grade III, $100,000 Las Flores Stakes for older fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs.

Only five rivals were entered to face the 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride, bred by Sidney and Jenny Craig, who gamely prevailed in a stretch-long duel with Sugarinthemorning to take the Jan. 28 Santa Monica at seven furlongs.

SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES (Thursday March 8, 2012)

CARAVA 3-YEAR-OLD ‘ACTS’ LIKE THE REAL DEAL FOR SAN FELIPE

Should Jack Carava win Saturday’s San Felipe Stakes with American Act, it would present a most appropriate storyline of “Hometown Boy Makes Good.”

Not that the 45-year-old Arcadia native hasn’t enjoyed a taste of success since he began his career in 1984, when he started working for Joe Griffin, then a trainer and now agent for high-riding apprentice Eswan Flores.

Hammers Terror, Capetown Devil Ready for Black Gold; Citizen Advocate, Devious Intent Vie in Lacombe

NEW ORLEANS (Wednesday, December 14, 2011) – Sophomore colts and geldings as well as sophomore fillies considered Louisiana Derby or Fair Grounds Oaks candidates earlier this season get a chance to dance over the local lawn Saturday when the 55th running of the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes Fire and fourth renewal of the $75,000 Allen LaCombe Memorial – both slated for the Stall-Wilson turf course – serve as the co-featured events of the upcoming New Orleans weekend.

The Black Gold is named in recognition of the first horse in history to capture the Louisiana Derby and parlay that score into victory in the Kentucky Derby, while the Allen LaCombe Memorial honors the memory of Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe, Fair Grounds’ revered longtime publicity director who died in 1989.

French Breeze Wins Thursday Feature

NEW ORLEANS (Thursday, March 08, 2012) – Justice Family Racing’s French Breeze proved the third time’s the charm when she visited the winner’s circle for the first time in Thursday’s featured $46,000 grass dash for maiden sophomore members of the distaff set.

The daughter of good grass sire Elusive Quality trailed the field in the run down the backstretch in the sprint at about 5 1/2-furlongs over the Stall-Wilson turf course, commenced a rally entering the lane, took command in mid-stretch and drew clear the rest of the way for a length and a half tally.

LIGHT UP THE SKY MAKES IT TWO IN A ROW AT GGF

ALBANY -- Light Up the Sky recorded her second straight victory at Golden Gate Fields Thursday when she upset her heavily-favored stablemate, Sweet Nothings, in the $35,340 allowance feature.

Light Up the Sky defeated front-running Sweet Nothings by a half-length as trainer Jerry Hollendorfer saddled the exacta in the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies. Ms Pianist finished third.

BALTIMORE BELLE, BOLD AFFAIR HEADLINE CONNIVER STAKES

LAUREL, MD. 03-08-12---With eleven named to start, the spotlight is on open stakes winners Baltimore Belle and Bold Affair in Saturday’s $75,000 Conniver Stakes at Laurel Park, which is restricted to Maryland-bred fillies and mares.

They will be joined at the start by state-bred stakes winners Access to Charlie, Art of the Hunt and seven other runners in the 7-furlong test on the main track.

Thursday, March 08 2012

Grace Hall, On Fire Baby, Baffert Stars Top Roster of 94 Fillies Nominated to 138th Kentucky Oaks

LOUISVILLE, KY (Thursday, March 8, 2012) – A strong mix of accomplished stars headed by major stakes performers Grace Hall and On Fire Baby and exciting newcomers led by the Bob Baffert-trained trio of Eden’s Moon, Princess Arabella and Mamma Kimbo comprise the list of 94 3-year-old fillies nominated to compete in the 138th running of the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) on Friday, May 4 at Churchill Downs.

America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies is run each year on the eve of the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), its companion race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. Both have been run annually without interruption since 1875, the year that their world famous home track opened. The 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks is the richest event in the 3-year-old filly division and offers a purse of $1 million-guaranteed for the second consecutive year. The purse was doubled last year from its previous value of $500,000-added.

Gulfstream Park News & Notes March 8, 2012

Trinniberg Set for Season Debut in Swale

Shivananda Parbhoo’s Trinniberg was an accomplished 2-year-old in New York stakes races last season after an impressive career debut victory at Calder in July, and is set to resume his career in Saturday’s $150,000 Swale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park in his first start since a disappointing seventh-place finish in the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.

“That wasn’t Trinniberg that day,” said Shivinanda Parbhoo, who manages his family’s horses with his father Bisnath Parboo as the trainer. “He didn’t like the track at Churchill. I thought we might be in trouble after he worked three furlongs from the gate there the week before (37 2/5).

LIVE RACING RETURNS TO MONMOUTH PARK ON MAY 12;

Oceanport, N.J. – Live racing will return to Monmouth Park on Saturday, May 12, it was announced today by the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NJTHA). With a lease from the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA) to the NJTHA expected in early May, the latter will take the operational helm at the historic racetrack for this year’s 67th season of racing.

The 2012 calendar will feature 65 days at Monmouth Park and 10 all-turf days at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford. The Monmouth calendar closely mirrors the 2010 and 2011 schedules, with one notable change: four twilight cards on Thursdays in August, with a first post of 4:00 pm.

Top filly Dixie Strike named Queen’s Plate Winterbook choice

TORONTO, March 8 - Filly Dixie Strike, trained by champion conditioner Mark Casse and owned by John Oxley, was today installed as the 4-1 favourite for the 153rd edition of the Queen's Plate, following in the footsteps of her half-sister, 2011 Queen's Plate heroine, Inglorious.

Last year, Inglorious, who also captured the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, rallied impressively through the stretch to earn the winner's share of the $1 million purse. The Josie Carroll trainee was also a 4-1 favourite in the Winterbook.

Super Saturday to Serve as Preview for 17th running of Dubai World Cup

The spotlight is set to shine this Saturday, March 10 at Meydan Racecourse when the highly-anticipated Super Saturday racemeeting is to take place with over US$1.2 million in prizemoney up for grabs.

The stellar programme will be sponsored by Emirates Airline and features seven Thoroughbred and one Purebred Arabian contests that serve as the final prep tests for many of the contenders for the world’s biggest day of racing, the Dubai World Cup on Saturday, March 31.

Seemar seeks second Jebel Al Sprint win

The Shadwell breeding operation of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the generous sponsor of three races at Jebel Ali's penultimate meeting of the season on Friday afternoon. The highlight is the AED500,000 Jebel Ali Sprint, over 1000m, with previous winners, Terrific Challenge and Spin Cycle, both prepared by trainer Satish Seemar ,seeking second victories in the race.

Stable jockey Richard Mullen rides 2011 winner Spin Cycle with Ted Durcan on Terrific Challenge, who was third last year, after his 2010 success under the same rider.