INGLEWOOD, Calif. – It was only after Half Strike lost his first two career starts in 2012 that trainer Richard Mandella decided to drop the well-bred ridgling into a $50,000 claiming race for maidens at Santa Anita last October.
The maiden claimer was not the sort of race that Mandella or owners Alain and Gerard Wertheimer envisioned for Half Strike, who is by Smart Strike out of Halfbridled, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2003.
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has named Mike Smith to ride Will Take Charge and Julien Leparoux on Titletown Five for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 18.
Smith, who rode Palace Malice in the Kentucky Derby, will replace Jon Court, who had been aboard Will Take Charge in six of his eight starts. Will Take Charge finished eighth in the Derby after having to check at the three-sixteenths pole behind a tiring Verrazano.
BOSSIER CITY, La. – The summer of 2013 promises to be a busy one for trainer Stanley Roberts. A long-time Louisiana Downs regular, Roberts brought in a string of 45 for the 84-day meet that began last weekend, a large number even by his standards.
“It’s more than we had last year,” said Roberts as he reflected on a 2012 season that saw him finish third in the trainer standings behind the equally prolific barns of Tony Richey and Joey Foster. His 29 wins from 137 starters produced a solid success rate of 21 percent.
PHOENIX – Turf Paradise closed out its 2012-2013 meet with gains in handle and some familiar names filling the top spots on the jockey and trainer lists.
Track officials reported that the Phoenix track concluded its 57th meet with total all-sources handle of $266,206,903, up 4 percent from the 2011-2012 meet, despite losing six cards to inclement weather. The meet was originally slated for 156 days and ended up with 150. Out-of-state handle was up 8 percent, while in-state handle was up 1 percent.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Uncaptured, Canada’s Horse of the Year and champion 2-year-old male of 2012, is off the Queen’s Plate trail.
Trained by Mark Casse for owner John Oxley, Uncaptured finished second, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by a closing Pyrite Mountain, as the odds-on favorite under jockey Patrick Husbands here in last Sunday’s 1 1/16-mile Wando Stakes.
Uncaptured’s only other local defeat came in last fall’s 1 1/16-mile Grey Stakes, after he had won his first four starts, including three stakes at distances ranging from 4 1/2 to seven furlongs.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation on Tuesday awarded Gulfstream Park a one-day extension of its 2012-13 meet. By law, the extension will allow Gulfstream to buy simulcast signals directly from all host tracks, effective immediately, rather than purchasing those same signals from Calder, which is currently operating the only live racing meet in south Florida.
Trainer Robertino Diodoro was impressed when Spanish Jazz won his debut going six furlongs in a $30,000 optional maiden claiming race by a widening 7 3/4 lengths at Turf Paradise on April 12. He’s hoping for another strong performance when Spanish Jazz runs in a first-level allowance race Friday night at Northlands Park. The six-furlong sprint drew nine horses and headlines a strong eight-race card.
ALTOONA, Iowa – The last three runnings of the $70,000 Mamie Eisenhower at Prairie Meadows, a six-furlong stakes for Iowa-bred fillies and mares, were won by the speed merchant Sakakawea. The search for a new division leader begins Friday evening.
Sakakawea, trained by Ray Tracy for his family’s Black Oak Farm, has embarked on a second career as a broodmare. She is in foal to Yes It’s True and also has an embryo, carried by a surrogate mare, by top Quarter Horse stallion One Famous Eagle.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The dependable Ronaldino makes his 9-year-old debut at Woodbine in the fourth race Friday, when he goes for his 16th career victory in a contentious $20,000 claimer.
Ronaldino has competed across Canada. The British Columbia-bred began his career with trainer Terry Jordan at Hastings, where he graduated second time out in May 2007. He subsequently finished up the track in the Alberta Derby at Stampede Park, where he captured the 2008 Stampede Park Sprint Championship. Ronaldino also took the 2008 Free Press Stakes at Assiniboia Downs.
