Monday, April 23 2012

2011 RUNNER-UP GALLANT SON WILL TRY AGAIN IN SF MILE

ALBANY -- Gallant Son, runner-up in the 2011 San Francisco Mile, will be back for the 2012 edition of the Grade 3 turf stakes at Golden Gate Fields.

The $150,000 SF Mile will have its 62nd running Saturday and Gallant Son is among the horses confirmed to start in the race. Entries for the feature will be taken Wednesday morning

Wise Dan Rockets to Victory in the Ben Ali

LEXINGTON, KY (April 22, 2012) – There was no stopping M-orton Fink’s homebred Wise Dan, who broke Keeneland’s 1 1/8-mile track record while scoring a 10 1/2-length win in the 82nd running of the $150,000 Ben Ali (G3) before a crowd of 16,068 on Sunday. With the victory, worth $90,000, the 5-year-old Wise Dan also became a millionaire.

The 4-5 favorite in his first start since winning the Clark (G1) at Churchill Downs in November, Wise Dan broke from post 6 and pulled jockey John Velazquez to the lead after the first quarter-mile of the race for 4-year-olds and older horses. The gelding was never challenged as he widened his lead at every call. His time of 1:46.63 bested Carriage Trail’s track record of 1:46.77 set in 2008 and Midway Road’s stakes record of 1:46.78 from 2004.

BETFAIR HOLLYWOOD PARK KICKS OFF THURSDAY; AMERICAN ACT BACK ON TURF IN HARRY H

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (April 22, 2012)-American Act will return to turf in the $70,000-added Harry Henson Stakes when Betfair Hollywood Park kicks off its 73rd Spring/Summer meet Thursday.

A six furlong turf race for 3-year-olds, the Henson is the seventh of eight races. Post time is 1 p.m.

LORELEI’S SONG DELIVERS A SWEET TUNE IN CAREER DEBUT AT TAMPA BAY DOWNS

On an otherwise ordinary Sunday afternoon of racing at Tampa Bay Downs, trainer Will Phipps officially unveiled a 3-year-old filly a lot of people may be talking about later this year.

Kentucky-bred Lorelei’s Song sat off a rapid pace set by No Contest before commencing her move at the quarter-pole and proved every bit the best through the stretch, drawing away by a length-and-a-half from Bella Vida to capture the five-furlong, $20,500 maiden special weight affair in 59 seconds flat on a wet-fast surface.

Melnyk’s Roxy Gap ‘Sens-ational’ in Whimsical

TORONTO, April 22 - Eugene Melnyk's homebred Roxy Gap was an impressive off-the-pace winner of Sunday's $181,800 Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes, at Woodbine.

Roxy Gap, trained by 2011 Sovereign Award-winning conditioner Mark Casse, broke sharply in the six-furlong 'Poly' sprint but was quickly settled by jockey Patrick Husbands. Honey Chile led the field through a half in :45.11, as Husbands waited patiently from third-position with the Indian Charlie-Harts Gap filly.

Saturday, April 21 2012

CHURCHILL DOWNS BARN NOTES Friday, April 20, 2012

ON FIRE BABY BREEZES SEVEN FURLONGS IN PREP FOR KY OAKS – Anita Cauley’s homebred On Fire Baby, a leading contender for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) , breezed seven furlongs on a fast track Friday morning at Churchill Downs in 1:26.80 for trainer Gary Hartlage.

Working under regular rider Joe Johnson at 6:20 a.m. (ET), On Fire Baby recorded fractions of :13, :25, :37.40, :49.80, 1:01.80 and 1:14.40 and galloped out a mile in 1:40.20 and 1 1/8 miles in 1:54.80. It was the faster of two seven-furlong works Friday.

NYRA NOTES: Friday, April 20, 2012

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It’s been a somewhat eventful road to the Kentucky Derby for Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial runner-up Alpha. First there was the matter of his final prep race – before deciding on the Grade 1 Wood, Alpha’s connections seriously considered both the Florida Derby and the Louisiana Derby.

Alpha exited a gallant neck loss to undefeated Gemologist in the Wood with a laceration on his left foreleg incurred when he was forced to steady in the first turn. Originally scheduled to leave for Kentucky on April 16 by van, Alpha was sidelined for several days after the cuts became infected and his departure was delayed as a result. Now, Godolphin Racing plans to fly Alpha to Louisville on April 30, with his final serious work for the Derby expected to come at Belmont Park.

Yara Breezes; Ships to Kentucky Sunday

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (April 20, 2012) – Peras International’s Yara, winner of the Grade 2 Davona Dale and an aspiring Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks participant, was on the Calder Casino & Race Course main track Friday morning putting in her final piece of local morning work in advance of her upcoming journey to Louisville.

“She breezed this morning,” Garoffalo said from his office in barn 62 of the Calder stable area. “I got her in 1:02, and she had a good gallop-out. She’ll fly up to Churchill on Sunday.”

Stakes Quality Fillies and Mares Fill Friday Feature

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (April 19, 2012) – With the Grade 3 Miami Mile on Saturday serving as a mid-April showcase for colts and geldings on the grass, the fillies and mares of south Florida will try and outshine their male counterparts in Friday’s featured 10th race, a one-mile turf allowance that has attracted a stellar group of eight, six of which are stakes winners; the other two stakes-placed.

“There’s no question it came up tough,” Milt Wolfson, trainer of Trip for A. J., said. “They’re all going to have to show up, aren’t they?”

BACK ON GRASS, BLINGO GAINS HARD-FOUGHT WIN IN LA PUENTE STAKES (Friday April 20, 2012)

ARCADIA, Calif. (April 20, 2012) – After finishing sixth in Grade I and Grade II stakes races, Blingo returned to turf, the surface of his maiden debut victory, and remained unbeaten over grass footing on Friday with a hard-fought triumph in Santa Anita’s $76,500 La Puente Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles.

Under a busy ride by Mike Smith, Blingo made good on his 3-5 favoritism by rallying to defeat Vibrato Jazz by one-half length with Buffalo Billy gaining third, another length back, after veering in at the start. The final time was 1:47.58.

SANTA ANITA STABLE NOTES (Friday April 20,2012)

LEADING RIDER ROSARIO SEEKS SECOND STRAIGHT WIN ON BOURBON BAY

Bourbon Bay closed from fifth in a field of five to win the Grade II San Luis Rey Stakes by a thrust of his head on March 25 under Joel Rosario, who was riding the multiple graded stakes winner for the first time.

Even though it looked like a line drive in the box score, to use a time-worn baseball adage, Neil Drysdale’s immediate post-race wonderment centered on why Rosario had the gelding so far back in the mile and a half San Luis Rey. The Hall of Fame trainer hopes for fewer coronary palpitations from Rosario’s tactics on Sunday, when Bourbon Bay tries for his second win in Santa Anita’s traditional closing-day feature, the Grade II, $150,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at about 1 ¾ miles on turf.

ACCLAMATION HEADS 14 NOMINEES TO INGLEWOOD HANDICAP

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (April 20, 2012)—Acclamation, the champion older male of 2011, is among the 14 older horses nominated to the $100,000 Inglewood Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park.

A Grade III at 1 1/8 miles on turf, the Inglewood will highlight the first Friday night program (April 27) of the Spring/Summer meet. It is also the first graded event of the 50-day season.