In an emotional win for the barn of the late Bobby Frankel, the Brazilian import Fluke charged between horses in deep stretch to capture his first American stakes race in the $300,000 Citation Handicap (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park Nov. 27.
4 hours ago
Robert and Janice McNair's Cowboy Cal, runner-up here last fall in the Hollywood Derby (gr. I), will try to bounce back from a 10th-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) in Hollywood Park's $300,000 Citation Handicap on Nov. 27.
3 days ago
Sensational filly Goldikova defended her TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) title in scintillating fashion Nov. 7 at Santa Anita Park, as she stormed down the lane under Olivier Peslier and caught longshot Courageous Cat inside the sixteenth-pole before going on to a half-length win.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Wertheimer and Frere's Goldikova was installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite against 10 males as she tries to defend her title in the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) Nov. 7 at Santa Anita.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Goldikova looks to become the fourth horse to repeat in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT).
Thursday, October 29, 2009
At 3, Quality Road is among the elder statesmen of Todd Pletcher's Breeders' Cup contingent, much of which is comprised of talented 2-year-olds.
Friday, October 23, 2009
There is so much to discuss after the weekend's stakes extravaganza, but one race that likely had the most profound effect on the Breeders' Cup was the Goodwood Stakes (gr. I).
Monday, October 12, 2009
Versatile Cowboy Cal went gate to wire to win the $150,000 Oak Tree Mile Handicap (gr. IIT) on the Santa Anita turf course Oct. 10, and earned the right to advance to the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) next month.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Cowboy Cal returns to Santa Anita for trainer Todd Pletcher, looking to get back on the winning track in the $150,000 Oak Tree Mile Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Oct. 10.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
It's time to accept the fact that Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta are not going to meet. As the cliche goes, that ship has sailed.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Darley Stable's Justenuffhumor remains undefeated on the season as he collared pacesetter Cowboy Cal inside the sixteenth-pole and posted a half-length victory in the $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap (gr. IIT) Aug. 28 on the Saratoga turf.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Darley Stable's Justenuffhumor and Magnolia Racing Stable's Cowboy Cal resume what may be a budding rivalry when they meet Aug. 28 in the $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap (gr. IIT) at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf at Saratoga.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Jockey Alan Garcia guided Justenuffhumor through heavy traffic in the stretch to win the $158,750 Fourstardave Handicap (gr. IIT) in the 4-year-old colt's stakes debut Aug. 2 at rainy Saratoga.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
The Fourstardave Handicap (gr. IIT) Aug. 2 at Saratoga will bring together a diverse field of nine, including accomplished older turf horses such as Cosmonaut and Kip Deville and rising younger stars ready to go in the $150,000-added test.
Thursday, July 30, 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
Remarkable 7-year-old Einstein continued his amazing run on May 2 at Churchill Downs, outdueling Cowboy Cal in the stretch to win the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (gr. IT) under Julien Leparoux. The Helen Pitts-Blasi trainee became the first horse to repeat in the prestigious event.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Remarkable 7-year-old horse Einstein, a graded stakes winner on dirt, turf and synthetics, will attempt to make history by becoming the first repeat winner of the $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (gr. I) on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Colonel John, winner of the Travers Sakes (gr. I) last summer, makes his 2009 debut as the slight choice in a diverse 14-horse field for the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) March 7.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Cowboy Cal is headed to the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) in one month following his hard-fought win in the $250,000 Strub Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Feb. 7.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Weather played an unexpected role when turf standout Gio Ponti won the Dec. 26 Sir Beaufort Stakes (gr. III), a race transferred from the grass to Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface. Given a freshening since then, he takes the next step on the main track in the $250,000 Strub (gr. II) Feb. 7.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Front-running Cowboy Cal, one of the few horses that Robert and Janice McNair kept after they sold Stonerside Stable to Darley last year, nipped 28-1 shot Informed by a nose to win the $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita Jan. 10.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Grade I winner Well Armed will make his first start since a ninth-place finish as the 6-5 choice in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile more than two months ago when he tackles the $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita Jan. 10.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Court Vision surged from last in the stretch to win the $500,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT), giving jockey Ramon Dominguez a sweep of both grade I stakes on the Hollywood Park turf course Nov. 30.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Jockey Mike Smith, trainer John Shirreffs, and owners/breeders Jerry and Ann Moss have one trip to the Hollywood Park winner's circle guaranteed. They are hoping for a second with Madeo following the $500,000 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) Nov. 30.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Favored Cowboy Cal gained victory in the $150,000 Bryan Station Stakes (gr. IIIT) when Keeneland stewards disqualified the original winner, Seaspeak, for interference in the stretch Oct. 12.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Cowboy Cal, who has not started since finishing 9th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), makes his return to the racetrack Oct. 12 when he faces a full field of 3-year-olds in the $150,000 Bryan Station Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Keeneland turf.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
