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Updated: Friday, May 24, 2013 4:58 AM
Posted: Thursday, May 23, 2013 7:55 PM

Chantal Sutherland, who retired from race riding last October, told Daily Racing Form Thursday that she will mount a comeback at Del Mar this summer. "I just started dreaming about it again," Sutherland said. "All of a sudden I started waking up at 4 a.m. I missed it too much. I love all the people at the racetrack."...

Winchell Thoroughbreds' homebred Teardrop (Tapit), a three-quarter sister to Grade 1 star Pyro (Pulpit), stamped herself as a juvenile to follow with a memorable debut score in Thursday's 1ST race at Churchill Downs. Dispatched as the even-money favorite with Rosie Napravnik, the Steve Asmussen pupil overcame a slow and awkward start, and a seven-wide trip, to win as much the best. Teardrop collared the pacesetter in the stretch, drew off by 3 3/4 lengths, and completed five furlongs on the fast main track in :58 2/5. The gray filly is a close relative of three graded stakes performers. Aside from Pyro, whose major scores include the 2009 Forego (G1) and 2008 Louisiana Derby (G2), she is also a three-quarter sister to multiple stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Longview Drive (Pulpit) and a full sister to Grade 3 queen War Echo (Tapit). Their dam, the winning Wild Vision (Wild Again), is herself a full sister to Grade 2 victor Wild Wonder. This is the family of Grade 1 heroes Olympio (Naskra), Cuvee (Carson City), Paddy O'Prado (El Prado) and Tapizar (Tapit), winner of last November's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1)...

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella decided not to ship Jimmy Creed (Distorted Humor) to Belmont Park for Monday's Metropolitan H. (G1). As a result, jockey Garrett Gomez is staying at Hollywood and has picked up the mount on Halo Dolly (Popular) in Monday's Gamely S. (G1)...

Bob Baffert gave an update on plans for multiple Grade 1 winner Game on Dude (Awesome Again), who went a leisurely half-mile in :50 3/5 Monday at Santa Anita. "He just started breezing," Baffert said of the $4.7-million earner, most recently successful in the Charles Town Classic (G2). "He won't run in the Californian ([G2] on June 1), but I think he'll be ready for the Gold Cup ([G1] on July 6)." Game on Dude, the reigning Hollywood Gold Cup hero, will bring four-race win streak into his title defense. Baffert will be represented in the Californian by Liaison (Indian Charlie). Coming off a score in the Mervyn LeRoy H. (G2), Liaison worked six furlongs at Santa Anita in 1:13 4/5 Tuesday...

Jockey Frankie Dettori has made himself available to France Galop for further drugs tests in a bid to return from a six-month worldwide ban in time for the June 1 Epsom Derby (Eng-G1). Dettori's intended comeback on Monday was called off after the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) refused to grant the rider a license in the absence of clearance from France Galop. It has since emerged that one of three tests Dettori underwent last month produced an irregular result. "The decision of the (France Galop Medical) Commissioners last year was that Frankie would have to pass three straight tests in the same week and that all should be negative," Dettori's agent in France, Herve Naggar, told Racing Post. "We knew last Friday the first of those three posed a problem. Frankie decided not only to collaborate with the French authorities, but, in order to sort things out as quickly as possible, he arrived in France Wednesday morning and decided himself to undertake the same testing procedure again as last month. He asked France Galop to re-test him Wednesday, Thursday and Friday because he's sure of himself."...

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has ordered the drafting of a decree rendering the import, sale, purchase and use of anabolic steroids in all horse-related sports in the United Arab Emirates a criminal offence. The decree is to have immediate effect. In a statement issued by godolphin.com, Sheikh Mohammed said, "I have always believed in the integrity of horse racing and all other horse sports. I have, in light of the unfortunate recent event, directed that a decree be issued making, with immediate effect, the import, sale, purchase or use of anabolic steroids in horse sports a criminal offence under the UAE penal laws. Regrettably, one of my stables in Europe has recently fallen below the standards that I expect and will tolerate. As soon as the internal investigations are complete and the requisite preemptory rules are put in place, Godolphin will go from strength to strength and lead, once again, adherence to the highest standards in that gracious sport."...

