Saturday, September 27 2008

Next Stop Breeders’ Cup for Classic winner Zanjero

By Eric Wing

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 27, 2008 . . . Benefiting from a patient ride by Shaun Bridgmohan, Zanjero bided his time early, then split horses decisively in mid-stretch to score a length and a half victory in the 15th running of the $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic (G2) at Turfway Park Saturday.

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and trained by Steve Asmussen, Zanjero was never more than five lengths off the lead. Even so he sat next to last, away from the early pace set by 8-5 co-favorite Honest Man. As the horses continued down the backstretch, Zanjero inched his way gradually up the rail and then split horses in midstretch, gaining racing room to continue on to victory.

West Side Bernie makes it two-for-two in Kentucky Cup Juvenile

By Eric Wing

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 27, 2008 . . . Fresh off a maiden score going long at Monmouth Park in his debut, West Side Bernie showed that his initial success was no fluke, scoring a solid three-length victory as the 9-5 favorite in the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Juvenile (G3). Final time for the race was 1:44.22 for the mile and one sixteenth.

Owned by Lori and George Hall and trained by Kelly Breen, West Side Bernie took a stalking position under Stewart Elliott, running three-wide and just off the early pace set by Proud Jefe and Retap. West Side Bernie remained in the three-path around the far turn and confidently ranged up to the leaders nearing the top of the stretch before drawing off to his comfortable victory. Retap hung on for second, another three lengths ahead of Gresham in third.

Fatal Bullet romps to track-record win in Sprint

By Eric Wing

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 27, 2008 . . . Fatal Bullet, favored at 6-5, assumed command shortly after the start of the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Sprint (G3) and made every pole a winning one, dominating his eight three-year-old foes and rolling to a powerful 7 3/4-lengths victory in 1:08.03. The final time broke the Turfway Park record for six furlongs by two-fifths of a second.

Fatal Bullet’s performance was so impressive that his connections will send their Woodbine-based charge to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint on October 25 at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

Sugar Mom comes from behind to take Juvenile Fillies

By Eric Wing

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 27, 2008 . . .In 2006, owner Frank Calabrese and trainer Wayne Catalano teamed up to campaign that year’s Champion 2-year-old filly Dreaming of Anna. The Chicago-based Calabrese/Catalano team has another fine 2-year-old filly in their barn this year in Sugar Mom, who rallied from well back to catch the tiring leaders and grab a one-length victory in the $100,000 Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies. Ridden by Manny Aguilar, Sugar Mom covered the mile in 1:37.86.

Sugar Mom’s career began humbly enough, taking her to maiden claiming events to get her first win. But since moving to the barn of Catalano and switching to Polytrack for a $40,000 maiden claimer at Arlington Park July 23, Sugar Mom has turned into a tigress. Today’s win was her third consecutive victory, all coming on Polytrack. Should she follow the path of Dreaming of Anna, her next race could come on October 24 in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.

Nine compete in racing academy exhibition

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 27, 2008 . . . Four graduates and five second-year students from the North American Racing Academy lined up for an exhibition race at Turfway Park Saturday, with Matthew Straight, a member of the academy’s 2008 inaugural graduating class, getting the win aboard Pointing Home.

The field of nine two- and three-year-old colts and fillies raced five furlongs over Turfway’s Polytrack. Five of the horses had not raced before, while four had at least one official lifetime start to their credit.

Thursday, September 25 2008

Keeping them happy in advance of ‘Cup Day

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 25, 2008 . . . With the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions at Turfway Park just two days away, the time for race preparation is over. As trainer Larry Jones said, “Now is the time we just have to keep them happy.”

On Thursday morning Jones galloped all three of his entries for Saturday: Honest Man in the Kentucky Cup Classic, Maren’s Meadow in the Distaff, and Beyond Ready in the Sprint.

“They all came in well and ate well last night, so we got that off our [list of] things to worry about,” he said.

Turfway Park to honor Perfect Drift

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 25, 2008 . . . Multimillionaire Perfect Drift will return to Turfway Park one more time for congratulations and honors as he begins his retirement. A special celebration and ceremony is planned for Saturday, September 27, as part of festivities surrounding the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions.

