Wed, 04/17/2013 - 13:04

Lexington Stakes: Pure Fun will face males from post 11

Shigeki Kikkawa
Pure Fun is using the Lexington as a prep for the Kentucky Oaks.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Pure Fun, the only filly in a field of 11 3-year-olds, drew the far-outside post for the Grade 3, $200,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes, to be run Saturday at Keeneland for the 32nd time.

Rosie Napravnik has the call on Pure Fun, a Grade 1-winning filly who will be prepping for a start in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks. She faces a demanding task in the 1 1/16-mile Polytrack race when facing the likes of Winning Cause, Sunbean, Examen, and Cerro.

The Lexington is worth 20 points to the winner toward qualifying for the May 4 Kentucky Derby.

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 16:27

Lone Star Park: Big Beyers for Triumph and Song and Lasting Bubbles

Reed Palmer Photography
Triumph and Song earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his opening-night win in the Premiere Stakes.

Texas-breds Triumph and Song and Lasting Bubbles ran lofty Beyer Speed Figures in winning statebred stakes at Lone Star opening week.

Triumph and Song, a 4-year-old gelding, earned a 99 Beyer for his win against males in the opening-night Premiere. To put that in perspective, Justin Phillip ran a 103 in winning Saturday’s Grade 3 Count Fleet at Oaklawn and Handsome Mike posted a 94 in taking the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Keeneland.

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 16:18

Keeneland: Inglorious, Mystical Star to meet in Doubledogdare Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Inglorious, the winner of the 2011 Queen's Plate, figures to be one of the favorites in Friday's Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland.

A field of eight fillies and mares was drawn Tuesday at Keeneland for Friday's 1 1/16-mile Polytrack feature, the Doubledogdare Stakes. The Grade 3, $100,000 race features likely top choices Inglorious and Mystical Star.

From the rail, this is the field: Artemus Kitten, Ice Cream Silence, Inglorious, Alaura Michele, Mystical Star, Sisterhood, Lotta Lovin, and Minakshi.

Inglorious, with Julien Leparoux to ride, is best known as the 2011 Queen’s Plate winner. Mystical Star (Jose Lezcano) was the runner-up here last fall in the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes.

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 16:13

Lone Star Park: Mayfield takes no contest in stride

Late Saturday afternoon at Lone Star Park, Randy Mayfield was high-fiving jockey Alfredo Sigala in the winner’s circle, celebrating the performance of Delmersmiracle, a filly he trained to an apparent first-out victory at 25-1 odds for owner/breeder Don Milligan in the day’s last race.

Although track stewards had begun an inquiry into the race due to a number of horses breaking poorly, Mayfield said he “was counting my money” after wagering $200 on her.

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 16:00

Santa Anita: Pick-six key may depend on Lilbourne Eliza's start

ARCADIA, Calif. – The pick six would be less difficult Thursday at Santa Anita if the best race included at least one front-runner.

Unfortunately, pick-six bettors taking aim at the $85,262 carryover will look at race 6, an entry-level turf allowance for 3-year-old fillies, and ask the same question posed early this week to trainer Jim Cassidy – who makes the lead?

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 15:42

Hollywood Park purses mostly unchanged

Overnight purses for the upcoming spring-summer meeting at Betfair Hollywood Park have been reduced for some cheaper divisions, but remain unchanged for higher-class races such as maiden special weight and allowance races compared to the 2012 meeting.

The purses for $20,000 maiden-claiming races, starter allowance races for nonwinners of two, and for claiming horses worth $8,000 to $25,000 have been cut by an average of $1,000 from last year.

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 15:33

Santa Anita notes: San Juan Capistrano Handicap shaping up with short field

Shigeki Kikkawa
Fire With Fire will stretch out to 1 3/4 miles in Sunday’s San Juan Capistrano Handicap.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The San Juan Capistrano Handicap will have a new winner this year.

Tuesday, trainer Neil Drysdale said that Bourbon Bay, winner of the San Juan Capistrano in 2010 and 2012, will skip Sunday’s race at Santa Anita.

Drysdale plans to start Fire With Fire, who was third in the Grade 2 San Luis Rey Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf March 16.

“He ran well the other day and he should love the distance,” Drysdale said.

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 15:14

Lexington Stakes: Examen not using race as Kentucky Derby prep

Benoit & Associates
Grade 1-winning filly Pure Fun might be favored against males in Saturday's Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The winner of the Coolmore Lexington Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland will earn 20 “wild card” points toward eligibility for the May 4 Kentucky Derby, which at this juncture looks like enough points to crack the 20-horse lineup.

Tom Proctor, who will send out Examen in the Lexington, doesn’t much care.

“I don’t need anybody or any points to tell me whether I have a Derby horse or not,” Proctor said with his usual candor. “He’s not even nominated.”

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 15:08

Aqueduct: Kibosh might be favored in Thursday's turf route

Bob Coglianese
Divine Luck has shown good early speed in each of her last two races after adding blinkers.

A quartet of Florida shippers will attract the bulk of the action in Thursday’s featured seventh race, an optional claimer with first-level allowance conditions scheduled for turf at 1 1/16 miles.

Kibosh enters off a rallying, runner-up finish with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 86 for trainer John Kimmel, and the New York-bred filly may go off as a lukewarm favorite over fellow shippers Divine Luck, Riolama, and South Shore.

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 14:19

Keeneland: Watsdachances begins season in Appalachian Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Watsdachances made two starts in Ireland before coming to the United States midway through her 2-year-old season.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Last fall, Watsdachances finished ahead of all but one other horse in the defining race in her niche, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. So when the Irish-bred filly makes her 3-year-old debut Thursday in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland, it will be with lofty expectations indeed for a big 2013.