Wednesday, August 06 2008

WESLEY TURNS IT UP IN HALL OF FAME STAKES

When trainer Mark Hennig elected to switch Wesley to the turf in June after the several disappointing outings on dirt, the result was a rousing come-from-behind victory in an allowance at Belmont Park.

And when Hennig decided to send the 3-year-old son of El Prado directly into stakes company in his next start, the result was exactly the same. Under a ground-saving ride from Javier Castellano, Wesley rallied through the stretch with a powerful late kick to take the 24th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes Monday at Saratoga Race Course.

Tuesday, August 05 2008

A ROSE AMONG THORNS, CLASSY SHADOW STEPS UP IN SMITHWICK

Lilith Boucher wanted to train Class Shadow from the moment she saw her.

Now that Classy Shadow has proved herself in her last start, the 4-year-old Rock Point filly will take on eight experienced males and a reliable mare when she makes her Saratoga Race Course debut in Thursday’s 13th running of the Grade 2, $80,00-added A.P. Smithwick Memorial Steeplechase at two miles and a sixteenth.

It is tough enough that she will be facing William Pape’s 9-year-old Mixed Up, the 2007 Smithwick winner, but she will also have to contend with The Fields Stable’s Guelph, a 7-year-old Sky Classic mare who is on a two-race winning streak. Those horses are trained by Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard and Tom Voss, respectively.

THREE CHIMNEYS FARM TO SPONSOR HISTORIC HOPEFUL STAKE

Two prestigious names in the world of thoroughbred racing are now linked as Three Chimneys Farm has become the title sponsor of the Grade 1, $250,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes. The most significant stakes for two-year-olds run at the New York Racing Association’s Saratoga Race Course, the seven-furlong Three Chimneys Hopeful will be run for the 104th time on Labor Day, Monday, September. 1.

“The Hopeful Stakes has long held a unique place on the Saratoga stakes schedule, as the winner is automatically stamped as the crop’s first classic hopeful,” NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward said. “Three Chimneys Farm has such strong associations with classic-type horses, so we’re thrilled they’ve extended those associations to include the Three Chimneys Hopeful.”

SARATOGA NOTES, Monday, August 4

Just before 6 o’clock on a spectacular Monday morning, 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin stepped onto the Oklahoma training track for his final work before owner Jess Jackson and trainer Steve Asmussen decide whether his future is on the dirt or on turf. Both Jackson and his wife, Barbara Parke, were on hand for the work, in which the big chestnut breezed five furlongs in an easy 1:02.72 under regular exercise rider Carmen Rosas.

“He’s in a beautiful rhythm, he’s very comfortable,” said Asmussen. “He’s very loose. It amazes me how he jogs off afterward. For me, it's like Christmas morning -- I get giddy when I see him.”

Monday, August 04 2008

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES, Sunday, August 3, 2008

Trainer Bob Baffert was pleased with how Indian Blessing, juvenile filly champion of 2007, came out of her impressive seven-length win in the Grade 1, seven-furlong Test on Saturday.

“She looks great,” said Baffert. “She’s a little tired today. She ran great – her race before [Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Prioress on July 5] was pretty impressive and this race was extremely impressive. Plus, you know, the Test is a very important race so she stamped herself yesterday.”

RED GIANT RALLIES TO TAKE FOURSTARDAVE

There may have been a softer spot for Red Giant to make his first start in 10 months than Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga Race Course, but the 4-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway made it look easy.

Under jockey John Velazquez, the chestnut colt was content to save ground behind pacesetter Inca King through the early going, and after moving into contention on the inside on the turn, finally found running room at the top of the stretch and wore down Stalingrad in the final yards for the neck victory, his first since setting a course record in last year’s Grade 2 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs at 37-1.

Sunday, August 03 2008

HALL OF FAMER MOTT LOOKING FOR SIXTH HALL OF FAME STAKES WIN

Ten years ago, at the age of 45, Bill Mott became the youngest trainer ever inducted into Thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame. On Monday, after recognizing this year’s inductees that include trainer Carl Nafzger and jockey Edgar Prado, Mott will cross Union Avenue in search of his sixth victory in the 24th edition of the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes.

“We’ve had some nice horses coming into this race,” said Mott, who will saddle Donald Adams’ Adriano in the nine-furlong event on the turf. “It’s all timing. Horses tend to come around this time of the year. Also, all of those horses weren’t over-raced during the winter.”

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES; Saturday, August 2, 2008

Carl Nafzger, who is to be inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame on Monday, reflected on the past two years as he stood outside former assistant Ian Wilkes’ barn at Clare Court, where the atmosphere was much more subdued than just a year ago when Nafzger saddled James Tafel’s Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense to victories under jockey Calvin Borel in both the Grade 2 Jim Dandy and the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, as well as sending out Bentley Smith’s Lady Joanne to win the Grade 1 Alabama.

“True retirement is altering your occupation a little bit and still doing what you love,” said Nafzger, who stepped down from full-time training in 2006 but still conditions several horses for his longtime clients. “All these years, they owned and bred and raced. To ‘end’ our career together with an Alabama win for Mr. Smith, 80-something years old, and a Travers win for Mr. Tafel, 80-something years old – that’s a blessing. That’s what I call a miracle.”

Saturday, August 02 2008

“CHIEF” TAKES HONORABLE MISS WITH WIRE-TO-WIRE ANY LIMIT

Watching on television from his barn at Saratoga Race Course on Friday afternoon, Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens could not have been more pleased as the field turned for home in the 17th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Honorable Miss.

Sitting on a two-length lead and a ton of horse, jockey Cornelio Velasquez had yet to ask the Jerkens-trained Any Limit for run. When he did, the response was instantaneous. Opening up through the stretch, the 5-year-old mare rolled to a 5 ¾-length victory over Zada Belle for her second straight stakes win.

MALEK, “MIRACLE HORSE” SEEK CAREER HIGHS IN FOURSTARDAVE

Sunday’s 24th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Fourstardave Handicap for three-year-olds and up at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf is filled with horses from well-known trainers like Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher, Dale Romans, Kiaran McLaughlin and Steve Asmussen

And Raja Malek.

Who?

Most United States racing fans have never heard of Malek, but that could all change on Sunday if his horse, the South African-bred Elusive Fort, has anything to say about it.

SARATOGA NOTES, FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2008

With an extra $32,000 added to the purse from the New York Racing Association’s new incentive program for distance races, the connections of Borrowing Base were well rewarded when the five-year-old daughter of Personal Flag won Thursday’s eighth race, a mile and one-eighth optional claimer on the dirt worth $100,000, at Saratoga Race Course.

“Only three weeks ago, we ran the same race at Belmont for $53,000,” said Pat Quick, who trains Borrowing Base for Daddie’s Girl’s Stable. “And with the New York-bred bonus, the horse won something like $72,000. It was like winning a stakes race. It was a great day for everyone.”

JOHN PASSERO TO RESIGN AS NYRA DIRECTOR OF RACING SURFACES

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that John Passero has resigned as Director of Racing Surfaces, effective September 1st at the conclusion of the Saratoga Race Course meeting.

Passero has served in the position, where he is responsible for 11 racing surfaces at Saratoga, Belmont Park, and Aqueduct Race Track, since January 2005. Prior to that he was Senior Vice President, Racing Surfaces, for the Maryland Jockey Club

NYRA also announced that Glen Kozak will assume the post of Director of Racing Surfaces on September 5th at the start of the Belmont Park Fall Championship Meeting.