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Four runners from the Feb. 16 Mac Diarmida Stakes, headed by Resolute Group Stables' second-place finisher Teaks North, are among 10 entered to contest the $150,000 Pan American Stakes (gr. IIT) March 23 at Gulfstream Park.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013Promising 3-year-olds Dewey Square and Bambazonki each worked five furlongs at Gulfstream Park Feb. 24 in preparation for the upcoming Palm Beach Stakes (gr. IIIT) at 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
The Illinois Racing Board Jan. 29 approved an increase in the purse for this year's Illinois Derby (gr. III) at Hawthorne Race Course and a renewal of the $400,000 American St. Leger started last year at Arlington.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Trainer Chris Block was represented by his 1,000th winner Jan. 12 at Gulfstream Park, when 5-year-old All for Thee rallied through the stretch to score a hard-fought neck victory at odds of 12-1 in the second race of the day.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Defending winner Heavenly Landing takes on nine older fillies and mares Jan. 5 in the $100,000 Marshua's River Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park, including Team Block's highly consistent Leading Astray.
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
An overflow of 24 sophomore fillies passed the entry box for the $125,000 Pin Oak Valley View (gr. IIIT), forcing Keeneland officials to split the Oct. 19 running of the race into divisions for the second time in history.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Leading Astray kicked off a big day for Team Block in fine fashion Sept. 15, notching her fourth triumph in a row and becoming a graded winner in the $175,000 Pucker Up Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Arlington Park.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Ioya Bigtime, staked to a loping lead by Jeffrey Sanchez, refused to buckle under relentless pressure from favored Rahystrada to win the $200,000 Kentucky Turf Cup (gr. IIIT) on the grass course at Kentucky Downs Sept. 15.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Mister Marti Gras goes for a repeat victory in the $150,000 Washington Park Handicap (gr. III) as a co-highweight at 119 pounds Sept. 1 on the Arlington Park Polytrack surface.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Backers who saw past a winless record in 2012 were rewarded by the 5-year-old Illinois-bred, who shocked in the $150,000 Stars & Stripes Stakes (gr. IIIT) July 14. He rolled to victory for Team Block at odds of 41-1.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Team Block's Never Retreat, who had been scheduled to make her final start in the Jan. 7 Marshua's River Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park, has been retired from racing.
Monday, January 02, 2012
Fast-closing Mister Marti Gras collared Alma d'Oro in deep stretch for a half-length victory in the Ack Ack Handicap (gr. III) at Churchill Downs Nov. 4.
Friday, November 04, 2011
Never Retreat, ridden by the red-hot Julien Leparoux, overcame the far outside post to capture the $350,000 First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) on the Keeneland turf Oct. 8.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Grade I winner Giant Oak faces stiff competition from nine challengers in Hawthorne Racecourse's marquee fall event.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Never Retreat picked up her second grade II win of the season on the Woodbine turf when she outlasted a deep field to capture the Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT) Sept. 18.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Lothenbach Stable's Mister Mardi rallied from far back to get his first graded stakes win, taking the $100,000 Washington Park Handicap (gr. III) at Arlington.
Saturday, September 03, 2011
Never Retreat, beaten as the favorite when second to Bay to Bay in last month's Nassau Stakes (Can-IIT), turned the tables on her rival at Woodbine in the $313,395 Dance Smartly Stakes (Can-IIT) July 10.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Never Retreat, upset winner of the Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. IIT) at Keeneland in April, faces a triple threat from the Roger Attfield barn in the $300,000 Nassau Stakes (Can-IIT) on the Woodbine turf course June 4.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Giant Oak, winner of the Donn Handicap (gr. I) earlier this year, tops a field of 11 entered in the May 6 Alysheba Stakes (gr. III) that is part of the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) undercard at Churchill Downs.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Never Retreat found a yielding turf to her liking when she swept past the leaders in the stretch and cleared off for a 1 3/4-length win in the $200,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. IIT) at Keeneland April 16.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Team Block's Never Retreat, trained by Chris Block and ridden by Julien Leparoux, took over from Persuading at the top of the stretch and went on to win the $100,000 Honey Fox (gr. IIIT) by a length March 5 at Gulfstream.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Giant Oak, who won the Clark Handicap (gr. I) via disqualification last out, validated that win by posting a rallying victory in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) Feb. 5 at Gulfstream Park.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Askbut I Won'ttell figures to make things tough in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf when she takes on 13 rivals in the 1 1/8-mile race at Gulfstream Park Saturday, Jan. 29.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Shaun Bridgmohan and Chris Block took their winning act to Florida in the $100,000 My Charmer Handicap (gr. IIIT), as Askbut I Won'ttell ran down pacesetter Trip for A. J. in the final yards Dec. 4 at Calder Casino.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Giant Oak picked a good time to break his 14-race losing streak, as he was placed first in the $500,000 Clark Handicap (gr. I) when stewards disqualified favored Successful Dan for interference Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Dundalk 5 LLC's Dundalk Dust, the only 3-year-old in the field, rallied from last in a six-horse field to win the $161,250 Falls City Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares by three lengths at Churchill Downs Nov. 25.
