Caracortado, a grade II winner on Santa Anita's synthetic track last winter, proved equally at home on the lawn when he outlasted The Usual Q. T. to capture the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Turf by a half-length Jan. 29.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Disqualified from his runner-up effort in the Breeders' Cup Marathon (gr. III) last out, Prince Will I Am helped ease some of his connections' disappointment with a victory in the off-the-turf W.L. McKnight Handicap.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Jason, Tom, and Les Instone from twinspires.com preview the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) at Hollywood Park. Plus, picks for the W. L. McKnight (gr. II) at Calder.
Prince Will I Am is the lone 3-year-old in a field of 10 turf horses that will go 1 1/2 miles in the $150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT), but still could go off as the favorite.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Red Smith Handicap (gr. IIT) and two juvenile stakes, the Nashua (gr. II) and Tempted (gr. III), add some local spice to the Breeders' Cup program that begins Aqueduct's opening weekend Nov. 6.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Violon Sacre, a two-time stakes winner in four United States turf starts this season, tries Belmont Park for the first time against some tough customers in the $100,000 Knickerbocker Handicap (gr. IIIT) Oct. 17.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Patricia Generazio's Presious Passion, who has amassed more than $2.5 million in career earnings, finished fourth as the 4-5 favorite in a turf allowance at Delaware Park Sept. 22.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Patricia Generazio's Presious Passion, second in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita last year, has been entered on the Sept. 22 card at Delaware Park.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Four grade I winners and a pair of intriguing international contenders were among the nine entered for a suddenly wide-open editon of the $750,000 BetFair/TVG United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) July 3 at Monmouth Park.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Get Serious registered his eighth lifetime win 10 starts on the Monmouth Park turf when he tallied a front-running victory at odds of 7-1 in the $255,000 Monmouth Stakes (gr. IIIT) June 12.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Multiple grade I winner Presious Passion returns to Monmouth Park June 12 to defend his title in the $250,000 Monmouth Stakes (gr. IIIT) on turf.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Five-year-old mare Dar Re Mi, with new rider William Buick aboard, outlasted Buena Vista and Spanish Moon to capture the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-I) at Meydan March 27.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Blood-Horse correspondent Jason Ford makes his way around Meydan Racecourse for the March 27 Dubai World Cup.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Front-running 7-year-old figures to carry them as far as he can in 12-furlong stakes March 27 at Meydan.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Presious Passion was the biggest winner during the 50th annual Florida-bred awards banquet March 15. The 7-year-old Royal Anthem gelding was honored as the 2009 Horse of the Year
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Four U.S. horses, including dual champion Gio Ponti, are among the 14 horses likely to contest the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) at Meydan Racecourse on March 27.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Two-time Eclipse Award winner Zenyatta (National), and Fountain of Youth winner Eskendreya (3-Year-Old) top the first NTRA polls of 2010.
Monday, March 01, 2010
The turf might not have been as firm as he likes it, but front-running Presious Passion had little trouble handling it in the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (gr. IIT) at Gulfstream Park Feb. 28.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Charismatic 7-year-old gelding Presious Passion attempts to add a repeat win in the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (gr. IIT) Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park to his sterling record.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Seven-year-old turf specialist Presious Passion will look to defend his Mac Diarmida title Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park. Presious Passion was second in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Helen and Joe Barbazon hit the heights with Presious Passion.
Already having had the best season of racing as a 9-year-old, Cloudy's Knight put an exclamation point on 2009 with a 1 1/4-length victory Dec. 26 in the Calder's W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT).
Saturday, December 26, 2009Veteran campaigners Presious Passion and Cloudy's Knight, a pair of grade I winners who starred in last month's Breeders' Cup races, meet in the $150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap at Calder.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Steve and Lenny present the 2009 Offy Awards. Categories include: best criminal mastermind, best cowboy hat, best performance in a losing effort, and much, much more.
