Fri, 12/28/2012 - 14:47

Santa Anita: Tiz Flirtatious primed for Frankel Stakes

[bc_video_id:280110:]ARCADIA, Calif. – The winter turf division in California will gain clarity Sunday at Santa Anita, where a good field of fillies and mares races 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes.

The $150,000 stakes is led by three principals – Tiz Flirtatious, Halo Dolly, and Qaraaba. There is little doubt Tiz Flirtatious would be a deserving favorite after missing by a length last month in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Betfair Hollywood Park.

“We were proud of her, it was a lot to ask,” trainer Marty Jones said.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 14:44

Santa Anita: Flashback misses scheduled work, will pass Sham Stakes

Shigeki Kikkawa
Flashback wins his racing debut with an impressive performance at Hollywood Park, earning a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Flashback, considered one of trainer Bob Baffert’s top 3-year-old prospects for 2013, missed a scheduled workout at Santa Anita on Friday after Baffert and jockey Martin Garcia said they were unhappy with the colt’s condition in the moments before the exercise.

Flashback was considered a candidate for the $100,000 Sham Stakes over a mile on Jan. 5 until Friday’s setback.

Shortly after 9 a.m., Flashback was being prepared for a workout when Garcia and Baffert spoke via radio and decided to abandon the workout.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 14:10

Fair Grounds notes: After a slow Churchill meet, Peitz making up for lost time

NEW ORLEANS – After a Churchill Downs fall meet that couldn’t have gone much worse for trainer Danny Peitz, the Fair Grounds meet couldn’t have started much better for him.

“When I was in Kentucky, every horse got either a bad post or wound up on the bad part of the racetrack,” Peitz said. “They came here. They still had the same conditions. Everything’s falling into place.”

At Churchill, two second places were Peitz’s only in-the-money finishes from 15 starters. But at this meet, Peitz won with four of eight starters and has seven in-the-money finishes.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 09:29

Turfway Park: Woolf nominee Prescott wins 3,00th race

Rodney Prescott became the 162nd jockey in North American racing history to win 3,000 races when he guided Heart of Class to a narrow victory in the ninth race Thursday evening at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky.

Prescott, 38, told Turfway officials the milestone meant a lot to him. “I’m thankful to have won that many. I’ve had a good career.”

Thu, 12/27/2012 - 17:22

Gulfstream Park notes: Schettino thinking Derby trail with Always in a Tiz

Barbara D. Livingston
The Dominick Schettino-trained Always in a Tiz, a Kentucky-bred son of Tiznow, will make his second career start in the $75,000 Traskwood Stakes at seven furlongs.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Dominick Schettino said he’s considering the options for his top 3-year-old prospect Always in a Tiz, a son of Tiznow who was stakes placed in his most recent start earlier this month at Aqueduct. Always in a Tiz is nominated to the Gulfstream Park Derby but is not likely to run, according to Schettino.

“We’re still discussing what we want to do with him, but at the moment our thoughts are to look at the graded stakes coming up and try to put him on the Derby trail,” said Schettino.

Thu, 12/27/2012 - 16:58

Delta Downs: B-Connected rematches several from Champions Day

Lynn Roberts/Hodges Photography
Populist Politics (above) looks like the biggest threat to Heavy On Themister in the $100,000 Gold Cup at Delta Downs.

Populist Politics, the beaten favorite in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic, and Watch My Smoke, who finished second in that Fair Grounds race, will get a rematch Saturday night at Delta Downs in the $70,000 B-Connected. The field for the one-mile race for Louisiana-breds who have not won a stakes in 2012 also includes Idefromthebayou and Break Up, both of whom also exit the Champions Day Classic.

Thu, 12/27/2012 - 16:53

Aqueduct: Saratoga Snacks may get winter vacation

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Saratoga Snacks holds off a late run by Socialsaul to win the $75,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes for New York-breds on Wednesday at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – As good as Saratoga Snacks has been, trainer Gary Sciacca believes the best is yet to come for the New York-bred colt who on Wednesday won the Alex M. Robb Stakes at Aqueduct.

“I think he’s good enough to win some Grade 1 somewhere. I think he’s that good,” Sciacca said on a dreary Thursday morning at Belmont Park. “He does everything so easy. He does everything right. Look at yesterday, he just coasted around there. Ramon never asked him.”

Thu, 12/27/2012 - 16:45

Aqueduct: Pletcher hopeful Mordi’s Miracle has figured things out

Barbara D. Livingston
Mildly Offensive defeated Kid Kate in the Big Bambu at Saratoga.

Mordi’s Miracle had been a huge disappointment for trainer Todd Pletcher and Zayat Stables through his first four starts.

But on Dec. 5, he won a one-mile maiden race by 9 1/2 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 96.

Saturday, Mordi’s Miracle, a 3-year-old son of Lawyer Ron, will try to prove he’s not a one-hit wonder when he faces winners for the first time in a $69,000 allowance race at a mile and 70 yards over the inner track.

Pletcher said the fact the horse was able to break cleanly may have played a role in the colt getting his first victory.

Thu, 12/27/2012 - 16:35

Retama: Wounded Warrior Mile closes out meet

Quiet Acceleration will be returning to one of his favorite turf courses Saturday night to lead the $35,000 Wounded Warrior Mile at Retama Park. The one-mile race for Texas-breds who have never won a stakes drew a field of 11.

The Wounded Warrior Mile was created to complement an anonymous donation that is to be made to the Wounded Warrior Project that supports injured members of the armed services. The race closes out the meet at Retama.

Thu, 12/27/2012 - 16:33

Santa Anita notes: Jimmy Creed to get distance test in Strub Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Jimmy Creed, with Garrett Gomez up, wins the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jimmy Creed’s win in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes over seven furlongs Wednesday will be his last start in a sprint in coming months.

Trainer Richard Mandella said Thursday that Jimmy Creed will be pointed to the $200,000 Strub Stakes over 1 1/8 miles for 4-year-olds on Feb. 2, a key prep race for the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap against older horses over 1 1/4 miles on March 2.