Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:33

Hollywood Park notes: Baffert splitting up Liaison, Game On Dude

Benoit & Associates
Liaison, the winner of the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on May 4, will run in next Saturday's Grade 2 Californian for trainer Bob Baffert.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Over the next six weeks, trainer Bob Baffert’s runners will be tough to beat in major stakes for older horses on the main track at Betfair Hollywood Park.

In Saturday’s $150,000 Californian Stakes over 1 1/8 miles, Baffert has the leading contender in Liaison, the winner of the Grade 2 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap here May 4. The Grade 2 Californian is the last major prep race for the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 6.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:18

Hollywood Park: Speed duel likely in Los Angeles Handicap

Benoit & Associates
Fast Bullet has won three of his four starts and will try for his first stakes victory in the Los Angeles Handicap.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – A speed duel between Fast Bullet and Comma to the Top in Monday’s $100,000 Los Angeles Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park may be unavoidable and will be a key factor in how handicappers assess the six-furlong race.

Both 5-year-olds are best when racing on the lead early and could set a blazing pace in the Grade 3 race.

“I’m not going to change his style,” said Bob Baffert, who trains Fast Bullet. “He just goes. He’s fast.”

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:12

Churchill Downs: Judy the Beauty has another well-chosen spot in Winning Colors

Barbara D. Livingston
Judy the Beauty, part of the exacta in all eight of her starts, seeks her first graded stakes win in the Winning Colors.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wesley Ward has been careful in picking his spots for Judy the Beauty, and it has served him and the 4-year-old filly well.

Since starting her career more than two years ago, Judy the Beauty has never finished worse than second in her eight career starts.

“She’s always been right there,” said Ward, who owns and trains the filly and has called on the well-traveled Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira to ride her Monday in the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs. “Always.”

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:10

Hollywood Park: Gamely lineup poses difficult test for Tiz Flirtatious

Benoit & Associates
Tiz Flirtatious, the winner of the Grade 2 Santa Ana on Sunday, will target the $250,000 Gamely Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park on May 27.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – In racing and training, Tiz Flirtatious is rather predictable.

In her races, she stalks the pace, rallies wide, and wins more often than not. In the mornings, Tiz Flirtatious is not likely to display too much pizazz, with routine gallops and workouts on the slow side.

It may all sound boring, but it works and is why Tiz Flirtatious is capable of winning her first Grade 1 race in Monday’s $250,000 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 14:06

Canterbury Park: Alsvid set for turf debut in Honor the Hero Stakes

Shelly McShane/Coady Photography
Alsvid, the runner-up in both of his starts this year, will race on turf for the first time in the Honor the Hero Stakes.

SHAKOPEE, Minn. – The Chris Hartman-trained Alsvid, a multiple stakes winner of $295,350 in 2012, is the morning-line favorite for the $50,000 Honor the Hero Stakes on turf Monday at Canterbury Park.

Alsvid has been off since Feb. 16 after second-place efforts in the King Cotton Stakes and a $65,000 optional claimer. He has been training sharply at Prairie Meadows, with two bullet works in the last two weeks, but will be making his first start on turf in the Honor the Hero.

Sat, 05/25/2013 - 08:53

Prairie Meadows: Lulu Wong, Conchacer win sprint stakes

ALTOONA, Iowa – Lulu Wong and Conchacer, a pair of horses acquired out of claiming races this year, swept Saturday night's pair of six-furlong sprint stakes, the $60,000 Prairie Rose and the $60,000 Prairie Express.

Lulu Wong ($8.80), a $32,000 claim by owner Maggi Moss at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 18, broke sharply, seized command, and won the Prairie Rose in an unchallenged manner by 3 3/4 lengths over 6-5 favorite Missjeanlouise. Lulu Wong's win was the 33rd of the meet for leading rider Terry Thompson and the 21st for leading trainer Chris Richard.

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 18:50

Wooodbine notes: Dynamic Sky breezes nicely

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Dynamic Sky, who is headed for the Plate Trial, breezed five furlongs in 1:01.20 on the Polytrack here at Woodbine on Friday under exercise rider Corey Fraser.

“Corey said he worked real well and galloped out well,” said Mark Casse, who trains Dynamic Sky for John Oxley.

Dynamic Sky is heading into the Plate Trial off a third-place finish in the Queenston, a seven-furlong race for Ontario foals here May 11.

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 18:32

Churchill Downs notes: Treasury Bill settles in

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Treasury Bill, a one-time Kentucky Derby hopeful, is on target to run here at Churchill Downs June 15 in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes after recently being transferred into the barn of trainer Wayne Catalano. The colt had his first local breeze Thursday, going five furlongs in 1:02.80.

“He’s settled in real nice,” said Catalano. “He was sent to us in real good shape.”

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 18:23

Louisiana Downs starts 50-cent pick threes

Louisiana Downs on Friday began offering a 50-cent minimum on pick three wagers, according to track officials. The previous minimum had been $1. The track received approval for the change on Thursday from the Louisiana Racing Commission.

** Jockeys and exercise riders based at Louisiana Downs will be riding camels and ostriches in two exhibition races at the track Monday. The exotic animals will run after the third and sixth races and the events will be simulcast, said Louisiana Downs director of operations, Trent McIntosh.

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 18:20

Arapahoe Park: First stakes of meet on tap

The stakes program at Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colo., gets underway on Sunday with the $40,000 Inaugural. The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds drew a field of 11.

Clone will be cutting back to one turn following a runner-up finish in the $35,000 SunRay Park Casino Handicap May 4. He was hung wide in the one-mile race one start after taking a maiden special weight at 5 1/2 furlongs at Sunland Park.

Kelly Bridges has the mount for Richard Lueck and trainer Gary Cross.