Ronchalon Stable's Irish-bred Belle Allure looks for her first U.S. stakes win in the $100,000 Athenia (gr. IIIT) Oct. 21 going 1 1/16 miles over the Belmont Park turf course. Originally carded for Oct. 17, the race was moved when inclement weather forced racing off the grass in New York this weekend.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Saratoga meet will expand by four days in 2010 and "for the foreseeable future," the New York Racing Association announced Oct. 7.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Gozzip Girl, freshened since her smashing win in the American Oaks (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park more than two months ago, returns to Belmont Park Sept. 12 as the filly to beat in the $300,000 Garden City Stakes (gr. IT).
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Though Rachel Alexandra was not in the $600,000 Alabama (gr. I), Donver Stable's Careless Jewel did her best impression of the superstar filly, running away from seven rivals to win by 11 lengths in a breakthrough performance Aug. 22 at Saratoga.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Jason, Evan, and James Scully of twinspires.com preview the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT). Plus picks for the Alabama (gr. I).
Thursday, August 20, 2009
There are two ways to look at the field for the $600,000 Alabama (gr. I): It could be a disappointment that the nation's top 3-year-old filly, Rachel Alexandra, is not included in the field. Or, a more optimistic view would be that many of the talented fillies entered for the prestigious race are only there because Rachel Alexandra is not in the field.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Just Jenda served noticed that she is a force to be reckoned with in the 3-year-old filly division, as she followed up last month's dominating stakes win at Monmouth Park with another convincing score, this one in the $200,000 Monmouth Oaks (gr. III) Aug. 15.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Just Jenda will face nine in the $200,000 Monmouth Breeders' Cup Oaks (gr. III) Aug. 15 in Oceanport, N.J. The chestnut filly looms a tough customer in the 1 1/16-mile main track event.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
MAHUBAH'S CORNER, by Avalyn Hunter
Funny Moon's big win in the grade I CCA Oaks exemplifies an American breeding pattern of miler speed over stoutness. Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Funny Moon came charging down the lane under Alan Garcia and outran a host of rivals in deep stretch to win the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) at Belmont Park July 25. It was the first graded stakes victory for the 3-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Hightap, a winner of consecutive graded stakes for Steve Asmussen, will take on seven 3-year-old filly rivals in the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) July 25 at Belmont Park.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Jason, Tom, and Rich Nilsen from Twinspires preview the Delaware Handicap (gr. II) at Delaware Park on July 19.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Team Valor International's Unbridled Belle has been simply terrific in her career at Delaware Park, winning five of seven starts at the track including the 2007 Delaware Handicap (gr. II). On July 19, the 6-year-old mare will try to continue her domination when she takes on six rivals in the $1 million event.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Payton d'Oro and Bon Jovi Girl, who took turns beating each other in their last two starts, will do battle once again in the $250,000 Delaware Oaks (gr. II) July 18 at Delaware Park, where they will meet a solid group of 3-year-old fillies.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Shipped north to Prairie Meadows for the June 26 Iowa Oaks (gr. III) off a big win in the Dogwood Stakes (gr. III) last month at Churchill Downs, Hightap delivered again, taking the $200,000 race by three-quarters of a length over Sweet Relish.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Rachel Alexandra, who when last seen was making history by winning the May 16 BlackBerry Preakness (gr. I), will make her return to the racetrack in the $300,000 Mother Goose (gr. I) June 27 at Belmont Park. The Horse of the Year candidate will face only four rivals in the nine-furlong test for 3-year-old fillies.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Rachel Alexandra will make her first start since her historic Preakness (gr. I) victory June 27 at Belmont Park, but her presence in the $300,000 Mother Goose (gr. I) isn't scaring everyone away.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The way Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks -- by a whopping 20 1/4 lengths -- anything that ran behind her had to be given another chance in her next start. Gabby's Golden Gal proved that theory true when she won the Acorn Stakes (gr. I) June 6 at Belmont Park.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
On a five-race win streak, Justwhistledixie doesn't figure to run into anyone like Rachel Alexandra in the one-mile Acorn, a $300,000 event that drew eight other 3-year-old fillies.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Winchell Thoroughbreds and Gainesway Thoroughbreds' Hightap ran right by odds-on favorite Luster in upper stretch and sprinted her way to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $111,500 Dogwood (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs May 30.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Like her other five rivals, Marylou Whitney's Tweeter never had a chance when super filly Rachel Alexandra rolled to a record-setting 20 1/4-length victory in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) May 1 at Churchill Downs. Tweeter, who finished 51 lengths back of the winner, should be more evenly matched this time when taking on mere mortals in the $100,000-added Dogwood Stakes (gr. III), a test for 3-year-old fillies May 30 in Louisville.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009