Monday, September 06 2010
Twirling Candy Wins Del Mar Derby
The Craig Family Trust's brilliant Twirling Candy, sent postward the prohibitive 1-5 favorite on the basis of his perfect three-for-three racing record, came through as expected Sunday in the $300,000 Del Mar Derby but only after a stewards' inquiry pertaining to an incident leaving the clubhouse turn of the mile and one-eighth grass race.
Seemingly on cruise control while on an easy lead for jockey Joel Rosario, Twirling Candy bore out badly entering the backstretch, interfering with and carrying out 12-1 longshot Summer Movie, piloted by Victor Espinoza.
Wild Pick Six Carryovers Keep Del Mar Buzzing Through Final Weekend
September 2 certainly looked and felt like a late-in-the-meet Thursday at Del Mar. The lowest attended day of the 2010 season initially lacked the drama, atmosphere and intriguing subplots we've come to expect from our favorite seaside track. With local schools and the workweek in full swing, along with a card that carried zero stakes races, Del Mar's quiet afternoon was understandable, even expected.
Relatively few observers actually witnessed longshot Win for M'Lou, who went off at 29-1, and jockey Victor Espinoza's three-quarter length victory in the seventh race. On the surface, their unexpected win offered only a mild surprise during a slow card. For handicappers, horseplayers and daydreaming bettors, though, Win for M'Lou's upset laid the foundation for a wild Labor Day weekend at Del Mar.
LETHAL COMBINATION DELIVERS WINNING PUNCH IN SARANAC
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Taking advantage of fast early fractions, Lethal Combination came on strong through the final yards to outkick Turf Melody and take Sunday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac at Saratoga Race Course by a half-length.
Under Alan Garcia, Lethal Combination dawdled at the back of the pack as Devon Rock took the field of six 3-year-olds through an opening half in 46.49 and three-quarters in 1:10.79. Moving up on the turn, he swung five-wide straightening for home and closed resolutely on the outside to hit the wire in 1:53.18 for the 1 3/16 miles over the fast Mellon turf course.
R HEAT LIGHTNING STRIKES IN SPINAWAY
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher broke his own Saratoga Race Course record for wins in a single season in style, sending out R Heat Lightning to victory in Sunday’s 119th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway for 2-year-old fillies.
Pletcher came into the Spinaway with 35 wins, and R Heat Lightning’s Spinaway score catapulted him past his previous high mark, which he set in 2003 and 2004 when the meet was four days shorter than the current 40 days.
SARATOGA RACE COURSE NOTES: Sunday, September 5, 2010
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher was delighted to report this morning that Quality Road exited his victory in Saturday’s Grade 1 Woodward in excellent shape and would next return to Belmont Park to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on November 6.
“I think there was a lot more in the tank based on the way he came back; he was hardly even blowing,” said Pletcher. “He made the lead kind of easily, and coasted home from the eighth pole – he was prepared to run a lot faster had it been necessary, but when you’re 4 ¾ lengths clear, it’s hard to ask for a whole lot more.”
MILLIONAIRE GET SERIOUS GAME WINNER OF RED BANK IN RECORD TIME
OCEANPORT, N.J. * The ultra-game Get Serious was at it again at Monmouth Park on Sunday, holding off the charge of Nownownow to win the Grade 3, $200,000 Red Bank Stakes by a neck as Wildcat Brief posted a length and a quarter win in the $100,000 Icecapade Stakes before a crowd of 16,017.
Ridden by Pablo Fragoso, Get Serious sat off quick fractions of :21 4/5 for the first quarter of a mile and :45 for the half before moving by pacesetter At the Disco turning for home and hitting the wire in
1:32.37 for the mile over firm turf. The time for the race lowered the course record for the distance, which was set by Get Serious on July 11, 2009, when he went in 1:32.70.
Officeinthevalley all business in Vice Regent
TORONTO, September 5 – Officeinthevalley repelled all challengers to take Sunday’s $125,800 Vice Regent Stakes at Woodbine.
The one-mile Ontario-sired event is the first added-money score for the son of Peaks and Valleys.
Del Mar Stable Notes 9/5/10
REMATCH APPEARS LIKELY FOR TELL A KELLY, WICKEDLY PERFECT
Both Darley Debutante winner Tell a Kelly and runner-up Wickedly Perfect were reported in good order this morning following the Grade I race Saturday that locked up the Del Mar juvenile filly crown for the John Sadler-trained 2-year-old.
The next start for both appears to be the Grade I Oak Leaf Stakes Sunday, October 3 at the Oak Tree meeting at Hollywood Park. In that one, they'll stretch out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in an effort to get ready for the Grade I, $2-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at the same distance on November 5 at Churchill Downs.
Calder barn notes 9/5/10
Pomeroys Pistol on My Dear Girl Watch List
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (September 5, 2010) - Owner-breeder Amy Tarrant first became known in the thoroughbred business nearly a decade ago when her 2-year-old filly Bold World won the $125,000 Susan’s Girl Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder Race Course in 2001 and was back the next summer to romp home an 8 ½ lengths winner of the $250,000 Azalea Stakes (G3) on Summit of Speed day for trainer Ron Taylor.
Tarrant, a veteran horsewoman, took over the training of her horses not long after and has developed several top class-stakes runners led by Kiss the Kid, and currently has a promising Florida homebred 2-year-old filly in Pomeroys Pistol, a daughter of Pomeroy entered in Monday’s $100,000 Sorority Stakes on Monday at Monmouth Park.
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sunday, Sept. 5
CASTANON CONTINUES TOWARD 2,000 T-BRED WINS WITH SATURDAY TRIPLE
Yes, jockey Jesus Castanon has ridden more than 2,000 winners in his career, but unfortunately, 20 of them came aboard Arabians last winter at Tampa Bay Downs.
Equibase Company LLC, the official record keeper of Thoroughbred statistics in North America, only counts Thoroughbred races in its statistics, so even after Castanon scored a riding triple Saturday at Arlington, the Panamanian-born reinsman remained 16 wins shy of the 2,000- win milestone entering Sunday’s race day at Arlington, where the 36-year-old Kentucky resident was named to ride five mounts.
Sunday, September 05 2010
Pick Six Carryover A Record $1,597,470
As a result of 31-1 longshot Haimish Hy's stunning upset in the featured $100,000 El Cajon Stakes Friday, there will be a Del Mar record carryover of $1,597,470 in the Pick Six Saturday at the seaside track.
Post time for the first of ten races Saturday will be 2 p.m., with the $2 Pick Six wager conducted on races five through ten. Approximate post time for the fifth race is 4:05 p.m.
QUALITY ROAD GETS BACK ON TRACK IN WOODWARD
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Quality Road returned to the winner’s circle Saturday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course with an emphatic 4 ¾-length victory over Mythical Power in the 57th running of the $750,000 Woodward, his third Grade 1 win of the year.
Rebounding from his narrow loss to Blame at Saratoga four weeks ago, the 4-year-old Elusive Quality colt broke sharply and was quickly maneuvered to the outside of longshot Arcodoro, who set opening fractions of 24.06 and 47.76. With three furlongs to go, jockey John Velazquez sent Quality Road up into the lead, and he was never threatened as he rolled through the stretch under mild encouragement to hit the wire in 1:50.00 for the 1 1/8 miles.
