Wednesday, February 08 2012
Boisterous & Get Stormy Clash in Gulfstream Turf
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - Phipps Family Stable’s 5-year-old Boisterous ended his 2011 campaign with a pair of graded stakes victories on turf in New York and Sullimar Stable’s 6-year-old Get Stormy won a pair of Grade 1 turf stakes in Kentucky in the spring. The two high-class grass course runners meet as the likely favorites in a field of 11 drawn for the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) Saturday.
The Gulfstream Turf at 1 1/8 miles leads three graded stakes to be run earlier on Donn Handicap Day. The other races include the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs and the $150,000 Suwannee River Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Shackleford & Ruler On Ice Lead Strong Field for Saturday’s Donn
HALLLANDALE BEACH, FL - Michael Lauffer and W.D. Cubbedge’s 2011 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Shackleford and Lori and George Hall’s 2011 Belmont Stakes (G1) hero Ruler On Ice will be the likely favorites in a very deep field of 11 older horses entered for Saturday’s 54th edition of the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) going 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park.
The Donn will be one of four graded stakes races on Saturday’s program. The afternoon will also include the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1), $150,000 Hutcheson (G2) and $150,000 Suwannee River (G3).
Ever So Lucky Expected to Make 2012 Debut in Hutcheson
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Despite a concern about Ever So Lucky’s final tune-up, trainer Jonathan Sheppard entered Augustin Stable’s 3-year-old colt in the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes on Saturday’s Donn Handicap (G1) program at Gulfstream Park.
“I expect we’ll end up running him,” Sheppard said after entering Ever So Lucky in the seven-furlong stakes Wednesday morning. “The horse is doing wonderfully.”
Dutrow Looking Forward to Saddling Undefeated Trickmeister and Discovery Winner Redeemed in Donn
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The stars going into Saturday’s $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) are unquestionably Preakness (G1) winner Shackleford and Belmont (G1) winner Ruler On Ice.
But by the time dusk descends on Gulfstream Park Saturday evening, trainer Rick Dutrow could have racing’s newest star in his barn
BOURBON BAY, DEFENDING CHAMP IN GRADE II SAN MARCOS
ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 8, 2012) – A return to Santa Anita could prove the tonic for multiple graded stakes winner Bourbon Bay when defending his championship against German-bred upstart Sanagas in Saturday’s 60th running of the Grade II, $150,000 San Marcos Handicap at 1 ¼ miles on turf.
In his last start of 2011, Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale’s 6-year-old gelding fell 3 ¼ lengths short when Sanagas was shipped from the East by trainer H. Graham Motion to dominate the Grade I Hollywood Turf Cup at 1 ½ miles on Nov. 19.
‘All Others’ Strong Overall Favorite, But Unbeaten Algorithms Rated Top Individual for Derby Future
LOUISVILLE, KY. (Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012) - The first of three pools of Churchill Downs' 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager ("KDFW") begins its three-day run on Friday, Feb. 10, and the bet's opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999: the Mutuel Field, or "All Others", looms as a very strong favorite.
Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has installed "All Others" as the 9-5 morning line choice for KDFW Pool 1, but the favored individual horse among the 24 wagering interests in this week's Friday-Sunday pool is an exciting newcomer. Starlight Racing's unbeaten Algorithms (#1), is the favored individual horse at 8-1 and the overall second choice in Battaglia's early odds for the Pool. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt burst onto the road to the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) with an emphatic five-length victory over previously unbeaten 2-year-old champion Hansen (#12) in the Holy Bull (GIII) at Gulfstream Park.
Perrodin Easing Into Retirement
NEW ORLEANS (Wednesday, February 08, 2012) – There were a lot of highpoints along the way in the lengthy and distinguished riding career of Louisiana-born jockey Elvis (E J.) Perrodin, but at 55 years of age, the lanky, popular reinsman affectionately known as Tee-Joe decided late last week that it was time to hang up his tack.
Perrodin was listed to ride Michael Collins’ The Reverend James for his brother-in-law, trainer Pat Mouton, in last Friday’s third race but took off that mount when announcing his retirement.
He is one of seven winners of the race trained by Godolphin handler Saeed bin Suroor who saddles thr
LOUISVILLE, KY. (Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012) - The roster of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds nominated to compete in the classic races of the American Triple Crown has grown by one with the addition of Charles J. Cella's Cyber Secret, who was omitted from the initial roster of 397 early nominations because of a clerical error.
This year's 398th nominee is a Kentucky-bred son of Broken Vow trained by Lynn Whiting, who scored his only victory in a Triple Crown race with W.C. Partee's Lil E. Tee in the 1992 Kentucky Derby (Grade I). Cyber Secret collected his second win in four career starts in a 5 ¼-length victory in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 4. He started his career with trainer Chad Brown, but was transferred to Whiting when the colt was purchased privately by Cella after a seventh-place run behind WinStar Farm's unbeaten Triple Crown nominee Gemologist in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.
Local stars up for the Challenge?
Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL) sponsors Thursday's fixture of the 2012 Dubai World Cup Carnival which is, without a doubt, the best meeting so far, featuring the middle rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge, both for Thoroughbreds and Purebred Arabians, the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas and Group 3 Firebreak Stakes.
The Al Maktoum Challenge Round II for Thoroughbreds, over 1900m on the all-weather surface has been upgraded to Group 2 status this year and 11 have been declared for a race won in 2003 by subsequent Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad.
Four Group Races Await February 9 Dubai World Cup Carnival Meeting
Dubai, UAE, 7 February 2012 – The second round of the Al Maktoum Challenge, a Group 2 affair for Thoroughbreds and Group 1 for Purebred Arabians will be joined by the UAE 2000 Guineas and Firebreak Stakes, both Group 3 contests, on the action-packed February 9 Dubai World Cup Carnival programme sponsored by Dubai Aluminum.
Prizemoney will be impressive with both the Thoroughbred Al Maktoum Challenge, held at 1,900m, and the UAE 2000 Guineas, 1,600m, valued at US $250,000.
Monday, February 06 2012
Gulfstream Today: 2.5.12
Flying Zee Stable’s Street Game rallied strongly along the inside to just get up over a fast-closing Plead on the far outside in Gulfstream Park’s featured seventh race on Sunday afternoon. In the one-mile allowance/optional claiming event on turf, Street Game settled behind the majority of the field early, before uncorking his rally along the inside. The 4-year-old colt by Street Cry was able to narrowly defeat Plead who also put in a very strong rally to fall just a nose short.
Sunday’s race was the first of 2012 for the Philip Serpe-trained Street Game who won the Hill Prince (G3) last summer at Belmont Park. As the 2.40-1 second choice in the field of seven colts and geldings, Street Game – who was ridden by Ryan Curatolo – returned $6.80.
NYRA NOTES: Sunday, February 5, 2012
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Sporting a brand-new New York Giants cap in honor of their appearance in tonight’s Super Bowl XLVI, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin reported this morning that Alpha returned from his Withers CXXXII victory in good order and would likely take the next step to the Kentucky Derby in New York.
“We’ll look at the Gotham/Wood, talk to [Godolphin racing manager] Simon Crisford and see if we want to run him two more times, or one more time,” said McLaughlin, referring to Aqueduct Racetrack’s Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham on March 3 and the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World New York City Casino Wood Memorial on April 7. “We like having him here in New York.”
