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
The 26th World Championships got off to a thrilling start in the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon when Man of Iron hung on to defeat 9-year-old Cloudy's Knight by a nose Nov. 6 at Santa Anita Park.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien said that Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) contender Rip Van Winkle is fine and did not show any indications of his recurring foot problems when he went to the track at Santa Anita early Nov. 4.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Godolphin Racing's Mastery has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite in the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Marathon, which kicks off the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup races at Santa Anita.
Tuesday, November 03, 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
Whatever name you want to give them, Todd's Tots, Pletcher's Pups, you can be sure you'll be hearing from Todd Pletcher's 2-year-olds in the Breeders' Cup juvenile races, and more importantly on next year's Triple Crown trail. That's when they really will shine.
Wednesday, October 21, 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
Southern California shipper Awesome Gem came from off the pace to run down Nite Light in deep stretch for a 1 1/4-length win in the $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (gr. II) at muddy Hawthorne Park Oct. 3.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
S J Stables' 9-year-old gelding Cloudy's Knight felt no effects of a more than one year layoff, as he took over in upper stretch and cruised to a comfortable 2 1/2-length win in the $150,000 Kentucky Cup Turf (gr. IIIT) Sept. 19 at Kentucky Downs.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Juddmonte Farms, who already has Breeders' Cup victories with Banks Hill (2001) and Intercontinental (2005), could have a strong presence in this year's World Championships with several horses, including Midday, who is targeting the $2 million Emirates Airline Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) Nov. 6 at Santa Anita.
Friday, September 18, 2009
The $150,000 Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT), the feature of Kentucky Downs' four-day live meet, drew a full field of 12, including defending titleholder Rumor Has It and grade I winner Cloudy's Knight.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Edward Evans' Nite Light took advantage of pedestrian fractions and went gate-to-wire in the $100,000 Turfway Park Fall Championship Stakes (gr. III) Sept. 12 in Florence, Ky.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Godolphin team continued its winning hot streak as Mastery overpowered stablemate Kite Wood in the closing strides to take the Ladbrokes St. Leger Stakes (Eng-I) at Doncaster Sept. 12.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Todd Pletcher is always a presence at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, and with a spot to the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Marathon up for grabs via the $100,000 Turfway Park Fall Championship Stakes (gr. IIIT), the Eclipse Award-winning trainer will look to bolster his chances with a pair of solid contenders.
Wednesday, September 09, 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
Spring House earned a repeat victory in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap (gr. IIT) when he came from far off the pace Aug. 30 to catch the outsider Sir Dave by an extremely short nose on the turf.
Sunday, August 30, 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
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
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
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
Alcomo, a multiple stakes winner in his native Brazil, finally showed his winning U.S. form when he took over off the final turn and drew away for a 1 3/4-length score in the $200,000 Greenwood Cup July 18 at Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack.
Saturday, July 18, 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
Eldaafer and Nite Light, separated by only a nose in last month's Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II), will meet again July 18, this time with a Breeders' Cup berth on the line. The older horses will square off in the $250,000 Greenwood Cup at Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
There have been instances over the years with horses bred in different countries having the same name. But not often have the two won on the same day, and in this case, the same race number.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Eldaafer, claimed for $20,000 earlier this year, came with a late stretch run and pulled off a 17-1 shocker in the $198,500 Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II) June 5 on the slop at Belmont Park.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Giuseppe Iadisernia's Delosvientos. will try to become the first horse since Waquoit in 1987-88 to win back-to-back runnings of the grade II, $200,000 Brooklyn Handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park June 5.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Odds-on choice Spring House, guided off the rail in the homestretch by Russell Baze, wore down Yacht Spotter in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the $100,000 Golden Gate Fields Turf Stakes (gr. IIIT) May 30.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
