Saturday, October 11 2008

DELTA STORM HEADS KANGAROO COURT MONDAY AT OAK TREE

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 10, 2008) – Delta Storm will carry high weight of 124 pounds and likely favoritism into Monday’s $65,000 Kangaroo Court Stakes as Oak Tree presents a special holiday racing program of nine races at Santa Anita with first post at 12:30 p.m.

A 7-year-old gelding that trainer Mike Mitchell claimed for $40,000 last May on behalf of Michael House, Delta Storm drew the outside post among six entrants in the 4th running of the Kangaroo Court that is contested over 6 ½ furlongs on Santa Anita’s downhill turf course.

Friday, October 10 2008

LIVING LEGENDS JOCKEYS TO BE LICENSED OCT. 17

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 10, 2008)—In a prelude to competing in a one-of-a-kind live wagering race at Santa Anita on Oct. 18, eight Living Legends jockeys will report to the California Horse Racing Board’s offices at Santa Anita on Friday morning, Oct. 17, to be licensed for competition.

The eight Hall of Fame riders, Angel Cordero Jr., 65, Jacinto Vasquez, 64, Sandy Hawley, 59, Pat Day, 55, Chris McCarron, 53, Jerry Bailey, 51, Gary Stevens, 45, and Julie Krone, 45, will be photographed and fingerprinted at 8:15 a.m.

STABLE NOTES, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2008

FRANKEL SET TO ADD TO HIS BREEDERS’ CUP RESUME

Bobby Frankel is no stranger to the Breeders’ Cup. The 67-year-old Brooklyn native has started 72 horses in racing’s championship races since its inception in 1984, winning five.

Frankel, Oak Tree’s career leader in victories with 269, is preparing his latest brigade for Breeders’ Cup 25 on Oct. 24 and 25 when the Oak Tree Racing Association hosts the two-day extravaganza at Santa Anita.

Breeders’ Cup Post Position Draw

POST POSITIONS FOR ALL 14 BREEDERS’ CUP RACES TO BE DRAWN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 AT SANTA ANITA PARK

TVG to Televise

LEXINGTON, Ky. (October 10, 2008) – The Breeders’ Cup announced today that post positions for all 14 races of the 25th Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be drawn on Tuesday, October 21 at Santa Anita Park, following the closing of entries at 10 a.m. PT.

The Breeders’ Cup, Thoroughbred racing most prestigious global event, consisting of 14 races and $25.5 million in purses, will be run on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25 at Santa Anita, and will be televised live on ABC, ESPN and to more than 130 countries.

CARRILERO RETURNS TO MOW DOWN FOES IN FEATURED TURF EVENT

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 9, 2008) – Winless in two starts since a hard-charging second at 42-1 odds to Johnny Eves in the Grade I Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita last December, Carrilero returned from a six-month layoff Thursday to mow down five rivals in Oak Tree’s $50,400 optional claiming feature at 6 ½ furlongs over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course.

With Jose Valdivia Jr. maintaining a clear path on the extreme outside, the Argentine-bred rallied from last to defeat Australian-bred Easy On The Eye by 1 ¼ lengths. Wiredfortwotwenty, the 7-5 favorite, settled for third, another half-length back, after gaining a one-length lead at the head of the stretch. The winning time was 1:12.85.

REBELLION, GLOBAL HUNTER AT HEAD OF CLASS IN SUNDAY’S LURE

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 9, 2008) – After racing in seven and six straight graded stakes races, respectively, British-bred Rebellion and Argentine-conceived Global Hunter would appear to have a decided class advantage among eleven entrants Sunday in Oak Tree’s $75,000 Lure Stakes at one mile over Santa Anita’s turf course.

Trained by H. Graham Motion for Hickory Tree Stable, Rebellion drew post position No. 10 and will be partnered by Rafael Bejarano, who was aboard when the bay 5-year-old took Hollywood Park’s Grade III Ack Ack Handicap in June. Rebellion previously had won the Grade II Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland.

