Monday, August 25 2008

LADY RIZZI SETS MELLON COURSE RECORD

Lady Rizzi set the Mellon Turf Course record of 1:00.66 for five and a half furlongs at Saratoga Race Course on Sunday afternoon, winning the seventh race by three lengths over entrymate Myakka in the allowance/optional claiming event for New York-bred fillies and mares.

The previous record of 1:01.11 was set by Second in Command – who was once trained by Rice -- in the Troy Stakes on August 14, 2006.

“I set the course record? Are you sure the gate was set in the right spot?,” Rice quipped.

Sunday, August 24 2008

Saratoga Race Course Notes, Sunday, August 24, 2008

Just before leaving for an 8:30 flight this morning from Albany, N.Y. to Southern California, trainer Eoin Harty checked in at the barn at Saratoga Race Course to see how WinStar Farm’s Colonel John came out of yesterday’s exciting nose victory over Mambo in Seattle in the 139th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes presented by Shadwell Farm. The 1 ¼-mile “Mid-summer Derby” marked Colonel John’s first victory on a dirt surface.

A crowd of 40,723 cheered on as a field of 12, the largest Travers field since 13 went to post in 1990, faced the starter.

TRAVERS QUOTES

TRAVERS PRESENTED BY SHADWELL FARM (QUOTES 2)

WINNERS’ QUOTES

William Casner, co-owner and chairman of WinStar Farm, owner of Colonel John (No. 2): “The Travers, at least in my opinion, is certainly the second most prestigious three-year-old race, next to the Kentucky Derby. It is a race for the ages. Today, the announcer talked about horses like Man o’War, Lexington those horses that have won this race. It is just incredible.

“I never doubted that this horse could run on dirt. Eoin (Harty) had the utmost confidence on him and he did a tremendous job of training this horse, making sure that he threw enough at him, but didn’t throw too much. And Garrett (Gomez) put a stellar ride on him and got it done. I always say winners find a way to win, and that’s what Garrett did today. He found a way to win when it was deep in the race.

VISIONAIRE GETS NETJETS KING’S BISHOP UPSET; GARCIA NETS FIVE

By Jenny Kellner

As the field of 10 three-year-olds barreled down the backstretch for Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 NetJets King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, trainer Michael Matz admitted he was a little nervous seeing Visionaire dawdling along in last place.

But when the half-mile went in :44.79 and three-quarters went in 1:09.30, Matz started feeling a little better about his chances.

BERNARD BARUCH, VICTORY RIDE RECAPS

By Francis LaBelle Jr.

Shadwell Stable’s Shakis got a flawless ride from red-hot jockey Alan Garcia to run past unsuspecting War Monger and go on to a repeat victory in the 50th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap at nine furlongs on the inner turf course at Saratoga Race Course.

The Bernard Baruch was part of a 12-race card, featuring the 139th running of the Grad 1, $1 million Traver Stakes presented by Shadwell Farm.

With his one-length victory, the 8-year-old, Irish-bred Machiavellian horse became only the third horse to win back-to-back runnings of the Bernard Baruch, joining Win (1984-’85) and Hap (2000-’01).

Friday, August 22 2008

BALLERINA ADVANCE, for Sunday, August 24, 2008

Last year, trainer Doug O’Neill won the Grade 1 Ballerina here at Saratoga Race Course with 6-year-old Maryfield, who nosed Baroness Thatcher at the wire. She then went on to Monmouth Park, where she won the inaugural six-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in the slop by a half-length over Miraculous Miss, the Ballerina’s third-place finisher.

Sunday afternoon, O’Neill will try to trace similar steps when he sends out J. Paul Reddam’s Mistical Plan in the 30th running of the $250,000 Ballerina for fillies and mares. A strong field of eight is entered for the seven-furlong race and, because it is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge, the winner will automatically qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on Friday, October 24.

SARATOGA NOTES, FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2008

The 139th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes presented by Shadwell Farm will be the 11th race (5:45 p.m., ESPN) on Saturday’s 12-race card that begins at noon. Saratoga Race Course will open its gates at 7 a.m., and the last race will go to post at 6:20 p.m.

The Travers will cap a $1 million guaranteed all-stakes Pick 4 that will begin in race 8 with the Grade 3 Victory Ride (4:03 p.m.), and follow with the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap (race 9, 4:38 p.m.), the Grade 1 King’s Bishop (race 10, 5:10 p.m.) and the Travers.

WAIT A WHILE WORTH THE WAIT IN BALLSTON SPA

Arindel Farm’s five-year-old gray mare Wait a While showed Saratoga Race Course fans she is what she used to be Thursday afternoon, kicking clear in the stretch to post a repeat victory in the 20th edition of the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap on the turf.

Reunited with jockey John Velazquez, Wait a While raced just off the rail in second as Sharp Susan led the field of five fillies and mares through fractions of 23.93, 47.08 and 1:10.39 over a firm Mellon Turf Course, with the portable rail out 18 feet. Moving up on the turn, Wait a While eagerly took command straightening for home and had plenty left to hold off 10-1 shot Carriage Trail for the one-length victory.

Thursday, August 21 2008

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES; Thursday, August 21, 2008

The New York Racing Association will offer advanced wagering on Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes presented by Shadwell Farm on Friday at Saratoga Race Course, Beltoga (Belmont Park) and through Telebet. The New York State Racing and Wagering Board granted its approval for the wager on Wednesday.

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Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens surprised everyone yesterday when he entered Long Bay Stable’s Tizbig in the 1¼-mile Travers. The son of Tiznow was not expected to run after finishing second in an allowance race this last Sunday.

NYRA STATEMENT RE: TAKEOUT

NYRA STATEMENT ON POSTPONEMENT OF ONE-PERCENT TAKEOUT INCREASE ON OUT-OF-STATE THOROUGHBRED RACES

The New York State Legislature has amended the bill passed in June authorizing the state takeover of the New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation which would have required a one percent takeout increase on all bets made in New York on out-of-state Thoroughbred races.

The increase, set to become effective on September 15, was postponed until March 15, 2009 and inserted into the state budget cut bill passed by the legislature in a special session this week and signed by Governor David Paterson on Wednesday.

TOP FIELD ASSEMBLED FOR GRADE 1 NETJETS KING’S BISHOP

The Grade 1 NetJets King’s Bishop at Saratoga Race course is always a contentious race stacked with former Triple Crown aspirants and young up-and-coming speedsters, and Saturday’s 24th running of the seven-furlong sprint for sophomore colts will be no exception.

A glance at the results from the past several years shows the importance and stature of the race; Ghostzapper showed his promise with a third-place finish in the ’03 edition before a Horse of the Year campaign the following year, Lost in the Fog won it in 2005 before being named Champion Sprinter, and last year, hard-knocking Hard Spun turned back in distance to capture an elusive and but well-deserved Grade 1 victory.

ALBANY RECAP

`CUP’ RUNNETH OVER – AND GRABS OTB’S TRIPLE $250K BONUS

By Francis LaBelle Jr.

Tin Cup Chalice, owned, bred and trained by Michael Lecesse, became the first horse to sweep the OTB’s Big Apple Triple on Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course when he held off a final upset bid by That’srightofficer to win the 31st running of the $150,000 nine-furlong Albany for three-year-old New York-breds by a head.

Now unbeaten in seven career starts, the Crusader Sword colt earned a $250,000 bonus from the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Racing Program for winning the seven-furlong Mike Lee at Belmont Park, the New York Derby at a mile and a sixteenth at his home track at Finger Lakes and the Albany.