The Blood-Horse: 12/22/2007 issue

Photo: BLOOD-HORSE

Classic Form: In one of many dramatic finishes in 2007, Curlin's late rally pips Street Sense on the line at Pimlico in the Preakness.

Photo: Rick Samuels

During a Dec. 14 holiday party, California jockeys played Santa Claus and handed out presents to backstretch workers and their families at Hollywood Park.

Photo: BENOIT PHOTO

Kona Gold (left) has been invited to live the rest if his life at the Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington, Kentucky.

Photo: Jennifer Klebsch

Utopia, a group I winner in Japan and a graded winner New York, has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Joe and Anne McMahon's McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds near Saratoga Springs, New York.

Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt

Country Star zoomed to victory in the Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) Dec. 15. The victory, worth $255,300, increased Country Star's earnings to $575,900.

Photo: BENOIT PHOTO

Citronnade cruises to victory in the Dahlia Handicap at Hollywood Park on Dec. 16. Citronnade will go out a winner as she was retired from racing after the Dahlia Handicap. She retires from racing with nine career wins and earnings of $864,205.

Photo: BENOIT PHOTO

Presious Passion, ridden confidently by Elvis Trujillo, shocked a field of capable distance horses at odds of 67-1 when he scored a 1 1/4-length win in the $200,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT) on the turf at Calder Race Course Dec. 15.

Photo: Jim Lisa

Equivine Farm homebred Redaspen made a bold, rail-skimming move in the final furlong under Eddie Castro, rallying from well off the pace to take the $200,000 La Prevoyante Handicap (gr. IIT) by three-quarters of a length Dec. 15 on the Calder Race Course turf.

Photo: Jim Lisa

Padua Stables’ homebred Electrify scored his fourth stakes of the season, taking over at the top of the stretch and then pulling away for a 2 ¾-length victory in the $100,000 Fred W. Hooper Handicap (gr. III) Dec. 15 at Calder Race Course.

Photo: Jim Lisa