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.

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 17:00

Emerald Downs: Wenzel saddles tough trio in Seattle Handicap

AUBURN, Wash. – Trainer Tom Wenzel holds an exceptionally strong hand in advance of Sunday’s $50,000 Seattle Handicap at Emerald Downs. Wenzel will send out three starters in the meeting’s first stakes for 3-year-old fillies, and the three – Goin to the Window, Stopshoppingdebbie, and Blueberry Smoothie – could start as the three favorites in an eight-horse field.

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 16:52

Hollywood Park: Schiaparelli more focused since equipment change

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Schiaparelli’s career was stalled until trainer Mike Puype and owner-breeder Jan Vanderbos revived a family technique designed to alleviate jitters.

Vanderbos recalled Cambiocorsa wore ear muffs during eight wins on the Santa Anita hill before her broodmare career. Her first foal was Schiaparelli, whose racing career started with back-to-back wins. Then she became a nervous Nellie and lost three straight.

“She was blowing a lot of energy in the post parade,” Puype said.

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 16:45

Emerald Downs: Polish Dollar in best form of career

AUBURN, Wash. – Polish Dollar was a $5,000 claimer when trainer Bob Meeking got his hands on the horse for the first time in the winter of 2011. Some 18 months later, Polish Dollar is one of the fastest horses at Emerald Downs. If the 7-year-old Polish Dollar is not stakes caliber, he’s pretty darn close.

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 16:37

Lone Star Park Handicap has Isn’t He Clever as major threat

Coady Photography
Isn’t He Clever shows a bullet five-furlong work in 59 seconds May 12.

Isn’t He Clever, who set a track record in his most recent start, appears to be the chief threat to the Steve Asmussen-trained pair of Prayer for Relief and Master Rick in Monday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap. The 1 1/16-mile race was drawn on Friday, with the five-horse field completed by Formaggio and Battle Hardened.

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 16:30

Belmont: Disposablepleasure works her way back to top in Phipps

Four Footed Fotos
Disposablepleasure wins the Grade 3 Sixty Sails by 3 1/2 lengths under Javier Castellano.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Disposablepleasure could not break through the upper echelon of the 3-year-old filly division on dirt last year so her connections tried experimenting.

After a mediocre race on turf and a disastrous effort on synthetic, Disposablepleasure was given some time off while her connections pondered her future.

Back to the dirt since she began her 4-year-old season, Disposablepleasure has earned the right to return to Grade 1 competition when she runs in Monday’s $400,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park.

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 16:05

Belmont: Met Mile draw puts Cross Traffic on rail again

Courtney Heeney
Flat Out (left), with Junior Alvarado riding, gets up in the final strides to win the Westchester.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher said he felt the rail post position might have compromised Cross Traffic when he finished a game second to Flat Out in the Grade  3 Westchester last month at Belmont Park.

Hours before post positions were to be drawn for Monday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Metropolitan Handicap, where Cross Traffic will again meet Flat Out, Pletcher said, “we’d prefer to draw an outside post where we have some options.”