A change in tactics helped Black Mamba capture the $125,000 Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes at Keeneland in likely the final start of her career Oct. 25.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
German-bred mare Caprice, third in last year's Rood & Riddle Dowager at Keeneland, returns for the $125,000 turf event as one of the favorites for owner Sven A. Hanson's NP Bloodstock.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Grade I winner Boboman has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2010 at Walmac Farm, the Kentucky farm announced Oct. 22.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Cloudy's Knight, moving in tandem with favorite Winchester during a big stretch move, caught Yate's Black Cat just before the wire to win the $125,000 Sycamore (gr. IIIT) by a head Oct. 22 at Keeneland.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Favored Champs Elysees, in likely the final race of his career, went out on top with a come-from-behind victory in the $1,927,556 Pattison Canadian International (Can-IT) at Woodbine Oct. 17.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Marsh Side returns to defend his title in the $2-million Pattison Canadian International (Can-I) over the Woodbine turf course Oct. 17 against a field that includes German group I winner Jukebox Jury.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Ridden patiently by Alex Solis, heavily favored Magical Fantasy captured her third consecutive grade I event when she overtook Visit mid-stretch and held off the late charge of Black Mamba to win Oak Tree's $300,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Oct. 10.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Magical Fantasy looks for her fourth consecutive graded stakes win for trainer Paddy Gallagher as the probable favorite in Oak Tree's $300,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Oct. 10.
Wednesday, October 07, 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
Major winner Champs Elysees, a homebred for Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms, will enter stud in 2010 at Abdullah's Banstead Manor Stud near Newmarket, England.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Just as Well was awarded victory in the Northern Dancer Turf (Can-IT) at Woodbine Sept. 20 when the winner, Marsh Side, was disqualified for interference in the stretch.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Juddmonte Farms' homebred Champs Elysees is back to defend his title in the $750,000 Northern Dancer Turf Presented by Vtech (Can-IT), but will have to take down a deep field of turf routers Sept. 20 at Woodbine, including Melynk Racing Stables' Marchfield, who defeated the 6-year-old horse last month over the same course.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Favored Grand Couturier got the soft going he appreciates and a solid pace to chase, helping him to his first win of the year in the $158,500 Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park Sept. 13.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Grand Couturier heads into the $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park Sept. 13 as the morning line favorite in spite of a fifth-place finish in Saratoga's Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) last month that left trainer Robert Ribaudo a bit perplexed.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Gran Estreno, claimed twice for $20,000 this year, earned a starting berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) when he led all the way to win the $200,000 Washington Park Handicap (gr. III) at Aqueduct Sept.5.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
California invader Unusual Suspect heads the field for the $200,000 Washington Park Handicap (gr. III), which returns to the Arlington Park stakes schedule Sept. 5 after a one-year hiatus.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
The top four finishers of Hollywood Park's July 19 Sunset Handicap (gr. IIT), including two-length winner Black Astor, return for the Aug. 30 Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT) in Southern California.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Hard-charging Marchfield outfought a game Champs Elysees in a gritty stretch duel to register a half-length win in the $256,100 Sky Classic Stakes (Can-IIT) on the Woodbine lawn Aug. 23.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Hollywood Park has released a dramatically altered stakes schedule for the 2009 Autumn meet, which will be 27 days long -- 13 days shorter than the 40-day stand in 2008.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Ellie-Boge Farm's homebred Rahy's Attorney, a grade II winner in Canada twice this season, will shoot for his third straight victory in the $250,000 Sky Classic (Can-IIT) Aug. 23 at Woodbine.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Two 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
Unusual Suspect, the second-longest shot on the board at 24-1, won a head-bobbing decision over Richard's Kid to capture the $150,000 Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar and sew up a starting berth in the Breeders' Cup Marathon.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
European group winners Alnadana and Mad About You challenge top American-based runners Pure Clan, Black Mamba and others in the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT).
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
Trainer John Sadler's Zappa, a 6 1/4-length winner of the 2008 Cougar II Handicap, is back to defend his title against Mike Mitchell's top-weighted duo of Big Booster and Church Service in the $150,000 renewal of the 1 1/2-mile event Aug. 5.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Rahy's Attorney, who got back on track last out with a win in the King Edward Handicap (Can-IIT), will seek his fourth graded stakes score at Woodbine when he faces a tough field in the $300,000 Nijinsky Stakes (Can-IIT) July 26 on the turf in Toronto.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Black Astor, handed a 10-length lead with a mile to run in the closing-day $142,500 Sunset Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park, made it stand up over his three rivals July 19.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The lack of horse inventory has troubled the 2009 spring/summer Hollywood Park season from its outset, so it's not surprising that the closing day $150,000 Sunset Handicap (gr. IIT) July 19 attracted just four horses to the turf course.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Odds-on choice Black Mamba always seems to run her race, and in the $147,000 Beverly Hills Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park June 28, the grinding effort was just good enough for the New Zealand-bred mare to make it consecutive wins in the 1 1/4-mile turf event.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Black Mamba, a New Zealand mare who scored her first American stakes victory in last year's Beverly Hills Handicap (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park, is back to defend her title June 28 in the $150,000 grass event.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Heavily favored Obrigado ended a 15-race losing streak when he overpowered a small field in the 1 3/4-mile Round Table Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park June 13.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Just five horses, including supplemental entry Plug Me In, are set to go in an uninspiring renewal of the $100,000 Round Table Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the turf June 13. At 1 3/4 miles, the Round Table is the longest race of the Hollywood Park meet.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Cowboy Cal and Champs Elysees, both narrowly beaten by tough-as-nails Einstein in separate grade I races this year, will see if his absence will be enough to get them over the top this time, as they headline a strong field of 14, including five grade I winners, for the $400,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (gr. IT) June 6 at Belmont Park.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Magical Fantasy had much to do under Alex Solis to win the $250,000 Gamely Stakes (gr. IT), but she proved equal to the task, edging Visit and Diamond Diva in the final couple of jumps in a terrific finish at Hollywood Park May 30.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Magical Fantasy, winner of the Santa Barbara Handicap (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita last month, and Black Mamba, who came up a nose shy in a desperate stretch drive, will battle again in the $250,000 Gamely Stakes (gr. IT) on the Hollywood Park turf May 30.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Multiple grade II winner Spring House ventures to Albany, Calif., for the first time in his 40-race career as the likely favorite in the $100,000 Golden Gate Fields Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) May 30.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
