Mon, 09/18/2017 - 14:36

Robertino Diodoro begins serving suspension for medication positives

Trainer Robertino Diodoro on Sunday began serving a 15-day suspension for three medication positives incurred at Turf Paradise during the winter.

Diodoro had three horses test positive for hydroxyethylpromazine sulfoxide, a tranquilizer that the Association of Racing Commissioners International lists as a Class 3 drug. The medication was found in the post-race urine samples of Cable Jett after he finished last as the favorite in an allowance race on Jan. 17; Warren’s Nicholas, after he won a $5,000 claimer on Jan. 24; and Ship Rock, who won a $3,000 claiming race on Feb. 12.

Mon, 09/18/2017 - 14:26

Paulassilverlining to prep for Breeders' Cup in Gallant Bloom

Barbara D. Livingston
Paulassilverlining will run in the Gallant Bloom as a prep for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 4.

ELMONT, N.Y. – While trainer Chad Brown intends to train Practical Joke and Lady Eli up to their respective Breeders’ Cup races, he does plan on running multiple Grade 1 winner Paulassilverlining one more time before the Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

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Mon, 09/18/2017 - 14:16

Time and Motion will run in Noble Damsel

Barbara D. Livingston
Time and Motion will make her fourth start of the year in Saturday's Grade 3 Noble Damsel Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – It has been a trying year for trainer Jimmy Toner when it comes to Time and Motion, a Grade 1 winner a year ago. Several setbacks, most recently a foot abscess, have limited Time and Motion to just three starts this year.

Following a satisfactory workout on Sunday at Belmont, Toner said Time and Motion would run in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Noble Damsel Stakes for fillies and mares at one mile over Belmont’s Widener turf course.

Mon, 09/18/2017 - 14:16

Sharp Azteca will give significant weight to Kelso rivals

Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Sharp Azteca wins the Monmouth Cup by 7 1/2 lengths.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Sharp Azteca was assigned high weight of 124 pounds and will be giving significant weight to what will likely be five or six rivals in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park.

Sharp Azteca, trained by Jorge Navarro, is coming off a 7 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 30, his second win from four starts this year and sixth from 13 overall. Last Saturday, Sharp Azteca worked five furlongs in 1:00.01, the fastest of 19 works at the distance over the Belmont main track.

Mon, 09/18/2017 - 14:10

Stakes-winning trio to return next year

CYPRESS, Calif. – In the first four days of July at Santa Anita, Enola Gray and Pee Wee Reese won stakes and S Y Sky won an optional claimer for owner and breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Phil D’Amato.

By the end of the month, all three were out of training after sustaining what Alexander called soft-tissue injuries within days at Del Mar.

Plans are under way for the three to return in 2018, Alexander said.

Without going into detail, Alexander described Pee Wee Reese as having suffered “the least” severe injury.

“He’s back in training,” Alexander said.

Mon, 09/18/2017 - 14:06

Ismelucky gives Bonde a four-stakes September

Benoit & Associates
Ismelucky is likely to make her next start in the Nov. 3 Golden State Juvenile Fillies.

CYPRESS, Calif. – For the third time in his career, trainer Jeff Bonde has won four stakes in a month, thanks to his success in recent weeks at Del Mar and Los Alamitos.

Two stakes wins on Labor Day weekend at Del Mar were followed by Princess Karen’s win in the Beverly Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos on Sept. 9 and Ismelucky’s win in the Barretts Debutante last Saturday.

“I knew we were running horses that were fresh and live,” Bonde said last Saturday. “You hope you have some success.”

Mon, 09/18/2017 - 14:06

Tamiami Handicap win a bright spot for trainer Milt Wolfson

Lauren King/Coglianese Photos
Extravagant Kid won Sunday's Tamiami Handicap at Gulfstream Park, giving 85-year-old trainer Milt Wolfson his first win of the summer meeting.

The biggest story when it came to Sunday’s $50,000 Tamiami Handicap was the trip jockey Jose Batista orchestrated for Extravagant Kid, who rallied up the rail to register a 1 1/4-length decision over the wide-running odds-on favorite Brandy’s Girl in the five-furlong turf dash.

But the best story when it came to the Tamiami happened immediately after the race – watching trainer Milt Wolfson posing alongside Extravagant Kid and participating in all the winner’s circle festivities.

Mon, 09/18/2017 - 12:56

Illinois releases $3.5 million subsidy for Thoroughbred purses

The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced Friday it will fund a subsidy providing about $3.5 million in purse money to the state’s Thoroughbred racetracks.

The state government did not fund the subsidy, which is meant to aid owners of Illinois-registered horses and the Illinois-bred program, during the two years when the government operated without a budget. A budget finally was approved earlier this year, and the legislature subsequently was lobbied hard by the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association to again fund the subsidy.

Mon, 09/18/2017 - 11:36

After Woodbine Mile win, World Approval targets BC Mile

Emily Shields
World Approval wins the Woodbine Mile on Saturday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Leading trainer Mark Casse started training at Woodbine in 1998, but had to wait until 2016 to record his first win in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile, with Tepin. He quickly doubled up this year when World Approval won the Woodbine Mile by 2 1/2 lengths over Lancaster Bomber on Saturday.

“It’s always sweet to win big races, but it means more at Woodbine,” Casse said.

Casse added that the win was extra special because owner Charlotte Weber of Live Oak Plantation was in attendance. Casse said it was the first time Weber had been present for a win at Woodbine.

Mon, 09/18/2017 - 11:30

Johnny Bear's Northern Dancer win a family affair

Emily Shields
Johnny Bear wins the Northern Dancer on Saturday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Ashlee Brnjas said she had seen the replay of Saturday’s Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes too many times to count by the time training ended here Sunday morning. Brnjas and her father, John Burness of Colebrook Farms, recorded their first Grade 1 win when Johnny Bear won the Northern Dancer, nailing the heavily favored European shipper Hawkbill on the wire.

Burness owns Johnny Bear with the bear Stables of Danny Dion.