Take D' Tour's First Foal to Start at Calder
Class Warfare, a promising colt by A.P. Indy entered in the third race July 22 at Calder Casino & Race Course, would be the first foal to race out of the two-time grade I winner Take D' Tour.
Class Warfare, a promising colt by A.P. Indy entered in the third race July 22 at Calder Casino & Race Course, would be the first foal to race out of the two-time grade I winner Take D' Tour.
Now that Rags to Riches will not be running in the $300,000 Ruffian Handicap (gr. I) Sept. 8, the outlook of 1 1/16-mile test for fillies and mares has decidedly changed. Ginger Punch is now the filly to beat.
Alice Muller's even-money choice Take D' Tour opened up a sizable lead in the stretch and held on under Eibar Coa to make it back-to-back victories in the $300,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I) for fillies and mares at Belmont Park Saturday.
A field of six led by co-high weights Take D' Tour and Teammate will go postward Saturday for Belmont Park's 39th running of the $300,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I), but lightweight Ginger Punch may kick in with some extra clout of her own.
Arthur and Stephanie Preston's Ermine rallied four wide under Eddie Castro to win the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) going away by 1 1/4 lengths before a crowd of 26,003 on Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn Park.
Fox Hill Farm's Round Pond, winner of last year's Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) and five of six career starts at Oaklawn Park, will return with her "home court advantage" as she heads a tough field of eight older mares in the 42nd running of the Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) April 7.
Fox Hill Farm's Round Pond, winner of the 2006 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) and five of her six career starts at Oaklawn Park, is expected to return for her "home court advantage" next month. She heads a list of fifteen older fillies and mares nominated for the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap.
Donald R. Dizney's homebred Joint Effort, coming off back-to-back second-place finishes in grade II company, swept past the heavy favorite Take D' Tour mid-stretch and rolled on to a five-length win in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff at 1 1/6 miles at Santa Anita Saturday.
Alice Muller's 5-year-old mare Take D' Tour made her 3-5 odds look like a steal when she took the lead along the inside and never looked back en route to a 14-length win in the $100,000 Stage Door Betty Handicap (gr. III) at Calder Race Course Saturday.
Alice Muller's 5-year-old Florida homebred mare Take D'Tour completes a highly successful 2006 campaign for Calder-based trainer David Fawkes as the horse to beat in the $100,000 Stage Door Betty Handicap (gr. III), where she faces six rival fillies and mares Saturday.
Fleet Indian looks to be the likely favorite in the $600,000 Beldame Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park Oct. 7. The 5-year-old daughter of Indian Charlie has been a perfect 5-for-5 in 2006 for her new connections.
Pool Land tracked favored Take D' Tour through wickedly fast early fractions, then pulled away in the stretch to win the $300,000 Ruffian (gr. I) for fillies and mares at Belmont Park Sunday.
Sunday's Ruffian Handicap (gr. I) at Belmont Park features only five fillies, but the catch is the top three choices in the race all run their best when on the front end.
Stronach Stables' Spun Sugar notched her second grade I victory of the year with a gut-wrenching effort to defeat the outsider Balletto by a whisker in the $250,000 Go for Wand Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course Sunday.
With a date in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) on the horizon, trainer David Fawkes is anxious to see how his grade I winner Take D' Tour performs going two turns in Sunday's $250,000 Go For Wand Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course.
Take D' Tour enjoyed the scenic route on the front end to gain her fourth consecutive victory, a resounding 5 1/2-length triumph in the $300,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I) for fillies and mares Saturday at Belmont Park.
With a chance to take her place among the top older mares in the country, Take D' Tour tries to stay unbeaten at Belmont Park when she starts in the $300,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap (gr. I) at 1 1/16 miles.
Smuggler, last year's 3-year-old filly champion, heads into Sunday's $150,000 Shuvee Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park with something to prove.