Force Freeze sold, headed to Dubai

Force Freeze, one of the quickest 3-year-olds based this meet at Lone Star Park, has been sold for $400,000 in a deal that closed late last month, according to Allen Milligan, who trained the horse for Poindexter Thoroughbreds and Ronald Ellerbee.

Interests in Dubai purchased Force Freeze, said Steven W. Young, the bloodstock agent who brokered the sale. The horse is in quarantine in Kentucky, he said, and from there will ship to Dubai.

"They wanted to have a nice horse for the carnival over there," Young said Friday, referring to the Dubai Racing Carnival.

Force Freeze has won 3 of his 5 starts. He earned a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure in his most recent out, when he was third in the Grade 3, $100,000 Hirsch Jacobs Memorial at Pimlico Race Course. Milligan had been preparing him for a start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Carry Back on the Summit of Speed card at Calder next Saturday.

"We weren't looking to sell," Milligan said, adding that the offer was too good to turn down. "I think he'll do good."

Force Freeze is a son of Forest Camp. He won his maiden and a first-level allowance this spring at Oaklawn Park and also finished second there in the $50,000 Bachelor Stakes. He raced next at Lone Star and turned in the meet's second-fastest time for six furlongs when he won an April 24 allowance in 1:09.16. The quickest time at the distance this meet belongs to Wind Water, who won the $50,000 Ford Express Stakes in May in 1:08.80.

Doughnuts for King of Speed

King of Speed does it for the doughnuts. The 9-year-old is a perfect 4 for 4 this meet at Lone Star, and following each of his wins he has been gifted with a box of glazed doughnuts. He eats them over the course of a couple of days, trainer Bret Calhoun said.

"Doughnuts are the key to his success," quipped Calhoun. "After a win, he gets his own box."

King of Speed has been like cash money for owner Carl Moore. He won three $35,000 optional claimers on turf between April and May, then came back to win at the same level on dirt on June 28. He earned a 92 Beyer.

It was the last start of the meet for King of Speed. He has been shipped to Churchill and is to run next on the Polytrack at Arlington Park, Calhoun said. The trainer wanted to get the horse out of the Texas heat, and he also noted that King of Speed has run well on synthetic surfaces. King of Speed is a son of Senor Speedy.

"What a consistent horse," Calhoun said. "He's just a professional racehorse. Dirt, turf, it doesn't matter. And he's a barn pet. He's a barn favorite."

Calhoun first trained King of Speed for Bob Bone last fall and winter after Bone claimed the horse for $25,000 in October.

"Bob Bone picked this horse out at Keeneland," Calhoun said. "I liked the horse, but I was a little queasy about the age. He was 8, and Bob said that didn't bother him, if we liked him physically. We liked him and took him, and he's just been great for us."

King of Speed went 3 for 5 for Bone and Calhoun and then was lost to the claim box at Fair Grounds in February for $25,000.

"They ran him back for $35,000, and we wanted him back because he was a barn pet," Calhoun said. "Mr. Bone didn't want to take him back, and Carl called me about him, and I said, 'Carl, we'd love to have the horse back.' He might not be worth $35,000 at the Fair Grounds, but he's worth it at Lone Star. Carl's only started him four times and won four times."

King of Speed has won 17 races from 86 career starts and has earned $397,020.

Plans pending for Pleasantly Blessed

Pleasantly Blessed looked good winning a $50,000 optional claimer for fillies and mares at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf at Louisiana Downs on Thursday. She was prominent throughout and won by 1 1/2 lengths under Patrick Valenzuela.

"That was one of her better races," said Morris Nicks, who trains Pleasantly Blessed. "I think she's growing into herself. She's getting better with age."

Nicks said he's not sure where she will run next. He said he wants to watch the filly train and then he might look at some of the stakes in the region for Pleasantly Blessed. A 4-year-old, she has finished no worse than second in her last eight starts. Nicks trained one of the top turf fillies at Louisiana Downs in Carolina Sky back in 2006.

Dates set for Delta Downs

Delta Downs will race 88 days for Thoroughbreds, from Oct. 29 through March 28. The track announced it will race on a Wednesday through Saturday night basis, with first post at 6:30 p.m. Central.

There are some exceptions to the calendar. Delta will not race on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27; on Christmas Eve or Christmas; or on New Year's Eve. There is a Tuesday card on Nov. 25; a Sunday card Dec. 28 and Jan. 4; and a Monday card Dec. 29.

* La Poli, who has gone 3 for 3 over the Lone Star turf course this meet, is being pointed for the $50,000 Hatoof for 3-year-old fillies at Arlington on Aug. 9, trainer Allen Milligan said. She is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Devious Course.