Now nine years old, Perfect Drift was bred and campaigned throughout his career by Stonecrest Farm, the Kansas City, Mo., breeding and racing operation of Dr. William A. Reed, a cardiovascular surgeon who now chairs the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases at Kansas University Hospital in Kansas City, Ks.

“The whole family has enjoyed a wonderful experience with Perfect Drift for the past nine years,” said Dr. Reed, who will be on hand for the ceremony. “‘Drift was foaled in Kentucky but grew up here on our farm. This is just a new time in his life.”

Ky Cup Classic Morning Line and Kentucky Cup Draw

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 24, 2008 . . . Oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has released the morning line for Saturday’s Kentucky Cup Classic, the Grade II race that is the centerpiece of the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions at Turfway Park.

Post Horse Odds
1 Honest Man 5-2
2 Zanjero 9-5
3 Extreme Supreme 5-1
4 Yate’s Black cat 8-1
5 Canela 20-1
6 Stream Cat 2-1

Wednesday, September 24 2008

Kentucky Cup Classic gains a probable starter; entries drawn Wednesday

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 23, 2008 . . . One day before entries will be drawn for the five stakes races that make up the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions, the fields continue to come together.

KENTUCKY CUP CLASSIC (G2)

Steve Asmussen, the nation’s leading trainer, expects to enter multiple graded stakes winner Zanjero in the Classic. After a difficult trip in the 2007 Kentucky Derby that left him 12th, Zanjero won the West Virginia Derby (G3) and the Indiana Derby (G2). He was second in the Texas Mile (G3) in April, his first start after a nearly six-month layoff, second again in the Lone Star Park Handicap, also Grade III, and fourth in the Cornhusker Handicap (G2) before winning his most recent race, the West Virginia Governor’s Handicap on August 2.

Tuesday, September 23 2008

Turfway Park to host First Lady Jane Beshear and Horses and Hope

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 22, 2008 . . . Survivors of breast cancer will celebrate their own hard-won victories in the Turfway Park winner’s circle Friday, September 26, joining Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear for Horses and Hope Day at the Races. Horses and Hope is an initiative developed by the First Lady and the Kentucky Cancer Program (KCP) to promote breast cancer education, awareness, and screening for employees of Kentucky’s equine industry.

Survivors from all walks of life are invited to join Beshear at Turfway for a reception in the VIP Paddock Pavilion beginning at 6:30 p.m. There is no charge to participate but reservations are required and space is limited. Survivors wishing to participate must call (859) 647-4804 no later than Thursday, September 25.

Kentucky Cup Fields Take Shape

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 22, 2008 . . . Fields are taking shape for the 15th renewal of the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions at Turfway Park Saturday, September 27. Five stakes that serve as preps for the Breeders’ Cup, the Kentucky Cup series includes the Grade II $350,000 Classic; the Distaff, Sprint, and Juvenile, each Grade III with a $100,000 purse; and the $100,000 Juvenile Fillies, a listed stake.

KENTUCKY CUP CLASSIC

Six are probable for the 1 1/8-mile Classic, and several others remain on the fence. Those likely to enter are Bullsbay (trainer Graham Motion), Extreme Supreme (John Ward Jr.), Honest Man (Larry Jones), Stream Cat (George “Rusty” Arnold), Yate’s Black Cat (Dale Romans), and Zanjero (Steve Asmussen).

Saturday, September 20 2008

Vote Early up late in Weekend Delight

FLORENCE, KY . . . September 20, 2008 . . . Vote Early took advantage of a wicked pace to snatch the $75,000 Weekend Delight just steps before the wire at Turfway Park Saturday. The race, a filly-and-mare sprint over Polytrack, was the first stakes victory for the five-year-old mare, trained by Steve Margolis.

Rated Feisty and Conjuress were first out of the gate, but Pola’s Place flew past both along the rail, blazing quarters in :21.54 and :44.22 to open a two-length lead down the backstretch. Conjuress quickly fell back but Rated Feisty, herself rarely anywhere but first at every point of call in her career, tracked Pola’s Place and passed her in deep stretch. By then, however, jockey Otto Thorwarth had Vote Early moving on the outside, nearly lifting her stride by stride to take the neck victory. Natalicat closed to take third, another 2 1/2 lengths back. Three-quarters of a length behind, Pola’s Place stayed tough to win a photo for fourth, nosing out Valentine Fever. Final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.18.