Comma to the Top, a millionaire who won nine stakes from 2010-13, has been retired and will be retrained as a stable pony for Peter Miller, the trainer told Betfair Hollywood Park publicity Sunday.
Comma to the Top won 14 of 33 starts and earned $1,349,406 while racing for Hollywood film executives Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, and Kevin Tsujihara.
DEL MAR, Calif. - Comma to the Top, a three-time stakes winner this year, has been sidelined with a sore foot that will prevent him from starting in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in November, trainer Peter Miller said.
DEL MAR, Calif. – A win in the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park in June has changed Byrama’s career.
A 4-year-old filly, Byrama raced primarily at six furlongs to a mile before winning the $250,000 Vanity over 1 1/8 miles on Hollywood’s synthetic main track. For the second half of the year, the focus will be on longer races, including Saturday’s $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Include Me Out looks like she’s all set to defend her title in the Grade 1, $300,000 Clement Hirsch Stakes on Saturday at Del Mar. On Monday, she worked a half-mile in 46.80 seconds under regular rider Joe Talamo, and while the time equaled the fastest of 47 at the distance, she did it effortlessly.
DEL MAR, Calif. – A day after winning the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, Mike Smith completed a coast-to-coast, Grade 1 double by guiding Points Offthebench to a mild upset victory in the $300,000 Bing Crosby Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar, giving trainer Tim Yakteen his first Grade 1 victory.
Points Offthebench ($8.80) was the fourth choice among six runners in his stakes debut. Smith settled him into fourth place early in the six-furlong race, they hit the front a furlong out, and they were fully extended to stave off Goldencents and win by a head in 1:09.04 on Polytrack.
DEL MAR, Calif. – In the last year, Comma to the Top has won six stakes at four distances on synthetic tracks and dirt tracks in California and New York. During that span, he has thrived over six furlongs, winning three stakes at the distance.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Richard Mandella has high hopes for Station House, a colt by Rock Hard Ten who is set to make his debut in Wednesday’s third race, a one-mile grass test for 2-year-olds that kicks off a pick six that has a carryover of $238,499.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – When Centralinteligence was ready to return from a lengthy layoff earlier this meet at Betfair Hollywood Park, trainer Ron Ellis and co-owner Bob Feld designed a schedule that they hoped would have Centralinteligence peaking for the Grade 1, $250,750 Triple Bend Handicap on Saturday.
Maybe they should go work for the CIA because their cloak-and-dagger plan paid off handsomely, with Centralinteligence scoring an 8-1 upset win by an emphatic 3 1/2 lengths.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Comma to the Top earned a fan in jockey Edwin Maldonado when the gelding won the Tom Fool Handicap by a nose at Aqueduct on March 2.
Watching from Southern California, Maldonado was impressed the way that Comma to the Top fought off persistent challengers through the stretch.
“It was the way he did it,” Maldonado said. “He had horses inside and outside of him and fought back and won. He never had a chance to relax.”
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The two Grade 1 races at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday will have small fields.
As of Sunday, there were five probable starters for the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on turf and five or six candidates for the $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap over seven furlongs on the synthetic main track.
The 2012 winners of both races are back this year.