All the comments made about Quality Road being a rogue or crazy are way off base. Dr. Larry Bramlage called him a juvenile delinquent following his meltdown prior to the Breeders' Cup Classic. A juvenile, yes, in many ways, but being scared out of your wits does not make you a delinquent.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) when he rallied from dead last to overtake pacestting Presious Passion in deep stretch to capture the $3 million event at Santa Anita Nov. 7.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
If there is one thing you can always count on in the Breeders' Cup it's that it will have it's share of longshot winners and mid-price overlays who get lost in the handicapping frenzy that is so much a part of the event.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Conduit and Red Rocks, the respective 2008 and 2006 winners of the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), are among the eight horses entered in the $3-million, 1 1/2 mile turf test.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Though three of the Euros top distance horses -- Mastercraftsman, Rip Van Winkle, and Twice Over -- are being pointed to either the Classic (gr. I) or Dirt Mile (gr. I), they still hold the upper hand on the Americans for the Nov. 7 Turf.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
As we all know there is always an angle or two we can latch on to in the Breeders' Cup. The trick is finding them among the morass of stakes horses that line up for the 14 races. There probably are more chances of landing a longshot on a synthetic surface, because, in all honesty, does anyone really know how to handicap these races?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Trainer Mary Hartmann came west looking for firm turf for her star Presious Passion and found what she was looking for. The 6-year-old son of Royal Anthem hooked a paceless field and strolled gate to wire for a 2 1/2-length victory in Oak Tree's $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Oct. 11.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
After heavy rains at Belmont Park forced her to make Presious Passion a late scratch from the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) Oct. 3 at Belmont Park, trainer Mary Hartmann knew exactly what she had to do. She shipped her multiple grade I-winning 6-year-old cross-country to California where she knew she would find the kind of firm footing her star appreciates for a different Hirsch at Santa Anita Park.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Christophe Clement has had many talented stakes winners during his years as one of the nation's leading turf conditioners, but the French-born trainer now admits Gio Ponti may be at the top of that list. On Oct. 3, the 4-year-old son of Tale of the Cat seeks his fifth consecutive grade I grass victory when he lines up for the $600,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Castleton Lyons' Gio Ponti notched his fourth consecutive grade I victory Aug. 8 at Arlington Park, as he rolled to a 1 1/4-length win in the Arlington Million (gr. IT) under Ramon Dominguez.
Saturday, August 08, 2009Two of the most prestigious turf races on the North American racing calendar, the Arlington Million and Beverly D., will be aired live Sat., Aug. 8, on ESPN from 4:30-6:00 p.m. ET.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Often times, European horses are the focus of attention in the internationally prestigious Arlington Million (gr. IT). And while the 2009 edition of the race does include three capable foreigners, it is a trio of terrific American horses that are the ones to beat this time around.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Einstein, who stumbled at the start and finished fifth in last year's Arlington Million (gr. IT), drew the inside post for this season's prestigious turf race at Arlington Park, which will be held Aug. 8.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Einstein and Gio Ponti are just two of several talented turf horses considering the Aug. 8 race.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Not to be a killjoy, but the fact is some of the best horses in the country will not be showing up at the Breeders' Cup this year.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Aside from cashing in Presious Passion's "Win and You're In" ticket for this fall's Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), trainer Mary Hartmann said plans are undecided for her back-to-back United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) winner.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Presious Passion scored a repeat victory in the $750,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. IT), smashing the course record in the process July 4 at Monmouth Park.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
An accomplished group of older horses that includes four grade I winners is set to go in the $750,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) July 4 on the Monmouth Park turf.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
The $750,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) and the $250,000 Salvator Mile (gr. III), both run at Monmouth Park on July 4, represent the first state-side races in this year's international "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge series.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009Patricia Generazio's Presious Passion ran one of the gamest races of his career June 13 at Monmouth Park, as he fought back to regain the lead in mid-stretch, and then held off a determined Banrock at the finish for a nose victory in the $200,000 Monmouth Stakes.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The second running of the $200,000 Monmouth Stakes June 13, a 1 1/8-mile turf event that has the look of a graded event, figures to serve as a solid prep for the $750,000 United Nations Stakes (gr. IT), the New Jersey track's top grass offering of the season on July 4.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
In accord with American Graded Stakes Committee policy, the March 21 renewal of the Pan American Stakes (gr. IIIT), scheduled for the Gulfstream Park turf course, but switched to the main track, was automatically downgraded from a grade III to ungraded status and was conducted as an ungraded stakes race.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Buddy's Humor caught the pacesetter Presious Passion at the top of the stretch and prevailed following a long drive to the wire by three-quarters of a length in the $147,000 Pan American Stakes at rain-soaked Gulfstream Park. The race was taken off the turf course as a result of day-long showers and contested on a sealed main track.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Hot off his win in the Mac Diarmida (gr. IIT) one month ago, Presious Passion is back to defend his title in the $150,000 Pan American Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Gulfstream Park grass course March 21.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Presious Passion proved he might just be in the top form of his career as a 6-year-old, scoring his second graded stakes victory in a nine-week span when taking the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (gr. IIT) by a half length Feb. 21 on the turf at Gulfstream Park.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Grade I winner Presious Passion should get the firm ground he likes for his return to Gulfstream Park Feb. 21 in the $150,000 Mac Diarmida Stakes (gr. IIT) following a narrow miss in the Sunshine Millions Turf last month.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009