Sat, 01/26/2013 - 16:12

Fair Grounds: Daisy Devine delivers as heavy favorite in Krantz Memorial

Hodges Photography/Jamie Hernandez
Jockey James Graham takes a peek over his shoulder as Daisy Devine turns for home well in front of her competition in the Marie Krantz Memorial Handicap.

The only real obstacle standing between Daisy Devine and a win in the $75,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Handicap was the Fair Grounds turf course.

Persistently soggy after taking heavy rain in December and early January, the course was deemed unsuitable to host a pair of turf stakes – including the Krantz – originally scheduled for Jan. 19. The races were pushed back to Jan. 26, but even after another week of drying, the Fair Grounds grass remained wet enough that turf racing was canceled Friday and after one race Thursday.

Sat, 01/26/2013 - 16:10

Gulfstream Park: Golden Ticket starts year with sharp victory

Barbara D. Livingston
Golden Ticket draws off through the stretch to a convincing victory over 2011 Remsen winner O’Prado Again on Saturday at Gulfstream.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.– Golden Ticket may have surprised most everybody when he dead-heated with Alpha to win the 2012 Travers. But if his 4-year-old debut is an indication, Golden Ticket won’t surprise anyone if there are more Grade 1 wins in his future.

Sat, 01/26/2013 - 15:21

Charles Town: Course specialists meet for first time

Renee Ludwig
Flip the Switch, ridden by Wesley Ho, wins her second race in a row on Jan. 5. She steps up in class for Tuesday night's feature at Charles Town.

Joyous Music and Flip the Switch, both of whom have 4-for-6 records in short sprints at Charles Town, will meet for the first time in Tuesday night’s featured eighth race with a $31,000 purse.

The 4 1/2-furlong race has multiple conditions, including nonwinners of two allowances or stakes within the past five months and nonwinners of four lifetime, but of the eight fillies and mares, all but two – the 7-year-old Pretty Miss Trippi and the 4-year-old Rough Draft – are entered for the optional $40,000 claiming price.

Sat, 01/26/2013 - 14:21

Santa Anita notes: Gutierrez, O'Neill still trying to teach He's Had Enough to pay attention

Tom Keyser
Mario Gutierrez has been trying to teach He's Had Enough to give 100 percent in his workouts.

ARCADIA, Calif. – He’s Had Enough, the 3-year-old colt who was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita last November, has a racing record that is much more appealing than his workout style.

Friday at Santa Anita, just before the first race on a rainy day, He’s Had Enough worked in company with his 4-year-old stablemate Handsome Mike in preparation for the $200,000 Robert Lewis Stakes over 1 1/16 miles this Saturday.

Sat, 01/26/2013 - 14:10

Parx: Coach A.J., Seventeenohsix still trying to find their level

Tom Keyser
Coach A. J. wired the field in his last start going a mile on dirt.

Early in their racing careers as 2-year-olds, Coach A.J. and Seventeenohsix displayed enough potential that their connections gave them multiple shots in stakes.

Coach A.J., claimed out of a maiden win at Saratoga for $50,000, was tried sprinting on dirt in the Grade 3 Sapling at Monmouth Park and then going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in the $115,000 Laurel Futurity.

Sat, 01/26/2013 - 13:35

Aqueduct: Dominguez out of intensive care; rehabilitation possibilities under discussion

Barbara D. Livingston
Ramon Dominguez is no longer in intensive care but is still not allowed to have visitors.

Ramon Dominguez, who continues to progress in his recovery from a slightly displaced skull fracture at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan, was transferred Thursday from the neurological intensive care onit to a medical step-down unit.

“The step-down unit is an intermediate location between the ICU and a regular, inpatient room,” said his wife, Sharon Dominguez, in a press release issued by the New York Racing Association on Saturday afternoon.

Fri, 01/25/2013 - 19:37

Golden Gate Fields: Russell Baze rides in his 50,000th career race

Vassar Photography
Russell Baze prior to his 50,000th career ride.

Russell Baze rode the 50,000th Thoroughbred mount of his career at Golden Gate Fields on Friday, dueling for the early lead aboard favored Finish Rich in Nyc before settling for third in the day's sixth race, a $12,500 claimer for 4-year-old fillies.

For Baze, his 50,000th race was pretty routine.

“I’ve got a lot of miles under my belt,” he said.

The 54-year-old Baze opened the day with three straight victories aboard favorites Supercilious in the first, Street Consensus in the second, and Ma Mel in the third.

Fri, 01/25/2013 - 17:19

Gulfstream Park notes: Rocco gets 1,000th win

Barbara D. Livingston
Joe Rocco Jr.'s first winner came aboard the first mount of his career, Rainbow’s Raja, on Feb. 2, 1999, at Tampa Bay Downs.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Joe Rocco Jr. rode his 1,000th winner when he guided Rustler Hustler to victory in Thursday’s ninth race at Gulfstream Park. Rocco then wasted little time starting out on the road to number 2,000, coming right back to capture the finale on Success Rate for his third win on the card.

“I’m a little embarrassed that it’s taken me that long to get to 1,000, because I’ve been riding so long, but it does mean a lot,” said Rocco, 30, whose first winner came aboard the first mount of his career, Rainbow’s Raja, on Feb. 2, 1999 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Fri, 01/25/2013 - 16:52

Oaklawn Park notes: Sims off to nice start at his first local meet

Coady Photography/Oaklawn Park
Don't Tell Sophia wins the Pippin Stakes for trainer Phil Sims.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Phil Sims is based at Oaklawn Park for the first time in his 30-year training career, and a fast start at the young meet has him third in the standings. Sims has won with three of his first nine starters, chief among them Don’t Tell Sophia.

Don’t Tell Sophia was a commanding, seven-length winner of the $75,000 Pippin for fillies and mares Jan. 19. With the win, she remained perfect on dirt in three starts. She is 2 for 8 on synthetic and turf surfaces.

Fri, 01/25/2013 - 15:44

Gulfstream Park: Animal Kingdom will have Rosario aboard for Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap

Barbara D. Livingston
Animal Kingdom's schedule calls for him to breeze twice more before the Feb. 9 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Graham Motion confirmed Friday, while braving the cold at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, that Joel Rosario will ride Animal Kingdom when he starts his season in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap on Feb. 9.

Rosario will step in for the injured Ramon Dominguez, who Motion had tabbed last month to ride Animal Kingdom in his 2013 debut. Dominguez is recuperating from injuries suffered in a recent riding mishap at Aqueduct.