Fri, 12/14/2012 - 15:09

Sunland Park: Back Seat Roll targets four in a row in Enchantress Stakes

Back Seat Roll will be chasing her fourth consecutive win Sunday when she makes her two-turn debut in the $85,000 Enchantress at Sunland Park. The one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies bred in New Mexico drew a field of 10.

Back Seat Roll began her streak in her third career start, when she won her maiden in a trial at Ruidoso Downs on July 14. She proceeded to capture the finale, the $159,000 Rio Grande Senorita Futurity, and after a freshening, the $140,000 New Mexico Cup Juvenile Fillies at Zia Park on Oct. 28.

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 15:00

Hollywood Park: Monument back with Cal-breds for King Glorious

Barbara D. Livingston
Monument, being eased to the wire in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, was one of two horses in the race trained by John Sadler to have bled without the medication Lasix.

INGLEWOOD, Calif – Monument was last and first in two starts at the Santa Anita autumn meeting.

The 2-year-old colt won the $250,000 California Cup Juvenile on Oct. 13, but was last of nine in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 3.

“It was a little ambitious,” trainer John Sadler said of the BC Juvenile start.

Monument’s next race is a perfect fit – Sunday’s $200,000 King Glorious Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park. The seven-furlong King Glorious is restricted to California-breds and could easily be Monument’s second stakes win of the year.

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 14:46

Fair Grounds: Seaneen Girl, Gal About Town getting ready for stakes

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Seaneen Girl (left) and Gal About Town (right) finish one-two in last weekend's Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. They are both now based at Fair Gorunds.

NEW ORLEANS - Working for the first time since winning the Grade 2 Golden Rod last month at Churchill Downs, Seaneen Girl breezed a half-mile in 50.60 seconds Tuesday at the Fair Grounds. She ran the final furlong in about 12 seconds. Jockey Miguel Mena was riding.

“She comes smoking down the lane,” trainer Bernie Flint said as he watched from his vehicle parked along the stretch. “We’ve got a long way to go. She’s growing right now as we speak.”

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 14:38

Fair Grounds notes: Hollywood Hit headed to Bonapaw

Michael Burns
Hollywood Hit will try to bounce back in Saturday's $50,000 Forego Stakes at Turfway Park.

NEW ORLEANS - Trainer Mike Stidham is preparing Grade 3 winner Hollywood Hit for the Bonapaw on Dec. 22.

Hollywood Hit, a 6-year-old gelding owned by Peter Redekop, is coming off a victory in an allowance/optional claiming race in early September at Woodbine.

Terry Jordan was his trainer there.

“I trained for Peter Redekop,” Stidham said. “I had Comedero for him. The season is over in Canada, so [Hollywood Hit] came south.”

Hollywood Hit, who has earned $660,447 in 22 starts, will be making his turf debut in the Bonapaw.

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 14:36

Gulfstream Park: Delegation facing some tough characters in Harlan's Holiday

Tom Keyser
A good effort by Delegation in the Harlan's Holiday could earn him a spot ion the Strub or Donn Handicap.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One would think, coming off a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and dropping into an ungraded race, that Delegation would be a mortal lock in Sunday’s $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday. But even trainer Mark Casse admits the 1 1/16-mile fixture for older horses will be no walk in the park for a horse he believes can be a force to reckon with in the handicap division in 2013.

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 14:13

Fair Grounds: Deville's claiming spree paying dividends

NEW ORLEANS – During this holiday shopping season, trainer Carl Deville has been buying horses at the Fair Grounds.

In the first three weeks of this meet, Deville claimed five horses, including two from one race.

“We’re shopping, but we’re racing,’’ Deville said. “We’re just trying to get better horses.’’

Easy Jazz, a gelding claimed by Deville for $5,000 in April 2011 at Evangeline Downs, has paid off at this meet with two 5 1/2-length victories in starter allowance/optional claiming races.

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 13:51

Woodbine notes: Season of seconds for Baker

Michael Burns
Hunters Bay finished second to Wise Dan in his turf debut in the Woodbine Mile.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Reade Baker will wind up the Woodbine meeting as the runner-up in races won, money won, and stakes races won.

So, perhaps it is somewhat fitting that Baker considers the highlight of his campaign to be a second-place finish.

That effort came courtesy of Hunters Bay, who was making his turf debut when he chased home Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Sept. 16.

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 13:51

Fair Grounds: Seven Lively Sins may finally be living up to promise

NEW ORLEANS – Racing’s most extreme equipment change – castration – appears to have made a difference with Seven Lively Sins.

His second start as a gelding comes Sunday in the second-level allowance/optional-claiming feature at the Fair Grounds.

As a 2-year-old last year, Seven Lively Sins showed promise, winning a maiden race at Keeneland in his second start before finishing third in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs and fourth in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot.

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 13:40

Los Alamitos: Freedom Choice ample replacement for injured stablemate in Two Million Futurity

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – Freedom Choice has replaced One Dashing Eagle as the top active 2-year-old in trainer Jose de la Torre’s stable.

The change may be permanent.

One Dashing Eagle, who won the All American Futurity and Golden State Million earlier this year, is finished for the year and recently underwent surgery to have bone chips removed from an ankle and knee. It is possible that One Dashing Eagle could be retired to stud as a 3-year-old in 2013, or could stand at stud and return for another season of racing. A decision is likely in the next month.

Fri, 12/14/2012 - 09:19

Evangeline: Filly brings fastest time into Evangeline Downs Futurity

Jetblack Gold Moment will be seeking her fourth straight win in Saturday night’s $167,425 Evangeline Downs Quarter Horse Futurity. She is the fastest qualifier for the 400-yard race and one of two fillies in the 10-horse field, the other being A Zoomin Fortune.