Buckram Oak buys Dynever

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - For the second time in less than a week, Buckram Oak Farm has purchased a horse privately from owner Peter Karches. Buckram Oak's latest acquisition is Dynever, the third-place finisher in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Classic who is currently in training at Payson Park with Christophe Clement.

Last week Buckram Oak bought Kissin Saint, who finished third behind Empire Maker and Funny Cide in the 2003 Wood Memorial. Kissin Saint is expected to be sent to Saudi Arabia.

Dynever was originally listed under Karches's name when nominations came out for Saturday's $100,000 Hal's Hope Handicap at Gulfstream. But the nominations have since been amended and now list Buckram Oak as the owner. Dynever, who closed out his 2004 campaign with a second-place finish in Hollywood Park's Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap, would be the starting highweight under 117 pounds if he runs in the Hal's Hope.

The Hal's Hope is one of three Grade 3 stakes to be decided at Gulfstream Saturday, along with the six-furlong Mr. Prospector Handicap and the one-mile Aventura for 3-year-olds.

Among the horses expected to run in the Hal's Hope are Added Edge (116), Eddington (116), Purge (116), Badge of Silver (115), and Commentator. The Hal's Hope is a prep for the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 5.

Magna Graduate to Aventura

The Aventura, the first race on the road to the Florida Derby, gained an additional starter Saturday when trainer Pat Byrne elected to scratch Magna Graduate from Calder's Grade 3 Tropical Park Derby.

"I'd have preferred to have run him on the grass at a mile and one-eighth rather than turn him back in distance to a one-turn mile, but the course was already chewed up and it rained a lot last night, so I just didn't want to take a chance running him under those conditions," said Byrne.

Magna Graduate has won 2 of his 5 starts. He also finished second in the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Juvenile and fifth in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in his 2-year-old finale.

"He was taken back further than I would have liked in the Kentucky Jockey Club after having been on the lead in his previous races," said Byrne who trains Magna Graduate for owner Elisabeth Alexander. "The Aventura will at least give us some idea if he should continue on the Triple Crown trail."

Magna Graduate's opponents in the Aventura may include Better Than Bonds, D'Court's Speed, Summer Man, Cherokee Chase, Hostile Witness, Magoo's Magic, Hal's Image, and the undefeated High Fly.

A concert-less meeting

Gulfstream had become well known in recent years for its weekend concerts during the live race meet. Although not everyone appreciated the concerts, no doubt they were responsible for untold thousands of people making their way through the Gulfstream gates who otherwise might never have known the place existed.

But with Gulfstream undergoing renovation, the concerts will not be part of the track's entertainment package.

"We are going to have a house band working one of the tents on weekends during the live meet," said Gulfstream president Scott Savin. "They'll play short sets between races and try to provide the kind of entertainment that hopefully fans will enjoy. We also will be having handicapping shows throughout the program every weekend hosted by a variety of people with knowledge of the racing business."

Savin said the intention is to resume the concert series next year when the new Gulfstream facility is finished.

Wowed by the renovation

Count Gary Sciacca among the many trainers who are amazed at what Frank Stronach is doing with his dramatic transformation of Gulfstream.

"I would've bet everything I have that he was just going to knock this place down and go do something else," said Sciacca. "You've got to hand it to him. He's really stepped up to the plate."

* Sunday's Florida Notes in Daily Racing Form misstated the length of Gulfstream Park's main-track chute. It is long enough to accommodate one-mile races, not just 7 1/2-furlong races.

- additional reporting by Marty McGee