Wed, 01/09/2013 - 13:10

Gulfstream Park: Sprinting on turf may be proper niche for Devil's Cave

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Chad Brown has a barn full of 3-year-old turf prospects heading into the 2013 campaign. One who may be flying a little under the radar is Devil’s Cave, a lightly raced daughter of Put It Back who will seek her second victory of the meet in Friday’s $54,500 feature at Gulfstream Park.

Wed, 01/09/2013 - 12:06

Gulfstream Park: Undefeated Applauding being transferred to Matz

Coady Photography/Keeneland
Applauding, 3 for 3 for trainer Al Stall Jr., is expected to arrive at Michael Matz's south Florida barn on Thursday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The undefeated 4-year-old filly Applauding is in the process of being transferred from trainer Al Stall Jr.’s barn at Oaklawn Park to trainer Michael Matz’s stable at Palm Meadows, Matz confirmed on Wednesday.  

Tue, 01/08/2013 - 15:55

Oaklawn Park: Borel fractures wrist as Friday's meet opener nears

Barbara D. Livingston
Calvin Borel's quest for 5,000 wins will have to wait as he will be sidelined for the first several weeks of the Oaklawn Park meet with a fractured wrist.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park was bustling on a brisk but clear Tuesday morning in anticipation of its Friday season opener. But later in the day it was announced that Calvin Borel, a fan favorite who has 4,999 career wins, would not be part of the opening-day festivities.

Borel, who worked horses Tuesday and was looking forward to his five Friday mounts, was diagnosed Tuesday afternoon with a small fracture in his wrist. The injury is expected to require a cast and will keep him out of action for several weeks.

Tue, 01/08/2013 - 15:48

Fair Grounds: Lovely Vin, Dixie Poker Ace winner, might switch to dirt

Lovely Vin, who cruised to a 5 1/4-length victory Saturday in the Dixie Poker Ace, a turf stakes, might be switched to dirt for the $200,000 Premier Night Classic on Feb. 2 at Delta Downs, trainer Tom Amoss said.

Lovely Vin has excelled on the Fair Grounds grass course, finishing a close second to String King in the Champions Day Turf in December, but won and placed in a pair of open dirt allowance races last fall at Hoosier Park.

Amoss said he also plans to start Populist Politics in the Premier Night Classic.

Tue, 01/08/2013 - 15:38

Aqueduct: Jacobson sends pair of old pros in Crown the Chief and He's So Chic

Headed by the newly claimed entry of Crown the Chief and He’s So Chic, eight older sprinters who have combined for 60 wins and more than $2.1 million in earnings will clash in Thursday’s six-furlong feature at Aqueduct.

With the exception of Sinai – who figures to be no worse than second choice as he turns back in distance for trainer Rudy Rodriguez – every horse is entered for the optional claiming price of $35,000.

Tue, 01/08/2013 - 15:25

Fair Grounds: Larry Jones has another Fair Grounds Oaks prospect

Coady Photography
Dancinginthecircle, with Terry Thompson in the saddle, romps in the By The Light at Delta Downs.

Trainer Larry Jones has won two editions of the Fair Grounds Oaks, including last year’s race with Believe You Can. You’ll be excused if you missed the emergence of Jones’s latest Oaks hopeful.

Dancinginthecircle turned in a breakthrough performance last Friday night, but did so at Delta Downs in western Louisiana, where she smoothly won the $100,000 By the Light Stakes by nine lengths. Her two-turn, seven-furlong time of 1:25 was fast by Delta standards and produced an 88 Beyer Speed Figure, by far the best of Dancinginthecircle’s six-start career.

Tue, 01/08/2013 - 15:09

Ultimate Eagle eyes San Antonio as Santa Anita Handicap prep

Shigeki Kikkawa
Ultimate Eagle, second in the San Pasqual Stakes to Coil last Saturday, will run in the $200,000 San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 3.

Ultimate Eagle, second in the San Pasqual Stakes last Saturday, will run in the $200,000 San Antonio Stakes on Feb. 3 as a prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 2.

“He came out of it like he went in – perfect,” trainer Mike Pender said.

In the San Pasqual, Ultimate Eagle set the pace and was caught by Coil in the final sixteenth, losing by a head. Coil was retired to stud following the race.

“I’ve got to hand it to Coil,” Pender said. “He ran a big race.”

Tue, 01/08/2013 - 15:05

Santa Anita: Pick six bonuses may be due

Sunday’s pick six paid $7,313 for nine winning tickets, but the bet may be worth $8,776 to three of those ticketholders under a new bonus plan enacted Jan. 1 by Santa Anita.

The track is paying a 20 percent bonus to the winners of the pick six who place their bets ontrack. Ticketholders must be enrolled in the track’s Thoroughbreds Club frequent-customer program to be eligible for the bonus and must present their Thoroughbreds Club card to a mutuel clerk when placing pick-six bets.

Tue, 01/08/2013 - 14:52

Santa Anita: Tritap gets second chance to prove his worth

Tom Keyser
Tritap is being pointed to Saturday's Grade 2 San Fernando Stakes at Santa Anita.

After winning 2 of 4 starts in 2012, Tritap may have a 2013 season that has long been expected from the expensive colt.

Purchased for $450,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September yearling sale, Tritap makes his second start in a graded stakes in Saturday’s $150,000 San Fernando Stakes at Santa Anita. For Tritap, the Grade 2 San Fernando is an opportunity for his second consecutive win, following an allowance race over 1 3/16 miles at Churchill Downs on Nov. 17.

Tue, 01/08/2013 - 14:22

Golden Gate: Nations cranking up three stakes horses

Marcel Langevin/Vassar Photography
Bailouttheminister, winning the Sam J. Whiting in July, has worked twice as he gets ready to return from a layoff for trainer Keith Nations.

Trainer Keith Nations is gearing up with the return of three of his stars who were given a little R&R after big 2012 campaigns.

Hexbreaker, a veteran sprinter with $278,845 in the bank, and Bailouttheminister, who won last summer’s Sam Whiting at Pleasanton before running fifth in the Longacres Mile, both have a pair of works since returning to training.