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has nothing but fond memories of Richard Lies, who passed away Monday at the age of 71 following a lengthy illness. Lies, who retired from training in the mid 2000s, had several ventures, but especially loved his job at Del Mar, where he worked as an usher for many years. "I got to know him real well down there," Baffert said. "He worked in the area (around our box). He always rooted for me and was always upbeat. He just enjoyed life." It wasn't a secret that Lies had a favorite horse. "He absolutely loved Richard's Kid (Lemon Drop Kid)," Baffert recalled. "When I wasn't training him anymore, I gave Richard his halter." John Lies, one of Richard's four children and the track announcer at Lone Star Park, looked forward every summer to Del Mar, where he could spend some time with his father. Baffert's final conversation with Richard Lies concerned his son. "When I found out he was sick, I called him," Baffert revealed. "One of the last things he said to me was 'be good to my kid.'".

More than 50 sophomores were nominated to the inaugural running of the $500,000 Penn Mile on the turf, including the winners of seven of the eight graded races run on the turf for two-year-olds last year and three-year-olds this year. Entries for the Penn Mile, the richest race in the history of Penn National, will be taken May 29 with the race set to be run June 1 on a 10-race card kicking off at 6 p.m. (EDT) and featuring six stakes races worth more than $1 million in purses, including the $250,000 Mountainview Handicap and $150,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup. Among the most accomplished turf colts nominated for the Penn Mile are trainer Chad Brown's Grade 2-winning duo of Noble Tune (Unbridled's Song) and Balance the Books (Lemon Drop Kid), who ran second and third in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, respectively, along with Grade 3 grass victors Den's Legacy (Medaglia d'Oro) for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Jack Milton (War Front) for five-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Todd Pletcher and Rydilluc (Medaglia d'Oro) for four-time leading NYRA trainer Gary Contessa. Two horses who most recently contested the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby 4 were nominated to the Penn Mile -- Grade 2 scorer Vyjack (Into Mischief) for trainer Rudy Rodriguez and Grade 2-placed stakes winner Charming Kitten (Kitten's Joy) for Pletcher. Grade 1 heroes Java's War (War Pass) and Power Broker (Pulpit), trained by Kenny McPeek and Baffert, respectively, are also among those nominated to the Penn Mile, with the former's top win coming on a synthetic surface and the latter's on dirt. Of the remaining Penn Mile nominees, 20 are either stakes winners or have finished top three in a graded race. In addition to the Penn Mile, Mountainview and Pennsylvania Governor's Cup, the June 1 card will also feature the $50,000 Penn Dash for three-year-olds and up going five furlongs, and a pair of $60,000 six furlong dirt sprints, the E Dubai HBPA and Silver Train HBPA, for Pennsylvania-bred or Pennsylvania-sired horses. It will be the richest day of racing in the 40-year history of Penn National...

Team Block's Ioya Bigtime (Dynaformer), winner of the 2012 Kentucky Cup Turf (G3), finished a disappointing ninth in the recent Elkhorn (G2) as the favorite but will look to get back on track in Saturday's Louisville Handicap (G3). "We haven't really been able to come up with (an excuse)," trainer Chris Block said. "It was nothing physical. Maybe we tried to slow things down too much. They were awfully slow fractions and we might have throttled him down too much. I don't know for sure, though. I'm kind of just putting a line through the race and we're back at it on Saturday." Ioya Bigtime set the pace in the 1 1/2-mile Elkhorn, running the opening half-mile in :52 1/5 over Keeneland's firm turf course. "He's doing really well since and if he wasn't then we wouldn't be running him Saturday," Block said. "We'll just forget about the last one and go into Saturday with some confidence the horse will go out and throw a good race." Block added that Ioya Bigtime will be close to the pace, but doesn't need the lead. "I'll leave it up to the horse and (jockey) Jeffrey (Sanchez)," Block said. "He always breaks pretty sharp. If he happens to be on the lead without too much encouragement, then that's fine. If someone else wants it, then that's fine and we'll lay off them."...

Janis Whitham's homebred Lent (Pulpit), a half-brother to 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Fort Larned (E Dubai), will make his career debut in Friday's 7TH race at Churchill Downs. "We'll get him started and let him improve," trainer Ian Wilkes said. "He's a different horse than his brother -- different conformation and different type of horse. I hope he can run as fast." Wilkes, who has saddled two winners at the 2013 spring meet, has won with six of 250 first-time starters in his career. But Wilkes is more concerned with races down the line than with getting a horse to win at first asking. "It's all about developing the horse to me and not putting everything into the horse's first race," Wilkes said. "I like to build some asset value in the horse and let him develop and let him be as good as he can be when he matures." A three-year-old bay, Lent also is a half-brother to Izarra (Distorted Humor), who finished second in the Oak Leaf (G1) and third in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) in 2007.  "He was very close to starting late in his two-year-old year," Wilkes said. "He had a little issue in an ankle, so we stopped on him and gave him some time. Now he's ready to go." Lent's older brother Fort Larned, who is being pointed toward the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) on June 15, is scheduled to breeze five furlongs Friday morning prior to the renovation break....

