Sun, 12/16/2012 - 12:59

Hollywood Park: Fountain of Youth or Risen Star likely target for Violence

Shigeki Kikkawa
The unbeaten Violence earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the CashCall Futurity.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The unbeaten Violence, who shipped from New York to California to make off with the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday, traveled to Florida on Sunday to begin preparations for his 3-year-old campaign, which is likely to begin with the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park or the Risen Star at Fair Grounds, both on Feb. 23.

Sun, 12/16/2012 - 11:39

Charles Town: Queen'o'daball enables trainer to honor late wife in Eleanor Casey Memorial

Thanks to his homebred 2-year-old filly Queen’o’daball, trainer James W. Casey was able to pay tribute to his late wife by winning  the stakes named in her honor Saturday night at Charles Town.

Queen’o’daball ($3.60) rallied from sixth after the first half-mile to draw off to a two-length victory in the $51,100 Eleanor Casey Memorial for West Virginia-bred 2-year-old fillies.

Sat, 12/15/2012 - 20:10

Hollywood Park: Violence remains unbeaten by capturing CashCall Futurity

Benoit & Associates
Violence, under Javier Castellano, handles his first two-turn assignment to improve his career record to 3 for 3 in the CashCall Futurity.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – It was his first race outside New York, around two turns, and under the lights, yet none of that, nor 10 rivals, could stop Violence from remaining unbeaten in the Grade 1, $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Betfair Hollywood Park, a result that positioned Violence as yet another elite Kentucky Derby contender in the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher.

Sat, 12/15/2012 - 19:41

Fair Grounds: Hurricane Ike refuses to fold in Tenacious Handicap

Hodges Photography/Lynn Roberts
Hurricane Ike (right), ridden by James Graham, holds off Brethren by a neck in the Tenacious Handicap.

People always are talking about horses and their distance limitations. Fact is, those limitations are fluid. Put an apparently distance-limited horse in the right spot, and he will  go as far as you please.

Take Hurricane Ike. Sure, he probably delivers his best lick in one-mile races, but left to his own devices on an easy lead Saturday in the Tenacious Handicap at Fair Grounds, Hurricane Ike got 1 1/16 miles  just fine. In front the whole trip, he dug down and held off pace-pressing Brethren to win the $75,000 dirt race by a neck, his first career victory beyond one mile.

Sat, 12/15/2012 - 19:26

Hollywood Park: Grandeur alters tactics to take Hollywood Turf Cup

Benoit & Associates
The favored Grandeur, with Garrett Gomez aboard, prevails by three-quarters of a length over Interaction in the Hollywood Turf Cup.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Grandeur was left with too much to do in the stretch of the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Betfair Hollywood Park on Nov. 25, closing from last in a field of 14 to finish second to Unbridled Command.

Jockey Garrett Gomez opted for different tactics in Saturday’s $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup, with a more favorable result.

Gomez kept Grandeur in fifth place for the first mile. His mount rallied wide on the turn and held off a threat from the 29-1 shot Interaction to win by three-quarters of a length. Grandeur ($5.20) ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:27.95.

Sat, 12/15/2012 - 18:39

Turfway: Sellers collects first win since June aboard Night Party in Prairie Bayou

Pat Lang Photography
Shane Sellers, 47, who had been 0 for 17 since recovering from a fractured shoulder, wins the Prairie Bayou aboard Night Party.

Shane Sellers got his first victory since he was injured in a spill in June when he guided Night Party to a 2 1/4-length score Saturday in the $50,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky.

Sellers, riding for his friend and business partner, trainer Pat Huffman, went straight to the front with Night Party from his outside post in the 1 1/16-mile Polytrack race and held off all challenges.

Sat, 12/15/2012 - 17:50

Turf Paradise cancels Saturday live card because of heavy rain

PHOENIX  - Turf Paradise canceled its Saturday program after heavy rains in the Phoenix area wreaked havoc with the racing surface. The track had canceled the final two races of its Friday card when the rains first hit.

Saturday's cancelation included the $35,000 City of Phoenix Stakes, a sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward. The track has yet to announce when the race will be brought back.

Sat, 12/15/2012 - 17:47

Gulfstream Park: Mystic Love beats the boys in Dania Beach

Courtney Heeney
Elvis Trujillo took Mystic Love up the inside and to victory in the $100,000 Dania Beach on Saturday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Mystic Love, the only filly in the field, slipped up the inside under a brilliant ride by Elvis Trujillo to upset even-money favorite Charming Kitten in Saturday’s $100,000 Dania Beach at Gulfstream Park.

Sat, 12/15/2012 - 17:25

Golden Gate Fields: Gig Harbor proves uncatchable in Oakland

Vassar Photography
Gig Harbour, ridden by Frank Alvarado, scores by 2 1/2 lengths in the Oakland Stakes.

ALBANY, Calif. – Using the same tactics that produced  an allowance prep win in his last start, Gig Harbor scored a wire-to-wire victory in the $53,000 Oakland Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Sat, 12/15/2012 - 17:05

Hollywood Park: Eblouissante scratched from second start

Emiy Shields
The 3-year-old filly Eblouissante, a half-sister to Zenyatta, will make her first start going 1 1/16 miles in a maiden race Friday at Hollywood Park.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Eblouissante, the 3-year-old half-sister to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, was scratched from an optional claimer at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday after suffering an injury to her hip when she struck a stall door in the backstretch receiving barn.

The incident occurred about 30 minutes before Saturday’s fourth race, and her injury was considered minor by trainer John Shirreffs.

“She took some hide off,” he said. “It’s like a burn mark.”