West Point Thoroughbreds announced the retirement of its nine-year-old warrior Awesome Gem on Friday. A well-traveled Grade 1 winner, all-surface performer, and earner of more than $2.8 million, the Awesome Again gelding remarkably won or placed in at least one graded stakes in each of his seven seasons of racing.
Demand for quality yearlings from an exceptionally deep global buying bench drove strong commerce throughout Keeneland's September Yearling Sale, producing double-digit increases in average and median prices.
Trainer Todd Pletcher said he wants to survey weekend workouts before he plots paths for many of his Belmont graded stakes contenders, but did confirm four-year-olds San Pablo and Stay Thirsty for the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles on September 29.
Japanracing.jp reports that the Yasutoshi Ikee-trained Trailblazer is currently in Southern California in preparation for his scheduled run in the Grade 2 Arroyo Seco Mile (formerly known as the Oak Tree Mile) on October 6. Trailblazer, a son of Zenno Rob Roy, is aimed ultimately for the November 3 Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
The Grade 1, $750,000 CashCall Futurity, an annual stop for future Triple Crown contenders, will once again be the most lucrative event on the stakes calendar for the 2012 Autumn meet at Hollywood Park.
The Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational on September 29 at Belmont Park is the centerpiece of Super Saturday, which features four additional Grade 1s and the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap, each a "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup on November 2 and 3 at Santa Anita Park.
Gutierrez, 25, and Puhich, an agent since 1944, will receive the Mr. Fitz Award, named for the late Hall of Fame trainer James "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons, for typifying the spirit of racing. Gutierrez rose from the relative obscurity of Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver to sweep the opening two legs of the Triple Crown aboard I'll Have Another.
"You never can predict something like that," trainer Chad Brown said of the blowout. "She's been very strong in her gallops. Six weeks out from the Breeders' Cup, I think she needed a race, so I'm not at all upset about winning by that many and having a strong final time. I think she needed the race and we got the race we needed."
The Breeders' Cup has announced the launch of Blazing Silks, Breeders' Cup Edition, an interactive social network game that allows horse racing fans and social gamers to train and care for Thoroughbred horses. Fans can then race their horses against friends and past Breeders' Cup Champions in photorealistic 3D races at some of the most famous racetracks in the world. Blazing Silks combines the thrill of racing with immersive role-playing gameplay, allowing the ownership, training and caring for your own Thoroughbred with the interactive elements that have helped propel social gaming into the mainstream.
HANDICAPPING INSIGHTS
Pete shines the spotlight on takeout rates. read blog
BELMONT NOTEBOOK
Samantha Siegel, who operates Jay Em Ess Stable, has retired her four-year-old stars Redeemed and Boys at Tosconova, both of whom were trained by Rick Dutrow.
Spurious Precision, the undefeated winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 12, was euthanized Tuesday morning. The two-year-old, who was preparing for the Grade 1 Champagne on October 6, suffered a fractured left knee during a workout at Aqueduct Monday. The preliminary diagnosis indicated the injury might be repaired surgically, and he was sent to the Hogan Equine Clinic in Cream Ridge, New Jersey, but additional X-rays revealed extensive damage to the bone structure of the knee.
Saturday's Grade 2 $200,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park serves as a dynamite prep for this year's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita on November 2. The deep field features Turbulent Descent, an impressive winner of the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes in her first start for Todd Pletcher; defending sprint champion Musical Romance, who has been freshened off her victory in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney in early July; Grade 1-winning sophomore Emma's Encore; and C C's Pal, who notched her second Grade 2 score this season when taking the Honorable Miss at Saratoga last out.
Chief Bearhart, who was voted champion turf male of 1997 and was twice named Canadian Horse of the Year in 1997-98, died Tuesday in Japan. The 19-year-old, who was suffering from heart failure, had been a stud at the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA) Shizunai Stallion Station.
The National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association will honor Kentucky Derby and Preakness-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez and his agent, Ivan Puhich, recently retired Churchill Downs track superintendent Raymond "Butch" Lehr, and two-time Eclipse Award recipient Bill Mooney at its annual awards dinner on October 31 in Pasadena, California.