Trainer Ron Moquett reports that Gentlemen's Bet (Half Ours) is possible for the $100,000 Aristides (G3) at six furlongs on June 1. Third when making his stakes debut in the April 13 Count Fleet (G3) at Oaklawn, the four-year-old colt exits a sharp score over optional claiming rivals at Churchill Downs last Friday, netting a 106 BRIS Speed rating for the 5 3/4-length decision...

Australian Bloodstock Stable, who plucked last year's Doomben Cup (Aus-G1) winner Mawingo (Tertullian) and Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) third Lucas Cranach (Mamool) from Germany, has returned to that racing circuit to acquire another pair of high-class individuals. Andreas Wohler trainee Waldpark (Dubawi), winner of the 2011 Deutsches Derby (Ger-G1) and a last-out second in the May 12 Grosser Preis der Badischen Unternehmer (Ger-G2), is bound for Anthony Freedman's yard and has the Cox Plate (Aus-G1) as his main target. Salon Soldier (Soldier Hollow), who has hit the board twice at the Group 3 level and ran sixth behind Waldpark last out, will leave Peter Schiergen to be trained by Kris Lees, and has the Caulfield Cup (Aus-G1) as his main objective...

Khalid Abdullah's Romantica (Galileo) has already done much to uphold her esteemed family tradition, but the daughter of Banks Hill (Danehill) and granddaughter of Hasili (Kahyasi) seems in no mood to stop at present and takes to Saint-Cloud for more honors in Friday's Prix Corrida (Fr-G2). Andre Fabre has won this event a record five times and already guided the homebred to success in the Prix de la Nonette (Fr-G2) at Deauville in August and Prix Allez France (Fr-G3) over 10 furlongs at Chantilly last out on April 29. Fabre also saddles Guy Reed's Prix de Pomone (Fr-G2) scorer La Pomme d'Amour (Peintre Celebre), who has been off the board in her last three starts, while another trainer who is double-handed is Alain de Royer-Dupre. Haras de Saint Pair's Fairly Fair (Sinndar) was only sixth in the Allez France, while Fair Salinia Ltd.'s Fate (Teofilo) is totally unexposed after her breakthrough win in a conditions event over this 1 5/16-mile trip at Longchamp on May 2...

The march toward the June 29 Shoemaker Mile (G1) continues Saturday with the $150,000 American Handicap (G2), a course-and-distance prep for the Shoemaker over Hollywood Park's turf course. The likely favorite is the front-running Obviously (Choisir), who racked up wins last fall in the Del Mar Mile (G2) and Arroyo Seco Mile (G2) before a third in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). In his lone outing this year, the five-year-old gelding was nabbed late going downhill at Santa Anita in the San Simeon (G3). The American will mark the U.S. debut for Lucayan (Turtle Bowl), who went unplaced in his final three starts in Europe following a 27-1 upset of the French Two Thousand Guineas (Fr-G1) at Longchamp last May. Now conditioned by Neil Drysdale, Lucayan will be ridden for the first time by a fellow French import, Julien Leparoux. Also in the six-horse lineup are Chosen Miracle (Ghostzapper), who's placed in the San Gabriel (G2) and San Simeon this season, and Drill (Lawyer Ron), a rallying fourth in the San Simeon which marked the colt's turf debut...

Dark Cove (Medaglia d'Oro) will face eight rivals on Saturday as he seeks to add a second straight graded win to his resume in Churchill Downs' $100,000 Louisville Handicap (G3). The Mike Maker trainee was a 4 1/4-length victor of the Elkhorn (G2) over Keeneland's turf on April 26 and will stay at that race's 1 1/2-mile distance for Saturday's grass affair under the Twin Spires. Dark Cove owns two prior tries over the Churchill green, finishing a well-beaten 10th in the Commonwealth Turf (G3) in 2010 and most recently posting a runner-up effort in a 2011 optional claimer. Rosie Napravnik has the call aboard the bay six-year-old, who will be facing Heathcote (Niigon), a 12 1/4-length romper last out when taking the Valedictory (Can-G3) in mid-December; Harrods Creek (Langfuhr), winner of the John's Call at Saratoga in his final appearance of 2012 on August 3; and last year's Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Marathon third-placer, Atigun (Istan), who just scored in his second turf appearance in a May 4 Churchill optional claimer...

