Tue, 05/20/2014 - 12:12

One mare, one day, two winners

The 13-year-old mare Run Kaitlyn Run had two daughters win on last Thursday’s Golden Gate Fields card. Runninismygame won her debut in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race for 2-year-old fillies, and Sheza Trip rallied to win a one-mile claiming race on turf.

Both fillies are owned and bred by Patricia Ford, trained by Bill Delia, and were ridden by Ricardo Gonzalez.

Tue, 05/20/2014 - 12:10

Mahorney's first win a memorable one

“You’ve never seen a happier group in the winner’s circle for a $4,000 claiming race,” said trainer Cinda Mahorney after Lucky Gotum’s half-length victory in the seventh race last Saturday.

The victory was Mahorney’s first as a trainer and came with the 16th runner she had saddled. It came with a 6-year-old gelding slated for retirement who had been sent to Mahorney at her Winning Start Race Farm to get over various issues. Owned by his breeder, Brent Kirk, along with Kevin Kirk and Greg McWilliams, Lucky Gotum paid $43.80 to win.

Tue, 05/20/2014 - 11:52

All American to rematch San Francisco Mile top three

Shane Micheli/Vassar Photography
Pepper Crown defeats Summer Hit and Hudson Landing in the San Francisco Mile. All three are expected for the All American on Monday.

The new Golden Gate Fields racing secretary, Patrick Mackey, in his second week on the job, signed up 16 nominees to Monday’s Grade 3, $100,000 All American, and a week before the race, a minimum of seven entrants seemed likely, according to stakes coordinator Chris Merz.

The Memorial Day card tops a five-day week of racing at Golden Gate, beginning Thursday.

Tue, 05/20/2014 - 10:51

Chrome report: California Chrome arrives for Belmont

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Alan Sherman walks California Chrome after his arrival at Belmont Park on Tuesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Thirty-six years in the waiting, 12 furlongs to go.

California Chrome, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, arrived at the final stop on his Triple Crown journey Tuesday, when a horse van carrying him and Preakness runner-up Ride On Curlin passed through the gates of Belmont Park shortly before 10:45 a.m.

The van arrived following an approximately 4 1/2-hour trip from Pimlico in Baltimore. The van got stuck in a little rush-hour traffic near the George Washington Bridge before picking up a police escort from the Throgs Neck Bridge.

Mon, 05/19/2014 - 15:25

Revolutionary headed to Stephen Foster

Barbara D. Livingston
Revolutionary (left) earns a career-high Beyer Figure of 106 for this win in the Pimlico Special last Friday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Revolutionary, who earned a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure in winning last Friday’s Grade 3 Pimlico Special by a neck, likely will make his next start in the Grade 1, $500,000 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 14, trainer Todd Pletcher said Monday.

Pletcher said the race’s Grade 1 status and its place on the calendar are the major factors in his favoring the Stephen Foster over the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at Belmont on July 5. Pletcher likes the spacing from the Stephen Foster to the $1.5 million Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 2.

Mon, 05/19/2014 - 15:18

Close Hatches tunes up for Ogden Phipps

Tom Keyser
Close Hatches won the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn and is pointing to the $1 million Ogden Phipps at Belmont on June 7.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Close Hatches, the Apple Blossom Handicap winner, worked five furlongs in 1:00.25 on Monday over the Belmont training track in preparation for her showdown with Beholder and Princess of Sylmar here in the Grade 1, $1 million Ogden Phipps Stakes on June 7.

Under Rodolphe Brisset, Close Hatches went her first three furlongs in 35.43 seconds and came home her final quarter in 24.82 without being asked. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.36 and seven furlongs in 1:29.81.

“She worked well, I was happy with her,” trainer Bill Mott said.

Mon, 05/19/2014 - 15:11

Bruce Brown hanging around with the big hitters

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Bruce Brown saddled seven winners from his first 14 starters at the Belmont Park meet.

ELMONT, N.Y. – It is not unusual to see the names Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher atop the trainers’ standings at Belmont Park. It is, however, a bit of a surprise when the name Bruce Brown is listed right there with them.

Through the first 14 days – or almost one-third – of the Belmont meet, Bruce Brown was hanging with the big boys, having saddled seven winners from 14 starters. He was tied with Pletcher, and both of them are two wins behind Chad Brown.

Sat, 05/17/2014 - 20:07

Espinoza gets second shot at Triple Crown

Justin N. Lane
Victor Espinoza (center) steers California Chrome to a 1 1/2-length score in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, the horse's sixth consecutive stakes win.

BALTIMORE ─ Victor Espinoza will get a second chance to make history, and this time, he believes he’s better prepared for it.

In 2002, Espinoza was the rider of War Emblem, whom he guided to front-running victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness only to stumble and lose all chance in the Belmont Stakes, finishing eighth.

Sat, 05/17/2014 - 07:24

Chrome report: Derby winner looks strong on race morning

Barbara D. Livingston
California Chrome had an easy lap around the track Saturday morning at Pimlico in advance of the Preakness Stakes.

BALTIMORE – California Chrome took one easy lap around the Pimlico oval on a lovely Saturday morning as his connections put the finishing touches on preparations for the Preakness Stakes here later in the afternoon.

Fri, 05/16/2014 - 16:18

Rainbow 6 players will get extra time to prepare for Memorial Day

Leslie Martin
Dad'z Laugh ends a streak of four straight runner-up finishes by winning the Big Drama by 2 3/4 lengths under Elvis Trujillo.

Gulfstream president and general manager Tim Ritvo said entries for the Memorial Day program on May 26 will be drawn four days in advance on Thursday to accommodate patrons wishing to play the Rainbow 6 on Memorial Day. May 26 has been designated by Gulfstream management as the mandatory payout for the Rainbow 6 pool, which has survived since Jan. 10. The jackpot exceeded $6 million when racing resumed here Friday.