Thursday, November 25, 2010Askbut I Won'ttell switched off the hedge in upper stretch and ran down favored Kiss Mine and My Baby Baby to register her first graded stakes win in the $113,900 Cardinal Handicap (gr. IIIT) Nov. 7 at Churchill Downs.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
The favorite, he holds off Giant Oak by three-quarters of a length.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Free Fighter, unplaced in two starts since upsetting the Louisville Handicap (gr. IIIT) in May, is back to defend his title in the $100,000 Stars and Stripes Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Arlington Park Aug. 21.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010The most money ever was wagered June 30 on a single race, $379,220, and on a single race card, $2,140,490.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Team Block wins the White Oak Handicap with Shrewd Operator, while trainer Christine Janks scores with Big Looie in the Springfield Stakes June 19 at Arlington Park.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Free Fighter seized the lead from Eagle Poise coming into the stretch and drew off in the lane to produce a determined upset at odds of 12-1 in the $113,800 Louisville Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs May 22.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Free Fighter, with James Graham aboard, outfought 9-10 favorite Brass Hat through a long stretch battle to produce a half-length victory in the $125,000 Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Arlington Park Sept. 7.
Monday, September 07, 2009
Virginia Tarra Trust's homebred Giant Oak, successful in his seasonal turf debut while winning the Arlington Classic last out, will look for his first graded stakes win July 11 in the $300,000 American Derby (gr. II) at Arlington Park.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Euphony and Vacation earned their first graded wins on a big stakes day at Arlington Park May 23.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Virginia H. Tarra Trust's Giant Oak, runner-up in the Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) at Churchill Downs and the recent Illinois Derby (gr. II), is out of consideration for the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) winner Musket Man and Illinois-bred Giant Oak lead a wide-open field of 11 in the 52nd edition of the $500,000 Illinois Derby (gr. II) April 4 at Hawthorne Race Course
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Perhaps no horse on the Derby trail is more aptly named than Giant Oak, who makes many of his opponents look like saplings next to him. A big, long-striding son of Giant's Causeway, his size, stride, and style of running can also be a detriment, as he demonstrated in the Risen Star Stakes.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Giant Oak's breeze on March 7, clocked in 1:00.80 for five furlongs, was a routine move in advance of Fair Grounds' $600,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) on March 14. However, just past the wire, trainer Chris Block's big horse bobbled briefly, giving the Illinois-based conditioner some moments of concern until he was able to check out his horse back at the barn.
Sunday, March 08, 2009Ztn.jpg "Commonwealth Turf Draws Field of 11")
Seaspeak and Amazing Results, both victims of bad racing luck last month at Keeneland, will each try to change their fortunes at Churchill Downs Nov. 9 when they go to post in the $100,000-added Commonwealth Turf (gr. IIIT), a 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-olds.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Live Oak Plantation's Les Grands Trois has been the victor in all but one of his four career starts despite an on-again off-again training regimen due to physical issues. The son of Officer looks for his first graded stakes win in the $200,000 Perryville (gr. III) at Keeneland Oct. 13.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007Team Block's Fort Prado grabbed all the headlines at this year's Prairie State Festival when the 6-year-old gelding became the first horse to be a four-time Festival winner by capturing the $84,150 Black Tie Affair Handicap for the third straight year.
Saturday, July 07, 2007A year after an unprecedented string of catastrophic breakdowns left horsemen wondering what was wrong with the dirt track at Arlington Park, they were singing the praises of a new synthetic racing surface.
Sunday, May 06, 2007Frank Kirby has been elected president of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.
Monday, January 15, 2007After much deliberation, owner Robert L. Lothenbach decided against pre-entering his prized 3-year-old turf filly Vacare in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT).
Monday, October 23, 2006Making just her third career start, unbeaten Lothenbach Stables' homebred Vacare left the field behind in winning Saturday's $200,000 Pucker Up (gr. IIIT) for fillies and mares by four lengths on the Arlington Park turf.
Saturday, September 09, 2006Jockey Larry Sterling Jr. scored a double in the seventh annual Prairie State Festival, Arlington Park's six-race showcase for Illinois-bred Thoroughbreds. Both of the the veteran local rider's victories came on horses he was not originally slated to ride.
Saturday, June 24, 2006Graded stakes winner Fort Prado came from far back to tally a two-length victory in the $125,000 Tampa Bay Breeder's Cup on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs Saturday.
Saturday, February 25, 2006Favored Iosilver, ridden by Eddie Razo Jr., took control at the start and dominated his rivals to win the $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Mile at Hoosier Park Saturday night.
Sunday, November 20, 2005A cast of nine runners has been entered for Saturday's Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Hawthorne Race Course. Fort Prado, winner of the Sea O Erin Breeders' Cup Mile Handicap, will line up as the 121-pound highweight.
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