Dual Canadian champion Irish Mission (Giant's Causeway) returns to Woodbine on Saturday as part of a seven-distaffer field in the C$200,000 Nassau (Can-G2) going a mile on the turf. The Mark Frostad pupil captured last year's Woodbine Oaks over the Polytrack prior to a runner-up effort in the Queen's Plate against the boys. She would go on to finish sixth on the Fort Erie dirt in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales, before taking the 1 1/2-mile third jewel, the Breeders', on Woodbine's turf in her penultimate start of 2012. Irish Mission made her return to competition on February 28 at Gulfstream Park, running second in an optional claimer before filling the third spot in the Orchid (G3) in her last start on March 30. Earlier on Woodbine's Saturday program, a field of seven sophomore fillies will line up in the C$125,000 Lady Angela, and Rootham Triple E's (Weather Warning) will try to return to the winner's circle after a sixth-place effort in the Fury on May 4. The bay miss captured the Star Shoot to open her 2013 campaign...

Csaba (Kitten's Joy) tops a field of 10 entered in Saturday's $75,000 Memorial Handicap at Calder. The four-year-old colt reeled off consecutive wins this winter in the Tropical Park Derby, Fred Hooper (G3), Harlan's Holiday and Hal's Hope (G3) before finishing fifth in the Donn Handicap (G1) and has been freshened 105 days in advance of this assignment by trainer Phil Gleaves. Manoel Cruz picks up the mount. Rule Number Six (Repent) and Megamove (High Cotton), the two respective finishers from the May 5 Sumter at Calder, will both return in this spot and Grade 2 winner Eldaafer (A.P. Indy) figures to appreciate the class relief following a fifth in the Grade 3 Skip Away last out. Other contestants include Isutalkintome (Flashy Bull), Ducduc (Langfuhr) and Flatter This (Flatter)...

Winning Image (Southern Image), last seen posting a comfortable score in the Willa on the Move at Laurel Park in mid-December, will make a title defense in Saturday's $75,000 My Juliet at Parx Racing. A four-time stakes heroine, the Michael Aro-trained mare will make her 2013 debut against five rivals and has been listed as the 8-5 favorite on the morning line for the six-furlong test. Regular rider Jose Caraballo will be up. Ruffian (G2) winner Withgreatpleasure (Hold That Tiger) is scheduled to wheel back a week later after finishing third in the Vagrancy (G2) and Villette (Petionville) will step up to face graded rivals following an easy triumph in the April 13 Foxy JG at Parx over state-bred foes. Stakes winners Appealing Stella (Closing Argument) and Ms. Cruisen' (Candy Ride) are also entered...

Victor Espinoza was three shy of 3,000 career wins going into Friday's card at Hollywood Park. The Mexico City native earned win number 2,997 aboard Heat Trap (Unusual Heat) in Sunday's 9TH race. Espinoza, who turned 41 Thursday, had two scheduled rides on his birthday. He finished second aboard Foxy Boss (Street Boss) in the 5TH before an unplaced try on Warren's Joe T. (Affirmative) in the 8TH. On Friday, he is named to ride Nevada City (Cee's Tizzy) for Mike Harrington in the opener and Iconic Spirit (Bernstein) for John Sadler in the 4TH...

Apprentice Gonzalo Nicolas, who won with three of his first 12 mounts at Los Alamitos, makes his Hollywood Park debut Friday when he rides Sofos Quick Logic (Sofocles [Brz]) in the 3RD race...

Jockey Joe Steiner, who has been representing himself, will be handled by veteran agent Ivan Puhich beginning June 1...

Trainer Ron Ellis is five victories away from his 1,000th career victory...

Churchill Downs will stage a special 11-race Memorial Day program on Monday. The first of 11 races on the holiday program is 12:45 p.m. (EDT), and the featured event is the $100,000 Winning Colors (G3), a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares. All active and retired members of the United States armed forces will be admitted free of charge with proof of identification. Churchill Downs popular track bugler Steve Buttleman is sure to decorate the Kentucky Derby winner's circle with an abundance of U.S. flags and will perform patriotic melodies following the "Call to the Post" for each race...

Doug O'Neill celebrates his 45th birthday Friday. The trainer's only starter is Conkate (Exchange Rate) in the 7TH race...

Entering Thursday, 23 people remained alive in Hollywood's $2,500 winner-take-all Show Me the Money Contest.

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