Sun, 12/08/2013 - 16:05

Hollywood Park: Field for CashCall Futurity taking shape

Benoit & Associates
Tap It Rich, with Mike Smith aboard, wins his first start by 4 1/4 lengths Saturday.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The field for the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Betfair Hollywood Park this Saturday grew over the weekend with the addition of the outsiders Brother Soldier, Electric Eddie, Karma King, and Sheikinator to the list of projected entrants.

Sheikinator, a maiden race winner at Churchill Downs on Nov. 16, would be a second runner in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity for Kentucky-based trainer Ken McPeek. He plans to start Rankhasprivileges, who was third in the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot in Louisiana on Nov. 23.

Sat, 12/07/2013 - 14:11

Gulfstream Park notes: Mucho Macho Man stretches legs in workout

Barbara D. Livingston
Breeders' Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man has returned to his Gulfstream Park base.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Each long journey begins with one small step. And so it was for Mucho Macho Man, who took the first tiny step toward defending his Breeders’ Cup Classic championship next fall at Santa Anita by working an easy three furlongs in 37.64 seconds Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Sat, 12/07/2013 - 13:18

Hollywood Park: Bond Holder to run in CashCall Futurity

Shigeki Kikkawa
Bond Holder, winner of the FrontRunner Stakes, will make his next start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Bond Holder was set for a quiet end of the year after a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.

Trainer Doug O’Neill and owners Paul and Zillah Reddam intended to rest Bond Holder until 2014, a plan that changed when the colt resumed workouts in late November. A series of sharp works has put Bond Holder on schedule for the $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday.

For Paul Reddam, it’s a chance to win a race that his lending company sponsors.

Fri, 12/06/2013 - 14:51

Hollywood Park notes: Game On Dude pointing to San Antonio

Tom Keyser
Mike Smith won three Breeders' Cup races, but finished ninth aboard favored Game On Dude in the $5 million Classic.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Game On Dude, second in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29 and California’s leading older horse this year, is likely to make his 2014 debut in the $300,000 San Antonio Stakes over 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on Feb. 8.

“That’s the most logical spot,” trainer Bob Baffert said on Friday.

Fri, 12/06/2013 - 14:42

Betfair Hollywood: DRF Plus handicapping report for December 7, 2013

Race 1

Vulnerable Favorite

WARREN’S JOE T. (#4, 8-5) has been stuck at the N2L level seven consecutive races. He has the highest figures and switches to the leading rider, but these restricted claiming races are generally won by droppers or recent maiden winners. Pass at low odds.-Brad Free

Fri, 12/06/2013 - 14:34

Hollywood Park: Rosario making his presence felt

Tom Keyser
Joel Rosario, sidelined since Aug. 23 with a broken foot, has three mounts on Friday's card at Belmont.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Red-hot jockey Joel Rosario won four races at Betfair Hollywood Park for the 11th time in his career on Thursday.

While Rosario is based on the East Coast on a year-round basis, he plans to spend enough time in California this month that he might crack the top 10 in the jockey standings, at least briefly, before the meeting ends on Dec. 22.

Fri, 12/06/2013 - 14:20

Aqueduct: Sweet Reason will follow New York path to Kentucky Oaks

Tom Keyser
Sweet Reason is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Sweet Reason, winner of the Grade  1 Spinaway and fourth as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, is expected to return to trainer Leah Gyarmati’s Belmont Park barn early next week and begin preparation for a 3-year-old campaign.

Unlike Ria Antonia, the Juvenile Fillies winner who is being pointed to the Kentucky Derby and will stable in New Orleans, Sweet Reason’s spring goal is the Kentucky Oaks. She will remain in New York and likely make her 3-year-old debut in the $100,000 Busher Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track on Feb.  1.

Fri, 12/06/2013 - 14:14

Gulfstream Park: Bahamian Squall defends Sunshine State title

Coady Photography
Bahamian Squall earned a guaranteed berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint by winning the Smile under Luis Saez.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Bahamian Squall served notice he would be a sprinter to reckon with in 2013 when he closed out his 3-year-old campaign last December with a one-sided victory against statebreds in the Sunshine State Stakes. And sure enough, he made good on that promise.