Acoma, who entered off couple of disappointing starts, made it a perfect 3-for-3 on the Churchill Downs turf course when she outfought You Go West Girl by a head to win the $111,700 Cardinal Handicap (gr. IIIT) on Nov. 21.
12 hours ago
Jason, Tom, and Tim Holland of brisnet preview the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III) at Hollywood Park on November 21.
2 days ago
On paper, it seems as though multiple graded stakes winner Acoma is moving in the wrong direction. The 4-year-old daughter of Empire Maker has been way off her game in her last two starts, finishing sixth and ninth, respectively, in the July 19 Delaware Handicap (gr. II) and Oct. 10 First Lady (gr. IT) at Keeneland.
3 days ago
Multiple graded stakes winner Unbridled Belle will race once more and then be retired. She will be bred to top young sire Medaglia d'Oro.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Unbridled Belle, as expected, made her final start in New York a winning one, drawing off to an easy four-length victory as the prohibitive choice in the $109,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct Oct. 31.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Millionaire mare Unbridled Belle, who has competed in some of New York's premier stakes races over the past four seasons, makes her final start in the Big Apple as the heavy favorite in the $100,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct Oct. 31.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Andrew Rosen announced Oct. 23 that his 4-year-old filly Icon Project, winner of the 2009 Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I), has been retired due to a tendon injury.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Mark Stanley's Swift Temper, who upset Seventh Street last month in the Ruffian Handicap (gr. I), will make her first start on a synthetic surface in more than three years as she preps for the Breeders' Cup in the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) Oct. 11 at Keeneland.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Augustin Stable's champion mare Forever Together, entering off a surprising defeat in Canada last month, will try to defend her title in the $400,000 First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) on opening weekend Oct. 10 at Keeneland.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Music Note, as expected, swept to victory with jockey Rajiv Maragh in the $600,000 Beldame (gr. I), the first of five grade I stakes at Belmont Park Oct. 3.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
There was a time not too long ago that a meeting among the nation's best fillies and mares in the $600,000 Beldame (gr. I) was a distinct possibility. But with Rachel Alexandra on the sideline, Zenyatta staying in California for the Lady's Secret (gr. I), and Icon Project now heading to Keeneland's Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I), the Beldame has lost some of its appeal.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Now that Rachel Alexandra is through for the year, it is time for Zenyatta, the defending Queen of all Turfdom, to take center stage, and her presence will be a welcome sight in a year where the Breeders' Cup has gone a bit haywire.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Looking at Icon Project's last three starts, her only races on dirt in an 11-race career, one can only wonder just how special this 4-year-old daughter of Empire Maker is.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
A trio of contenders for the Oct. 3 $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) had their final tune-ups for the 1 1/4-mile race on a busy morning at Belmont Park Sept. 26.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., reported on several of his top horses Sept. 25 from Aqueduct, including Paul Pompa Jr.'s Futurity (gr. II) winner D' Funnybone, whose next start is still up in the air.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Circle the date Oct. 4 on your calendar. Your assignment is to pray for rain in France - enough to turn the Longchamp turf course soft. The softer the better.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Mark Stanley's Swift Temper, returning to action off less than two weeks rest, upset odds-on favorite Seventh Street in the $300,000 Ruffian Handicap (gr. I) Sept. 12 in the mud at Belmont Park. The 1 3/4-length victory earned the 5-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway an automatic berth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I) Nov. 6 at Santa Anita.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Godolphin Stable's Seventh Street looks to notch her third grade I win of the season and lock up a spot in the Breeders' Cup later this season when she faces five fillies and mares in the $300,000 Ruffian Handicap (gr. I) Sept. 12 at Belmont Park.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter
It seems 2009 would be a year for filly phenoms, and they're all the result of young, distance-loving sires. Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Favored Icon Project, ridden by Julien Leparoux, demolished her rivals with a Rachel Alexandra-type performance Aug. 30 in the $400,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race course.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Multiple graded stakes winner Unbridled Belle tops a trio of charges from the barn of Todd Pletcher in the $400,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (gr. I), Saratoga's Aug. 30 headliner.
Thursday, August 27, 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
Swift Temper dictated the pace for jockey Alan Garcia and kicked away in the stretch to post a surprisingly easy 2 1/4-length upset in the $1-million Delaware Handicap (gr. II) July 19 at Delaware Park.
Sunday, July 19, 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
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
A wet track July 6 prompted trainer Chip Woolley to delay by a day a scheduled work at Churchill Downs for Mine That Bird, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Monday, July 06, 2009
Heavy rain forced the $245,000 New York Stakes (gr. IIT) off the turf and that was just fine with Star Crown Stable's Icon Project, who took over from tiring favorite Criticism at the top of the lane and sailed to a 13 1/4-length victory June 20 on the slop at Belmont Park.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Team Valor Stables' Unbridled Belle scored in the $125,700 Obeah Stakes (gr. III) for the second straight season, getting out to an early lead and running her six rivals off their feet to win by 11 lengths June 20 in the slop at Delaware Park.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Team Valor Stables' Unbridled Belle turned in an uncharacteristically poor performance in the Louisville Distaff (gr. II) last out, but her connections say they are hopeful the 6-year-old mare will rebound with a big effort in the $125,000 Obeah Stakes (gr. III), a race that she won a year ago.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Miss Isella took a hard jolt from Distinctive Dixie when squeezing through a small opening at the top of the lane, then had the wherewithal to outduel Swift Temper in deep stretch to capture the $221,600 Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. II) June 13 at Churchill Downs.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Miss Isella, upset winner of the Louisville Distaff (gr. II) last out, looks to build upon that score when taking on eight rivals in the $200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. II) June 13 at Churchill Downs.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Helen Groves and Helen Alexander's Acoma repelled a late bid from Pure Clan and held on for a neck victory in the $109,000 Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (gr. IIIT) June 6 at Churchill Downs.
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
Multiple graded stakes-winning filly Pure Clan makes her much-anticipated 2009 debut June 6 in the $100,000 Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs, but will have to face accomplished rivals Acoma and Tizaqueena, both of whom have shown good form this year.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Martin Racing Stable and Dan Morgan's Dubai Majesty, the pacesetter in the Humana Distaff (gr. I) on Kentucky Derby Day, headlines a field of seven fillies and mares ages 3-years-old and up entered for sixth running of the $100,000-added Winning Colors (gr. III), the featured event on a special Memorial Day holiday program at Churchill Downs.
Friday, May 22, 2009
