Saturday, March 13 2010
AQUEDUCT RACETRACK CANCELS SATURDAY LIVE RACING; OPEN FOR SIMULCASTING
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Due to rain and wind, live racing has been cancelled at Aqueduct Racetrack for Saturday, March 13. The facility will be open for simulcasting, and telephone and internet wagering will be available.
Included in the simulcast menu are the 2010 debuts of Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta, with scheduled post times of 6:15 and 6:40 p.m. EST, respectively.
UPSETTER SLEW’S TIZNOW RUNS DOWN FAVORED AGGIE ENGINEER
ARCADIA, Calif. (March 12, 2010) – Aggie Engineer, the 6-5 favorite, got the easy front-running trip that was expected, but it wasn’t enough to stave off Slew’s Tiznow, his closest pursuer, in Friday’s $56,000 allowance race feature at Santa Anita.
Dismissed at odds of 6-1 in the field of five, Slew’s Tiznow, with Garrett Gomez aboard, ran down Aggie Engineer in the final sixteenth to gamely score by one-half length with Cigar Man 2 ½ lengths back in third.
JOCKEY DURAN GETS 1,000TH VICTORY IN PHOTO FINISH
ALBANY -- Jockey Francisco Duran notched his 1,000th career victory Friday at Golden Gate Fields when he guided Karmalize to a front-running score in the sixth race.
The photo finish camera was needed to verify Duran's milestone win as Karmalize just held off The Hunt Is On and Saravas Wild Again in the one-mile race for 3-year-old maidens. The photo showed Karmalize hitting the wire a nose in front of The Hunt Is On, who took second by a neck over Saravas Wild Again.
Shameless Outgames Four Bears in Friday Feature
NEW ORLEANS (Friday, March 12, 2010) – After alternating for the lead most of the way in Friday’s $41,000 filly and mare feature, Jay Em Ess Stable’s Shameless outgamed Maynard Farm and JVH Inc.’s Four Bears to be best by a head at the wire and give defending jockey champion Robby Albarado his third of four wins during the afternoon program at Fair Grounds.
The race, originally scheduled for the grass, was run at 1 1/16-miles on the main track following heavy rain earlier in the week.
Rachel Alexandra Gallops, Schools on Ladies Eve, plus FG Horsemen Weigh in on Rachel’s Chances
NEW ORLEANS (Friday, March 12, 2010) – Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra made two appearances on the eve of her 4-year old debut in the $200,000 New Orleans Ladies, turning in a strong six-furlong gallop early in the morning and then wowing a crowd of admirers in the paddock during the afternoon’s fourth race.
The gallop came at 6:15 a.m., when the Medaglia d’Oro filly stepped onto the track at the half-mile gap and took a right-hand turn before getting straight to the task at hand. With regular exercise rider Dominic Terry up, Rachel Alexandra galloped very strongly from the three-eighths pole to the three-quarters pole. Following the exercise the champion filly was met by assistant trainer Scott Blasi and trainer Steve Asmussen, who walked her off the track back where they entered.
SUPER SAVER HEADLINES TAMPA BAY DERBY
OLDSMAR, Fla. (March 12, 2010) Saturday, March 13 is Festival Day at Tampa Bay Downs, featuring the Grade III $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby, the Grade III $175,000 Florida Oaks, the Grade III $150,000 Hillsborough Stakes and the $75,000 Turf Dash.
Headlining the field for the Tampa Bay Derby is Super Saver, a three-year-old Maria’s Mon colt bred by owner WinStar Farm and conditioned by Todd Pletcher. Super Saver won the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Gold Cup by five lengths in his last start at the 1 1/16 miles Tampa Bay Derby distance. He will have the services of jockey Ramon Dominguez, who is approaching his 4,000th win.
W’Rsan filly to set her claim on final round of Arabian Triple Crown
Sunday's Abu Dhabi card features the Group 3 concluding round of the Arabian Triple Crown with a select field of five are set to face the starter in the AED200,000 contest.
The likely Pick Six favourite would appear to be the Jaci Wickham-trained Raeaa W'Rsan who had three of tonight's rivals behind her when second to Al Charif over the same 2200m course and distance last time.
Friday, March 12 2010
RACING CANCELLED AT GULFSTREAM FOLLOWING THE FOURTH RACE DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS
HALLANDALE, FL (Fri., March 12, 2010) – Racing at Gulfstream Park was cancelled following the fourth race on Friday.
Jockeys expressed concerns to track management following several hours of heavy rain. After conferring with the riders and delaying the start of the fifth race, as the rain continued, management called off the remainder of the 10-race program.
Three-Year-Old Allowance Races Spice Sunday Card
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL (Fri., Mar. 12, 2010) – In addition to the renewals of the $200,000 Inside Information Stakes (G2), $75,000 Sunshine State Stakes and the ‘All-Turf Pick Four’ on the last four races Sunday at Gulfstream Park, a pair of allowance races to be run early on the program, one for colts and one for fillies, have attracted several highly-promising young prospects.
The third race going a mile drew a field of seven colts with J. Robert Harris, Jr.’s Allez Reef among the choices and Paco Lopez aboard for his second start this season after a very good runner-up effort behind Soaring Empire in a seven-furlong allowance on Feb. 25, the latter stepping up to run in next Saturday’s $750,000 Florida Derby (G1).
Santa Anita STABLE NOTES, FRIDAY, MARCH 12TH, 2010
WAIT, NOT WEIGHT, IS OVER FOR ZENYATTA; 2010 DEBUT COMES SATURDAY
For Zenyatta, the wait is over—but not the weight. The imposing and imperturbable mare will carry top weight of 127 pounds Saturday when she makes her 2010 debut in the Grade I, $250,000 Santa Margarita Handicap, spotting eight who entered from 12 to 19 pounds in the nine-furlong race.
The undefeated 6-year-old mare, who has not started since making history by becoming the first female to defeat males in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last Nov. 7 for her 14th straight victory, carries her second-highest impost ever. She carried 129 pounds to a 2 1/2-length triumph in Hollywood Park’s Grade I Vanity Handicap last June 27. Runner-up Briecat toted 114.
Kentucky Derby 136 Update (3.12.2010)
SOUTH / CHAMPION LOOKIN AT LUCKY RETURNS, TRIES DIRT IN REBEL – Lookin At Lucky, the champion 2-year-old of 2009, will kick of what trainer Bob Baffert hopes will be a campaign that leads to a victory on May 1 in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) in Saturday’s $300,000 Rebel Stakes (GIII) at Oaklawn Park.
A return to competition fewer than 50 days out from the “Run for the Roses” would merit plenty of attention in any case, but the 1 1/16-mile race will also mark the Smart Strike colt’s debut on traditional dirt, the type of racing surface he’ll have to handle in the big race at Churchill Downs. The champ has won five of six lifetime starts, with his only setback being a narrow defeat by Dubai-based Vale of York in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) over the synthetic Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita. He followed that loss with a victory in the CashCall Futurity (GI) over Hollywood Park’s synthetic Cushion Track.
Jebel Ali Sprint proves to be easy Challenge for Durcan
Ted Durcan was in the saddle as Terrific Challenge landed the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint on Friday afternoon.
The 1000m feature, kindly sponsored by the Shadwell Farm of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, looked arguably the best ever renewal on paper but Durcan's mount, trained by Satish Seemar, won convincingly to the delight of his trainer who said:
