Tuesday, September 06 2011

REPOLE, PLETCHER, VELAZQUEZ TOP 2011 SARATOGA MEET STANDINGS

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For the second consecutive year, owner Mike Repole, trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez finished atop the leader board at the prestigious Saratoga Race Course meet.

The race for leading owner between Repole and Michael Dubb came down to the wire, with Dubb tying Repole at 15 wins in dramatic fashion on Sunday afternoon when Grace Hall captured the Grade 1 Spinaway. The tie was short-lived as Repole won the next race on the card, a turf sprint with Silver Screamer, his final starter of the meet, for his 16th victory. Dubb was winless in three starts Monday, preserving Repole’s narrow advantage. Helped by his Grade 1 Travers victory with Stay Thirsty, Repole finished the meet with $1,485,280 in purse money.

LIFE’S A ‘BEECH’ IN GLENS FALLS

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With a sweeping move around the final turn, Augustin Stable’s Emerald Beech overhauled runaway front-runner Dynaslew at the eighth pole and sailed across the finish line under a hand ride Monday to win the Grade 3, $100,000 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

The final stakes race of the 143rd meet at the oldest racetrack in the country concluded with Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard in the winner’s circle expounding on the virtues of taking time to develop horses.

STRONG GAINS FOR ON-TRACK WAGERING AS 39-DAY SPA SEASON CLOSES

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – On-track wagering posted strong gains compared to 2010 totals, daily average attendance was up marginally, and total attendance and all-sources handle dropped slightly as the 143rd race meet at Saratoga Race Course wrapped up today, according to The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA).

Total attendance for the meet (39 days with racing cancelled on Sunday, August 28 due to Hurricane Irene) was 871,772, down 0.7 percent from 878,284 for the 40-day meet in 2010. Daily average attendance of 22,353, however, was up 1.8 percent from 21,957 in 2010.

CURRENCY SWAP BESTS LONGSHOT IN THREE CHIMNEYS HOPEFUL

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Currency Swap wore down 68-1 shot Trinniberg with a gritty run through the final yards Monday afternoon to take the 107th running of the $250,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful at Saratoga Race Course and give hometown trainer Teresa Pompay her first Grade 1 win.

Kept on the outside about four lengths off the lead by jockey Rajiv Maragh as Trinniberg zipped through opening fractions of 21.91 seconds and 45.14 over the sloppy track, Currency Swap began cutting into the front-runner’s lead on the turn, drawing alongside in midstretch. Digging in, the longshot refused to fold, and the two slugged it out to the end, with Currency Swap hitting the wire three-quarters of a length in front.

Monday, September 05 2011

GRADE 1 SPINAWAY IS FULL OF GRACE

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Tony Dutrow already had a nice horse for the Grade 1 Spinaway in Schuylerville runner-up True Feelings, but in the days leading up to entries for Sunday he mulled adding his maiden winner Grace Hall into the mix.

With recent longshot third-place finishes in the Alabama and Travers, Dutrow had been on a hot streak when it came to putting his horses in big-time races. The Spinaway, however, proved his crowning achievement when Grace Hall circled the leaders on the turn to win the 120th running of the famed race for 2-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course.

SARANAC GOES TO BRILLIANT SPEED

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Brilliant Speed lived up to his name Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course with a swift run through the stretch to capture the 104th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac.

Well-rated in mid-pack as Chinglish led through an opening quarter in 24.33 seconds with Queen’splatekitten taking over for a half-mile in 49.89, Brilliant Speed moved three-wide on the final turn to join the leaders in the stretch. Passing Queen’splatekitten in the final furlong, Brilliant Speed kicked clear to win by 2 ½ lengths.

NEW YORK WATCH: ALPHA

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Kiaran McLaughlin entered Alpha in Saturday’s seventh race, the trainer thought he had picked a difficult spot for the colt to make his debut. Not only was the race seven furlongs, it also featured well-regarded horses who had the benefit of a previous start.

“[Alpha] drew down toward the inside, the 3 hole he had, and I was afraid of two who had already started [Invocation and Africanist] because seven-eighths is a hard distance first-time out,” said McLaughlin.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES; Sunday, September 4, 2011

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Less than 12 hours after her impressive victory over the boys in the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward, Havre de Grace was on the road back to trainer Larry Jones’ base at Delaware Park.

“We left early to beat the traffic, and the trip was fine,” said Jones after their arrival late this morning. “She came out of the race well, and everything is good.”

Sunday, September 04 2011

HAVRE DE GRACE BEATS THE BOYS IN G1 WOODWARD

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Havre de Grace put herself squarely in the race for Horse of the Year honors on Saturday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course, powering into the lead with 200 yards to go and pulling clear to a rousing 1 ¼-length victory over seven males in the 58th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward.

The 4-year-old daughter of Saint Liam became just the second female ever to win the 1 1/8-mile race, joining Rachel Alexandra, who capped her 2009 Horse of the Year campaign with a win in the Woodward.

JACKSON BEND REMAINS HOTTER THAN A PEPPER SPROUT IN FOREGO

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jackson Bend bookended his meet in stylish fashion, coming from off the pace to win the 32nd running of the $250,000 Grade 1 Forego on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

Attempting to build upon his victory in the July 23 James Marvin on opening day, Jackson Bend was able to work out a good trip from post position 1, racing in seventh behind fractions of 22.09 and 44.45 seconds set by Hamazing Destiny and favored Sidney’s Candy. Jockey Corey Nakatani guided Jackson Bend between horses on the run into the stretch, and the colt closed stoutly to register a 3 ¼-length victory over Jersey Town, who finished a head in front of third-place finisher Aikenite.

ASK THE MOON WIRES FIELD IN PERSONAL ENSIGN

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Proving her score at 18-1 in the Ruffian Invitational Handicap on July 31 was no fluke, 6-year-old mare Ask the Moon notched her second Grade 1 victory of the Saratoga meet, leading from start to finish Saturday in the $300,000 Personal Ensign Invitational.

This time around, in a field of six, Ask the Moon went off as the 9-5 favorite under jockey Javier Castellano and galloped through an opening quarter-mile in a quick 23.43 seconds and a half in 47.37 before repelling her lone challenge and sailing to victory by 2 ¾ lengths.

Saturday, September 03 2011

GIANTS PLAY SEEKS TO BOUNCE BACK IN GRADE 3 GLENS FALLS

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – From first in the Grade 2 New York to last in her following start in the Grade 1 Diana, Giants Play has run, back-to-back, the best and worst races of her career.

On Monday, closing day of the Saratoga Race Course meet, the 4-year-old daughter of Giant’s Causeway, out of the famed broodmare Playful Act, will attempt to return to form in the Grade 3, $100,000 Glens Falls, a 1 3/8-mile grass race for fillies and mares on the inner turf course.