LEGENDS ON TOUR GALA SCHEDULED

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 9, 2008)—A Living Legends gala event that will include dinner, dancing, cocktails, a silent auction, music, comedy and an opportunity to meet some of the greatest jockeys in the history of Thoroughbred racing will be held at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. and will serve as a prelude to Breeders’ Cup 25 at Santa Anita on Oct. 24 and 25.

The event, hosted by the Oak Tree Racing Association in conjunction with racing’s new Legends on Tour, also will include a silent auction to benefit Jockeys’ Choice Charities and will lead into the most prestigious race for retired jockeys in the history of the sport, the Living Legends Race, featuring live pari-mutuel wagering, on Oct. 18.

Thursday, October 09 2008

STABLE NOTES, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2008

CASINO DRIVE DEBUTS AT SANTA ANITA SUNDAY WITH BREEDERS’ CUP IN MIND

Undefeated Casino Drive has been entered to run at Santa Anita on Sunday in what his connections hope will lead to a start in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 25.

Casino Drive drew post position No. 2 in an optional claiming race at 1 1/16 miles going as the eighth on a nine-race program. The field: Dakota Phone, Rafael Bejarano; Casino Drive, Victor Espinoza; Gregorian Bay, Martin Garcia; By Spot, Jose Valdivia Jr.; Informed, Aaron Gryder; Sensational Score, Joel Rosario; and Asperity, Danny Sorenson. Each horse is assigned 120 pounds, except Casino Drive, who has 116.

GENTLE ROMEO RUNS AWAY WITH WEDNESDAY SPRINT FEATURE

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 8, 2008) – Idle for eleven months and making his first start for trainer Clifford Sise, 4-year-old gelding Gentle Romeo ran away from his five rivals Wednesday in Oak Tree’s seven-furlong feature, a $55,860 optional claiming event at Santa Anita.

After Garrett Gomez gunned Gentle Romeo to the early lead, the comebacker dominated the field, denying a stretch bid from runner-up All Man to win by 2 ¼ lengths while racing the distance in a rapid 1:20.32 over Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface.

Curlin Works Monday Between Races

CURLIN TO GET SERIOUS BETWEEN RACES ON MONDAY, WILL WORK 5 FURLONGS FOR $5 MILLION CLASSIC

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 8, 2008)—Reigning Horse of the Year Curlin will get serious at Santa Anita Park this Monday, as he will work 5 furlongs over Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride synthetic main track between races. The work, which will be performed in company with another Steve Asmussen trainee, has been scheduled between races four and five and it is expected he will be pre-entered on Tuesday for a defense of his $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic title at Oak Tree at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.

SWEETER STILL FACES SADLER PAIR IN SATURDAY’S RAMSER

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 8, 2008) – John Sadler, the leading trainer at this year’s Hollywood Park and Del Mar meets and who is contending for the current Oak Tree lead, will send out both Tasha’s Miracle and Dawn Before Dawn to face high-weighted Sweeter Still in Oak Tree’s 22nd running of the Grade III, $100,000 Harold C. Ramser, Sr. Handicap on Saturday at Santa Anita.

An Irish-bred daughter of Rock of Gibraltar trained by Jeff Mullins for the David J. Lanzman Racing Stable, Sweeter Still was assigned 121 pounds for the event that matches 3-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course.

Wednesday, October 08 2008

STABLE NOTES, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2008

GOMEZ TO RIDE GO BETWEEN IN BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC

Garrett Gomez, well on his way to winning his third consecutive national money-winning title with more than $17.4 million in the till to date, will ride Go Between in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 25, trainer Bill Mott said Wednesday morning.

The 36-year-old jockey had ridden Classic contender Colonel John in his last two races, including a dramatic nose victory in the Travers Stakes on Aug. 23, and also has ridden Go Between in nine of the horse’s 26 career starts, the last five in a row, including a neck victory in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 24.