This space will not focus too much on Big Brown or Colonel John. The comments and observations that follow are designed to help ferret out some elusive price horses, based on looks, works, and gallops.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Big Brown, Smooth Air turn in works; Cowboy Cal, Monba get feel for track
Thursday, May 01, 2008
John Velazquez is well-known for his successful partnership with trainer Todd Pletcher, so it is extremely fitting that his Derby contender this year come from Pletcher's stable. Cowboy Cal is Velazquez's mount, and if the jockey improves off his second-place finish aboard Invisible Ink in 2001, he'll have himself a winner.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monba, Cowboy Cal arrive; Eight Belles eyes history; all systems go for Smooth Air
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
As Todd Pletcher's contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) arrived at Barn 34 from Keeneland April 30, accompanied by stakes contenders Danzon, Leah's Secret, and Garden District, the Eclipse Award-winning trainer took time to reflect upon the challenge of reaching - let alone winning - the first leg of the Triple Crown.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Janice and Robert McNair of Stonerside Stable announced April 29 that any earnings by their homebred Cowboy Cal in the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) will be donated to the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, in memory of John Long.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Janice and Robert McNair, owners of Stonerside Stable, announced that any earnings by their homebred Cowboy Cal in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) will be donated to the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Before the running of last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Keeneland Race Course was overrun with trainers whose potential contenders were squeezing in final works prior to shipping up to Churchill Downs. This year, Todd Pletcher cut a lonely figure along the rail at the Lexington oval as he sent Behindatthebar to gallop and then watched Monba and Cowboy Cal complete their final preparations April 26.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
The first morning at Churchill Downs brought sunny skies and warm temperatures, as the Kentucky Derby horses began their final stretch to racing's biggest day. From here on, there is no room for error. We'll give a brief rundown of the day's activities and continue with the plusses and minuses of each contender.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Trainer Todd Pletcher said April 24 that Starlight Stable, Donald Lucarelli and Paul Saylor's Monba and Stonerside Stable's Cowboy Cal remain on schedule to work at Keeneland either April 26 or April 27 in their first works since finishing one-two in the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I). Pletcher said the pair would then ship to Churchill Downs probably April 28, for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) on May 3.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Trainer Barclay Tagg sent Tale of Ekati out for a five-furlong work Wednesday morning at Keeneland, and was pleased with the colt's performance.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Just when it looked as if Todd Pletcher would be sitting out this year's Kentucky Derby, his two best Derby hopes from day one - Monba and Cowboy Cal - came through for him with a first and second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I).
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Trainer Todd Pletcher said April 18 that he has not decided when he will ship Monba and Cowboy Cal, his one-two finishers in the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I), to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and is considering giving the two colts their final works at Keeneland the weekend before the Run for the Roses.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Well, should we talk about the vagaries of Polytrack form for the umpteenth time or concentrate on the weekend's racing?
Monday, April 14, 2008
One day after his 3-year-olds ran 1-2 in the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), trainer Todd Pletcher said he will take a few days before deciding when Monba and Cowboy Cal will ship to Churchill Downs in preparation for the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Trainer Todd Pletcher had won just a single race at Keeneland going into the April 12 card. But he won again where it counted, and with Monba and Cowboy Cal finishing 1-2 in the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I), it looks like North America's leading trainer of 2007 will be headed to the May 3 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) after all.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
There are two ways of looking at Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I)- either as a rich workout for the first Saturday in May for Pyro, Cool Coal Man, Visionaire, Big Truck, and Halo Najib, who all have sufficient earnings, or as a final, desperate attempt to sneak into the Derby field by utilizing the often dirt form-challenged Polytrack.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Trainer Todd Pletcher was at Keeneland April 6 for the first time during the spring meet to oversee his horses stabled here, including the 3-year-olds Cowboy Cal and Monba. Both colts worked before sunrise, Monba in company with Ready's Image at about 6:15 a.m., and Cowboy Cal some 45 minutes later.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Three-year-olds around the country continue to get "zapped" by the Derby trail's three-headed monster. You know, zap, as in Nick Zito, Steve Asmussen, and Todd Pletcher.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Why Tonto, not favored Cowboy Cal, won the Feb. 16 Hallandale Beach Stakes at Gulfstream.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Derby prospect Cowboy Cal will start in the Feb. 16 Hallandale Beach at Gulfstream Park instead of taking a traditional route.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia has installed the "all others" bet as the strong 5-2 favorite in his morning-line odds for Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which begins its four-day run at noon Feb. 7 at racetracks and satellite wagering outlets across the United States and Canada.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
The 3-year-old colt Wise Answer will make his turf debut in the Jan. 1 Tropical Park Derby.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
As we head into December, a well-funded trainer is looking for a potential Kentucky Derby horse, but does not want a horse based in Southern California. At the same time, a well-funded gambler is looking for a solid Derby horse to bet in the future book, but he, too, is looking away from California. The reason behind their thinking is quite simple.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
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