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.
Yesterday
Jason, Tom, and Tim Holland of brisnet preview the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III) at Hollywood Park on November 21.
3 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.
4 days ago
Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, who never won the prestigious Matriarch Stakes (gr. IT) as a rider, will try to win the grade I test as a trainer with Diamondrella on Nov. 28 at Hollywood Park.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Three participants in this year's Breeders' Cup World Championships â€" Diamondrella, Lethal Heat, and Magical Fantasy -- were scheduled to be offered at the Nov. 10 Fasig-Tipton November select mixed sale in Lexington as of Nov. 9. Grade I winner Diamondrella finished 11th in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint; grade II winner Lethal Heat was seventh in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (gr. I); and grade I winner Magical Fantasy finished fifth in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT).
Monday, November 09, 2009
Irish-bred Tuscan Evening, who won five of her first six starts in the United Stakes prior to a two-race skid, regained her winning form in Oak Tree's $200,000 Las Palmas Handicap (gr. IIT) for fillies and mares at one mile over Santa Anita's Camino Real Turf Course.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Midday, who was bred in England, gave the Europeans their second win of the 26th Breeders' Cup World Championships. The 3-year-old daughter of Oasis Dream was making her first start in the United States. She is trained by Henry Cecil, a renowned English trainer who earned his first Breeders' Cup victory after many years.
Friday, November 06, 2009
European trainer John Gosden hopes to stun the racing world with Rainbow View in the Ladies Classic Nov. 6, like he did with Raven's Pass in the Classic last year.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
His excitement as a result of Forever Together's stirring win in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT) gave trainer Jonathan Sheppard fits of insomnia. But by all indications, the Hall of Fame trainer is taking things in better stride as his fierce gray mare defends her title as the morning line choice in the $2 million event at Santa Anita Nov. 6.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
It would be an understatement to say that Magical Fantasy heads the California contingent for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Nov. 6. After four consecutive major stakes wins locally, three in grade I company, she's nearly all that's left.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Forever Together, winner of last year's $2-million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), is the 5-2 morning-line favorite to repeat in the event Nov. 6 at Santa Anita Park.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
What could be more specialized than horses that like to sprint on the turf? Yet all manner of runners make up the 22 pre-entries in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, which drew the largest field of all 14 Breeders' Cup races.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Jason, Tom, and James Scully Preview the Breeders' Cup, focusing on those races with returning champions. Plus, a look at Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Looking to join Ouija Board as the only two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (gr. IT), Forever Together is the likely pick in the $2 million event sponsored by Emirates Airline.
Wednesday, October 28, 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
IEAH Stables' Diamondrella came from well off the pace and ran down Tizaqueena in the final yards to notch her second grade I victory of the season in the $400,000 First Lady (gr. IT) Oct. 10 on the Keeneland turf.
Saturday, October 10, 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
Princess Haya, making her graded stakes debut, rallied along the hedge to nose Eclipse Award-winning turf female Forever Together in the $283,376 Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT) at Woodbine Sept. 20.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Last year's champion grass mare Forever Together will attempt to add some more black-type to her already stellar resume when facing six other fillies and mares, including the highly regarded Points of Grace, in the $300,000 Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT) Sept. 20 at Woodbine.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Odds-on choice Informed Decision improved to five-for-five on synthetic tracks and cemented her position as a leading candidate for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint when she sailed to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $398,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters (gr. III) in Erie, Pa., on the evening of Sept. 12.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Jason, Tom, and Tim Holland from twinspires preview the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (gr. III), which features 4 grade I winners.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Four grade I winners -- Diamondrella, Flashing, Game Face, and Informed Decision -- are part of an overflow field entered for the $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters (gr. III) on tap Sept. 12 in Erie, Pa.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Salve Germania, the longest shot in the $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap (gr. IIT), charged down the center of the stretch to tag favored Rutherienne by a head at the wire on a soggy Saratoga Melon Turf Course Aug. 29.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Originally pointed to a fall campaign at Belmont Park, Godolphin's Cocoa Beach came out of a stakes win at Saratoga earlier this month so well her connections have opted to run her Aug. 29 in the $200,000 Ballston Spa Handicap (gr. IIT).
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Jockey Kent Desormeaux made it back-to-back grade I wins on a soggy Arlington Park turf course when he guided Dynaforce to victory in the $750,000 Beverly D. Aug. 8.
Saturday, August 08, 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
Stonestreet Stables and Gulf Coast Farms' Kensei, who powered home to a 2 1/4-length victory over Warrior's Reward in the Aug. 1 Jim Dandy (gr. II) came out of the race in good shape, according to trainer Steven Asmussen's assistant Larry Ulrich.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Forever Together became the fifth horse to win the prestigious Diana Stakes (gr. IT) in back-to-back seasons when she burst past her rivals on the outside in the stretch and nipped Carribean Sunset by a head Aug. 1 at Saratoga Race Course.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
On Aug. 1, Forever Together seeks to become only the fifth horse to put together back-to-back victories in the $500,000 Diana Stakes (gr. IT), a feat that only Glowing Honor (1988-89), Shuvee (1970-71), Tempted (1959-60) and Miss Grillo (1946-47) have been able to accomplish in the 71 previous editions of the 1 1/8- mile turf race.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tracy Farmer's Commentator, the expected elder statesmen of the $750,000 Whitney Handicap (gr. I) on Aug. 8 at Saratoga, turned in a bullet work over the Oklahoma track at Saratoga July 23, breezing five furlongs in :59.12.
Friday, July 24, 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
Lewis Lakin's homebred Pure Clan, making just her second start of the season, overtook pacesetter Tizaqueena in upper stretch and sailed to the wire for a 2 1/2-length victory in the $200,000 Modesty Handicap (gr. IIIT) July 11 on the Arlington Park turf.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Lewis Lakin's Pure Clan, fully recovered from a minor injury suffered earlier this season, seems primed to begin her run towards the top of the older female turf division and the climb will start July 11 in the $200,000 Modesty Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Arlington Park, where she will carry top weight of 122 pounds.
Thursday, July 09, 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
Darley Stable's Tizaqueena will try to bounce back off a third-place finish in the Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (gr. IIIT), a defeat that broke a string of four consecutive scores, as she headlines a field of eight fillies and mares in the $100,000 Locust Grove Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the Churchill Downs turf July 5.
Thursday, July 02, 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
Diamondrella and jockey Rajiv Maragh thundered down the stretch to overpower last year's champion turf filly, Forever Together, to win the $400,000 Just a Game Stakes (gr.IT) at Belmont Park June 6.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
After kicking off her 5-year-old campaign with a confident win in the Jenny Wiley (gr. IIT), Forever Together will be favored to extend her three-race win streak in the $400,000 Just a Game (gr. IT) at Belmont Park June 6.
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
Wasted Tears, undefeated on the Lone Star Park turf, took the field nearly all the way in winning the $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff Handicap (gr. IIIT) May 25 in track-record time in her graded stakes debut May 25.
Monday, May 25, 2009
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Dr. John A. Chandler's homebred Seaspeak, who won the Bryan Station (gr. IIIT) last fall at Keeneland but was later disqualified for interference in the stretch, will try again to notch his first graded stakes victory in the $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup (gr. IIIT) May 25 at Lone Star Park.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