Del Mar's horsemen earned an extra 10 percent payment on top of already record-breaking purse payouts as final figures became available for the track's 2012 summer racing season. Meeting Friday, the Thoroughbred Owners of California's board of directors approved the additional payout, which totaled $1,466,532.
The official event logos for Kentucky Derby 139 and Kentucky Oaks 139 were released Tuesday by Churchill Downs. Officially licensed apparel and headwear featuring the new logos are now available for purchase online at KentuckyDerbyStore.com.
Deputed Testamony, the most recent Maryland-bred to win his home state's most prestigious event, the Preakness at Pimlico, died Tuesday at Bonita Farm in Darlington, Maryland. At the time of his death, Deputed Testamony, 32, was the oldest living winner of a U.S. classic.
Matthew Benton and Christina Moore, students at the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program (RTIP), have been awarded The Jockey Club Jack Goodman Scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year, it was jointly announced Tuesday by Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club, and Doug Reed, director of the RTIP.
Grade 2 victor Fairbanks got off the mark as a sire when Golden Heart City captured Monday's 1ST race at Parx Racing, a $40,000 maiden claimer for juvenile fillies, by 1 1/4 lengths under Stewart Elliott. Owned by CJZ Racing Stable and trained by Tony Dutrow, Golden Heart City completed six furlongs in 1:12 and pushed her career earnings to $29,870 from a line of 2-1-0-0.
Questing can tighten an already firm grip on three-year-old filly divisional honors with a victory Saturday in the $1 million Cotillion at Parx Racing. Elevated to Grade 1 status this year, the Cotillion will be the first top-level race ever contested in the state of Pennsylvania, which saw pari-mutuel Thoroughbred racing introduced in 1969 at the defunct Liberty Bell Park.
Unbeaten champion Awesome Feather, unraced since a facile score in the Florida Sunshine Millions Distaff in late January, will return to the races in Thursday's $85,000 Nasty Storm Stakes around a one-turn mile at Belmont Park.
Multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Get Stormy has been retired to stud, according to reports published Monday. At his best from a mile to nine furlongs on turf, the Tom Bush charge was last seen finishing third to Wise Dan in the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga August 11.
Hansen, last year's champion two-year-old colt who was recently diagnosed with a tendon injury, has officially been retired, co-owner and breeder Dr. Kendall Hansen told The Paulick Report late Sunday night. Stud plans are still in the works for the striking gray son of Tapit.
The Breeders' Cup announced Monday that a limited quantity of reserved seats remain for the two-day international festival of racing, November 2-3, at Santa Anita Park, as advanced sales have outpaced 2008 and 2009, the last time the event was held in Southern California.
On Saturday, Grade 1-winning Zagora put in her second work since setting a track record of 1:39.07 when taking the Grade 2, 1 1/16-mile Ballston Spa on August 25 at Saratoga Race Course. The five-year-old French-bred daughter of Green Tune breezed four furlongs in :49 4/5 on Saturday, the same time she clocked exactly one week prior.
Stealcase, sent off as the 2-1 favorite in the Grade 3, $158,934 Ontario Derby, certainly did not disappoint at Woodbine on Sunday. Coming off a subpar seventh in the Grade 1 Travers, he bounced back here to earn his first graded stakes win.
Morton Fink's homebred Wise Dan was in a class of his own in Sunday's Grade 1, $1,031,168 Woodbine Mile, stamping himself as a leading threat for the Breeders' Cup Mile. Although the impressive 3 1/4-length winner earned an automatic berth to the Mile, connections have not yet ruled out a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Classic on dirt for the superstar who can run on any surface.
Mark B. Hawtin's globetrotting Wigmore Hall had endured an eight-race losing streak since his victory in last year's Grade 1, $500,000 Northern Dancer Turf, but a return to Woodbine for Sunday's renewal helped the English invader regain the winning thread. After a rousing stretch duel with Al Khali, the Michael Bell charge successfully defended his title by a hard-fought neck.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin worked a quartet of stakes runners for Godolphin Racing this weekend at Saratoga's Greentree Training Center, with multiple Grade 1 winner It's Tricky and promising juvenile Fortify turning in breezes for upcoming stakes races at Belmont Park, and top sophomores Questing and Alpha working toward engagements at Parx Racing.
