Aqueduct Race Report: Coyote Catches Fox
Coyote Lakes wins the marathon Gallant Fox Handicap for the third time in a row.
Coyote Lakes wins the marathon Gallant Fox Handicap for the third time in a row.
Berkshire Stud's Snake Mountain and jockey Jose Santos made a four-wide move on the final turn and then surged through the lane for a 1 ¼-length victory over Docent in the $110,000 Queens County Handicap (gr. III) for 3-year-olds and up Saturday on Aqueduct's inner dirt track.
The first inner track race of the season at Aqueduct is Saturday's grade III Queen's County Handicap. Eight horses are expected for the race.
Evening Attire finishes a remarkable year with an easy victory in the off-the-turf Red Smith Handicap.
Man From Wicklow, Whitmore's Conn, and Evening Attire are among the 16 horses entered in Saturday's Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct.
Tenpins proves best in the Washington Park Handicap, but may skip the Breeders' Cup Classic.
William L. Clifton Jr.'s Pleasant Breeze, the 7-year-old multiple graded stakes winner who may be returning to his best form, arrived at Arlington Park Thursday after vanning from New York to compete in Sunday's Washington Park Handicap (gr. II).
Stronach Stables Inc.'s Macho Uno, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) two years ago and a possible starter in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Oct. 26 at Arlington Park, galloped twice around the Arlington oval Thursday morning in advance of Sunday's Washington Park Handicap (gr. II).
Stronach Stables Inc.'s Macho Uno, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) two years ago and a possible starter in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Oct. 26 at Arlington Park, galloped twice around the Arlington oval Thursday morning in advance of Sunday's Washington Park Handicap (gr. II).
Donn Handicap (gr. I) winner Mongoose and Skip Away Handicap (gr. III) winner Sir Bear were both active during Gulfstream's two dark days following Florida Derby weekend.
Aptitude overwhelmed his rivals in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) on Sunday, giving trainer Bobby Frankel a winner of a big race on each coast.
Jerome and John W. Amerman's Lido Palace reeled in Albert the Great in the stretch to win Saturday's $1,008,000 Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga. Racing under nine less pounds than the 4-5 favorite, Lido Palace completed the 1 1/8 miles run on a fast track in 1:47.94 in defeating Albert the Great by two lengths.
Multiple graded stakes winner Albert the Great is out to prove his greatness when he takes on seven rivals in Saturday's $750,000 Whitney Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course. The Nick Zito-trained Albert the Great will carry 124 pounds under jockey Jorge Chavez in the 1 1/8-mile event.
Robert Meyerhoff's 4-year-old homebred Include rallied from fifth place to upset 3-5 favorite Albert the Great in the final strides of the $750,000 Pimlico Special Handicap (gr. I) Saturday at Pimlico. Under Jerry Bailey, the 2.5-1 second choice earned the hard fought neck-length victory by completing the 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.61 on fast track while drifting out in the stretch.
Tracy Farmer's 4-year-old Albert the Great is the favorite for Saturday's $750,000 Pimlico Special (gr. I) at Pimlico Race Course. Jockey Jorge Chavez, who won last Saturday's Kentucky Derby aboard Monarchos, will be aboard for the 36th running of the1 3/16 miles event.
Top older horses will be in the spotlight the weekend between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in the grade I Pimlico Special, which has lured 13 nominess. The 1 3/16-mile event will held at Pimlico Race Course May 12.
It had been a trying couple of months for Barbara and Al Smollin and their trainer, Ralph Ziadie. Pointing toward the Feb. 3 Donn Handicap (gr. I) since last summer, Ziadie was forced to scratch Sir Bear when he refused his feed and began acting uncomfortable after workouts leading up to the race. That behavior was a first in the 8-year-old gelding's career that has now encompassed 57 races and 18 wins, including 10 in stakes. Ziadie monitored his condition daily, and refused to speculate on what his next move would be. He even entered Sir Bear in the Feb. 28 $67,575 Cryptoclearance Handicap, ultimately won by Madeleine Paulson and Jenny Craig's Rock and Roll. "I truly don't know," was all the usually gregarious 62-year-old would say when asked when Sir Bear would be ready.
<i>From Gulfstream Park</i><br>It's the old versus the "now" as nine horses contest the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap, the Grade 1 fixture that will have its 56th running on Saturday.
Pleasant Breeze, fourth in the grade I Donn Handicap, worked five furlongs at Payson Park in 1:02 Monday, prompting trainer Jim Bond to announce the horse as a definite starter in the grade I Gulfstream Park Handicap this Saturday. Meanwhile, trainer Ralph Ziadie entered his perennial handicap star Sir Bear in Wednesday's $63,000-added Cryptoclearance Stakes but is still not ruling out the Gulfstream Park Handicap.
Entrants for Saturday's Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. I) won't have to worry about the now retired Behrens, the winner of the last two renewals of the 1 1/4-mile event, but they will likely have to face his former stablemate, Pleasant Breeze, who was assigned 115 pounds for the race.
Gander had such an impressive workout here on Saturday that trainer John Terranova II and owners Mike and Ted Gatsas have decided to run him in Saturday's $500,000 Donn Handicap to be run over 1 1/8 miles. Gander earned the bullet work when he went six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 handily. According to Gulfstream Park, possible Donn starters, with weights and jockeys, are: Captain Steve, 120, Jerry Bailey; Albert the Great, 119, Jorge Chavez; Pleasant Breeze, 116, (Indefinite); Sir Bear, 116, Eibar Coa; North East Bound, 116, Jose Velez Jr.' Gander, 115, John Velazquez; Rich Celebration, 112, Jose Santos; Noble Ruler, 111, Pat Day; Tempest Fugit, 111, Edgar Prado; and Vision and Verse, 114, (indefinite).
With topweighted Pleasant Breeze making his first start in nearly five months, the entry box filled to the brim for Saturday's $100,000 Skip Away Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream Park. A total of 14 horses were entered for the Skip Away, with Pleasant Breeze the likely favorite as he goes from Post 10 with Jorge Chavez named to ride.
X-rays taken of Pleasant Breeze following his 2 3/4-length win in Sunday's Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) showed no signs of a fracture, according to trainer H. James Bond.
Even-money favorite Pleasant Breeze, left alone on an easy lead by his six rivals in the $283,000 Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) Sunday at Saratoga, repulsed J.R. Holmes' challenge and drew off through the stretch to a 2 3/4-length victory. After the win, though, Pleasant Breeze was vanned off the track.
John Moore's Lager and William Clifton Jr.'s Pleasant Breeze, both by Pleasant Tap, head a field of seven evenly matched older horses entered in Sunday's Saratoga feature, the $300,000 Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II).
Stronach Stable's Golden Missile, only considered a "possible" entrant for Sunday's $350,000 Philip H. Iselin Handicap (gr. II) at Monmouth Park, was assigned top weight of 121 pounds for the race. Ecton Park and Sir Bear are listed next at 118 pounds.
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