Handicapping

Tips and picks for how to bet on Thorougbred horse racing

Third Chance serves up ice cream for Arlington fans

On Saturday, she wrapped up her gifted history at the local oval with a victory by almost seven lengths, and that led to the ice cream celebration that had been publicly promised to the racing fans on hand by the acknowledged dean of Chicago newscasters.

Mazza honored with Buddy Raines Award

"I am honored and very proud to receive this award," said Mazza, who has trained horses for Holly Crest Farm and other stables in New Jersey for 46 years. "It is very meaningful to me."

Book Review stars in Charles Town Oaks

Gary and Mary West's homebred Book Review rolled to a convincing victory as the 7-5 favorite in Saturday night's $400,000 Charles Town Oaks. Making her two-turn debut in this seven-furlong scramble around Charles Town's tight oval, the Chad Brown trainee circled the field on the final turn and kicked 1 3/4 lengths clear.

Fort Larned, Hymn Book drill for Jockey Club Gold Cup

At Belmont Park on Sunday, Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap winner Fort Larned turned in his final serious work for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational, covering five furlongs in 1:01 shortly after 6:30 a.m. (EDT).

Little Mike, Point of Entry on course for Joe Hirsch

Trainer Dale Romans, who has already has established a personal record for single-season North American earnings in 2012, has confirmed Little Mike and Finnegans Wake for Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational and Dullahan primed for the Grade 1, $400,000 Jamaica Handicap on October 6.

Mike delivers Handsome upset in Penn Derby

J. Paul Reddam's Handsome Mike parlayed a front-running trip into a two-length upset in Saturday's Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, winning as the 19-1 longest shot at Parx Racing. The Scat Daddy colt proved resilient after setting a moderate pace beneath Irad Ortiz Jr., withstanding challenges from Alpha and Stephanoatsee before re-asserting command in deep stretch, and snapped a seven-race losing skein in the process.

Aurelia outduels Questing to stay unbeaten in Cotillion

Last year's unbeaten champion two-year-old filly My Miss Aurelia outdueled pro tem divisional leader Questing by a head in Saturday's $971,200 Cotillion Stakes, in a climactic finish to the first Grade 1 event ever staged in Pennsylvania. The 1 1/16-mile test served up a clash worthy of the occasion -- a virtual match race, with Eclipse Award implications -- and it lived up to the advance billing.

Optimizer scores first graded win in Kent

After an unsuccessful Triple Crown campaign, Optimizer looks to have found his home back on the turf. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained colt captured his first graded stakes win in record fashion on Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park.

The Factor retired to Lane's End

Multiple Grade 1 winner The Factor has been retired from racing and will enter stud at William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm near Versailles, Kentucky, for the 2013 breeding season. Raced by George Bolton and David Shimmon's Fog City Stable, The Factor won six races, five of them graded, including the Grade 1 Malibu and Grade 1 Pat O'Brien.

Certify among 11 remaining in Fillies' Mile

Godolphin aims for a third consecutive victory in the Group 1, £163,500 Fillies' Mile with Certify going for the highlight of the second day of the Cambridgeshire Festival at Newmarket this upcoming Friday. The Mahmood Al Zarooni-trained filly is one of the ante-post favorites for next year's Group 1 One Thousand Guineas, back at Newmarket, following three impressive victories that included a cozy neck success in the Group 2 May Hill over a mile at Doncaster on September 14.

Paynter could race again

Owner Ahmed Zayat is holding out hope that his star colt Paynter, who has waged a terrific battle against the twin evils of colitis and laminitis, could actually make it back to the races.

Nine-year-old veteran Awesome Gem retired

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.

Pletcher choosing spots for top runners

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.

Trailblazer to represent Japan in BC Turf

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.

Hollywood stakes schedule worth $3.8 million

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.

Fort Larned, Ron the Greek head Jockey Club probables

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, Puhich to receive Mr. Fitz Award

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.

Awesome Feather rates a perfect 10 in comeback

"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."

Breeders' Cup launches Blazing Silks

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.

Spurious Precision euthanized after fracturing knee

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.

Turbulent Descent, Musical Romance highlight deep Gallant Bloom

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.

Champion Chief Bearhart dies in Japan

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.

NTWAB announces award winners

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 announces extra 10 percent purse payment

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.

Preakness winner Deputed Testamony dead at 32

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.

Benton, Moore awarded Jockey Club Jack Goodman Scholarships

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.

Fairbanks sires first winner

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 secure a title on lucrative Parx card

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.

Get Stormy calls it a career

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 officially retired

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.

Limited number of reserved seats left for Breeders' Cup

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.

Brown eyeing Flower Bowl, Spinster for Zagora's next start

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 runs down Ontario Derby

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.

Wise Dan dismantles the field in Woodbine Mile

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.

Wigmore Hall outduels Al Khali to repeat in Northern Dancer

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.

It's Tricky readies for Beldame; Questing, Alpha work for Parx engagements

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.

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