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey sent out a fearsome foursome of workers on Sunday to gear up for upcoming graded stakes at Belmont Park. Three of the Sunday breezers are targeting Grade 1 races on September 29.
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott confirmed champion Royal Delta for the Grade 1, $400,000 Beldame Invitational and said To Honor and Serve could compete in the Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso Handicap after the pair posted separate breezes on Sunday at Belmont Park.
It was a busy Sunday morning at Saratoga Race Course for trainer Todd Pletcher, who was on hand to oversee a number of horses work in preparation for upcoming stakes.
Jockey Davey Moran landed a fortunate pick-up mount aboard English shipper Barefoot Lady in Sunday's Grade 2, $323,217 Canadian Stakes at Woodbine, and delivered a perfect ride to land the spoils. Trained by Richard Fahey for Mrs. H. Steel, the 7-1 chance saved ground while tracking the pace, angled out for the drive, and rolled to an emphatic 1 1/2-length victory over All Star Heart.
Trainer Christophe Clement sent out two of his prominent runners for works over Belmont Park's firm inner turf on Sunday.
Trainer Chad Brown reported Sunday morning that Samitar came out of her narrow victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Garden City at Belmont Park in good shape, and next will point for the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 13 at Keeneland.
Team Block's homebred Ioya Bigtime took the lead soon after the start of Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Kentucky Turf Cup and never looked back when scoring by a half-length under jockey Jeffrey Sanchez. The bay five-year-old was exiting a runner-up effort in the inaugural American St. Leger at Arlington Park on August 18, but got back on the winning track here when completing 1 1/2 miles on the firm Kentucky Downs turf in 2:30.
Leading Astray was not led astray this Saturday as she was able to come up with a late response and hold off Miss Cato in the Grade 3, $175,000 Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington Park.
Team Block's homebred Ioya Bigtime took the lead soon after the start of Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Kentucky Turf Cup and never looked back when scoring by a half-length under jockey Jeffrey Sanchez. The bay five-year-old was exiting a runner-up effort in the inaugural American St. Leger at Arlington Park on August 18, but got back on the winning track here when completing 1 1/2 miles on the firm Kentucky Downs turf in 2:30.
Edward Cox Jr.'s Naples Bay rallied to the lead in midstretch and easily withstood the late rally of favored Dealbata in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont Park, registering her first stakes victory with a 1 1/2-length decision. She was overlooked at 13-1 odds among nine rivals, returning payouts of $28, $10.20 and $5.90, and Jose Lezcano had the mount for trainer Christophe Clement.
Martin S. Schwartz's Samitar was a rough-trip third in her American debut in the Grade 2 Lake George at Saratoga, but the Irish classic winner had a much cleaner opportunity in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park. Under a textbook stalk-and-pounce ride by Ramon Dominguez, the 4-5 favorite struck the front in midstretch and fended off the rallying Somali Lemonade by a measured head.
It was a good day at Woodbine Saturday for trainer Mark Casse, who saddled Spring Venture and Spring in the Air, both daughters of Spring at Last, to a 1-2 finish in the Grade 2, $270,444 Natalma for two-year-old fillies.
Well-regarded juvenile Toronado maintained his unbeaten record with a game front-running performance in Saturday's Group 2 Champagne Stakes on the St Leger undercard at Doncaster.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien reflected on beaten Triple Crown hopeful Camelot, who suffered his first career loss in Saturday's Group 1 St Leger. Held up off the pace as usual by his son Joseph O'Brien, the 2-5 favorite had to wait for room in the stretch, but couldn't kick as strongly as the victorious Encke and settled for second.
"We are probably not going to be the most popular winner on Town Moor today," Racing Manager Simon Crisford admitted, "but from our point of view it was a fantastic result, giving Godolphin its sixth St Leger success."
Godolphin's unheralded Encke stunned 2-5 favorite Camelot Sept. 15 in the St. Leger (Eng-I) at Doncaster, denying the hitherto unbeaten colt's historic quest for the English Triple Crown.
Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Kentucky, has welcomed new retiree Dancin' Renee, a Grade 3-winning mare and 1997's New York Horse of the Year.
The latest developments in medical and technological research that may improve the welfare, health and safety of jockeys was set to be presented at an international conference this Saturday and Sunday at Monmouth Park.
