Thu, 08/29/2013 - 10:08

Saratoga: Spa Babies 2-year-old picks and analysis for Aug. 30

RACE 1

6 Furlongs
Law Enforcement Stakes (NY-Breds)
2-year-olds
Purse $100,000

1. FREE MUGATU (Utopia - Thunder Babe, by Appealing Skier)
Although outsprinted early over a sealed, sloppy track, this colt came with a professional run to overwhelm the pacesetters; altered course to the inside in midstretch and picked them up without much fuss; must break from a tough inside post, but should get some speed to attack once again; not out of this with normal 2nd-out improvement.

Thu, 08/29/2013 - 08:55

Indiana Downs: Facey's Spirit goes wire to wire in Merrillville

Facey's Spirit led from start to finish to win the $89,300 Merrillville for Indiana-bred fillies and mares at Indiana Downs Wednesday evening. One race later, Prince of Time won the $85,000 Brickyard for statebred 3-year-olds and up.

Trained by Chris Dorris and ridden by C.C. Lopez, Facey's Spirit dug in late to win the six-furlong Merrillville by a half-length. Dreamin Big closed late for trainer Mike Lauer to finish second, 3 1/2 lengths in front of Hoosier Honey, a late-charging third.

Thu, 08/29/2013 - 08:43

Saratoga: Fort Larned to be scratched from Woodward Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Fort Larned will try to become the first horse since Discovery in the 1930s to win back-to-back Whitneys.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Fort Larned, last year's Breeders' Cup Classic winner, will scratch from Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga due to a hind end issue, trainer Ian Wilkes said Thursday.

Wilkes said he didn't like the way Fort Larned looked coming off the track following a Thursday morning gallop.

[SARATOGA 2013: Complete meet coverage, exclusive DRF videos]

Thu, 08/29/2013 - 00:00

Delaware: Smash and Grab uses speed to capture Nick Shuk Memorial

Smash and Grab, returning six days after he was beaten as the 1-5 favorite in a half-mile allowance sprint at Timonium, handled the stretch out to a mile to win Thursday’s off-the-turf, $51,100 Nick Shuk Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park.

Wed, 08/28/2013 - 22:16

Woodbine: Go Greeley gets up at wire in Simcoe Stakes

Michael Burns
Go Greeley (No. 2), with Eurico Rosa Da Silva up, beats Spin the King to the wire by a nose in the $200,000 Simcoe Stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Not long after Lexie Lou took the Muskoka Stakes by disqualification, owner/trainer John Ross won his second $200,000 stakes on Wednesday night at Woodbine with favored Go Greeley in the Simcoe.

Go Greeley ($6.20) stalked the pace along the inside on the turn under Eurico Rosa Da Silva as Spin the King set moderate fractions in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 2-year-old males.

Wed, 08/28/2013 - 21:37

Woodbine: Lexie Lou wins Muskoka; On Rainbow Bridge disqualified

Michael Burns
Lexie Lou (No. 4) was put up by the stewards after On Rainbow Bridge (inside) was disqualified for interference in the stretch.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Lexie Lou won the $200,000 Muskoka Stakes on Wednesday night at Woodbine after the controversial disqualification of favored On Rainbow Bridge.

On Rainbow Bridge and Lexie Lou both came wide to link up on the lead early in the stretch of the 6 1/2-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies. On Rainbow Bridge, under apprentice Skye Chernetz, gamely held off Lexie Lou while drifting out to prevail by a nose in 1:16.87.

Wed, 08/28/2013 - 20:46

Del Mar: Sunday Rules romps in Generous Portion Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Sunday Rules wins the $150,000 Generous Portion Stakes by 8 1/2 lengths.

DEL MAR, Calif. – All Del Mar stakes winners seem to win by 8 1/2 lengths these days.

After Game On Dude won Sunday’s $1 million Pacific Classic by that wide of a margin, the California-bred 2-year-old filly Sunday Rules conquered five rivals by 8 1/2 lengths in Wednesday’s $150,000 Generous Portion Stakes.

Sunday Rules ($2.60) remained unbeaten after two starts with her easy win.

Wed, 08/28/2013 - 20:12

Del Mar: Officials leave Pacific Classic time unchanged after review

Shigeki Kikkawa
Game On Dude's Beyer Speed Figure for his Pacific Classic victory was changed from a 109 to a 113.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The disputed Pacific Classic final time will stand.

Del Mar officials met Wednesday afternoon to discuss the final time of last Sunday’s Pacific Classic and decided that no disruption occurred with the timing mechanism, leaving the final time for Game On Dude’s electrifying win as 2:00.69 for 1 1/4 miles over the Polytrack synthetic surface.

Track timer Russ Hudak hand-timed the race in 1:59.96, while Trakus, a wireless radio frequency tracing system used at Del Mar, recorded a final time of 1:59.26.

Wed, 08/28/2013 - 18:46

Saratoga has pick six carryover of $273K

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There will be a pick six carryover of $273,760 heading into Thursday’s 11-race card at Saratoga.

The pick six will start with the sixth race (3:34 p.m. Eastern) and include four turf races, highlighted by the Grade 2, $200,000 With Anticipation Stakes for 2-year-olds.

There was a pick six carryover of $65,602 heading into Wednesday’s card after the wager was not hit on Sunday. Wednesday’s sequence included longshot winners Blue Pigeon ($44.80), Indian Starlight ($27), Image of Disco ($31.20), and Lasso ($11.20).

Wed, 08/28/2013 - 18:39

Saratoga: Granny Mc’s Kitten gives Ramseys meet record for wins with P. G. Johnson victory

Barbara D. Livingston
Granny Mc’s Kitten, with Javier Castellano riding, gets clear for the P. G. Johnson victory.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Long before opening day in mid-July, Ken Ramsey said it was his goal to be leading owner at Saratoga’s sesquicentennial meet.

Though that goal was achieved well in advance of closing week, Ramsey, who owns and breeds horses with his wife, Sarah, established a single-meet record for wins by an owner with 19 when Granny Mc’s Kitten won Wednesday’s $100,000 P. G. Johnson Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths over Duff One. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to Miss Frost in third.