Wed, 12/05/2012 - 16:04

Aqueduct: San Pablo heads six-horse field for Queens County

B&D Photography
San Pablo comes into the Queens County off a win in the Swatara at Penn National.

San Pablo, a five-time stakes winner trained by Todd Pletcher, heads a field of six entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Queens Count Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.

San Pablo enjoyed a solid winter here last year, winning two overnight stakes and running second to Marilyn’s Guy in both the As Indicated and the Grade 3 Excelsior.

After a break, San Pablo has won 3 of 5 starts, including the Grade 3 Iselin at Monmouth Park in August and, most recently, the $100,000 Swatara Stakes at Penn National on Nov. 21. In between, he finished ninth in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont.

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 15:58

Hollywood Park: Bayakoa a reasonable spot for Class Included

Barbara D. Livingston
The Bayakoa will be Class Included’s first start on a synthetic track.

Class Included was overmatched when she made her California debut in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 2. She finished seventh as a 38-1 outsider, 11 1/4 lengths behind Royal Delta.

Class Included will be a more logical contender in her second start in the state, Saturday’s $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park. The Grade 2 Bayakoa has drawn an easier field, and does not include the champions Royal Delta or My Miss Aurelia, the first two finishers in the BC Ladies’ Classic.

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 15:42

Aqueduct: Saratoga Snacks re-routed to Alex Robb Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Lunar Victory and jockey Junior Alvarado get the better of Saratoga Snacks after a prolonged battle in the Empire Classic.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Saratoga Snacks, sidelined recently due to a bruised foot, could return to the races in the $75,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes at Aqueduct on Dec. 26, trainer Gary Sciacca said.

Saratoga Snacks, a son of Tale of the Cat owned by former NFL coach Bill Parcells, was being pointed to the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap for 3-year-olds here on Nov. 17 but came out of a Nov. 6 workout with the foot problem.

Saratoga Snacks recently resumed serious training and is likely to breeze over the weekend, Sciacca said.

“He’s doing super,” Sciacca said.

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 15:18

Gulfstream Park: Sky Captain working impressively

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Uncaptured, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, is targeting the Sam F. Davis and Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs.

Early this summer, trainer Mark Casse felt Sky Captain would be the No. 1 2-year-old prospect in his barn, especially after the son of Sky Mesa won his maiden by 10 lengths on July 1 at Churchill Downs. But Sky Captain was forced to the sidelines due to a wrenched ankle suffered while training up to the Hopeful at Saratoga and suddenly had to take a backseat in the 2-year-old pecking order in Casse’s barn behind Uncaptured, who was nothing sort of sensational during his juvenile campaign.

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 14:59

Hawthorne: Positive test forces quarantine extension

STICKNEY, Ill. – Laboratory test results received Tuesday revealed a horse that had to be euthanized Saturday at Hawthorne was infected with equine herpesvirus.

A positive result had been expected since the horse, a 2-year-old filly trained by Mike Reavis, was discovered lying down in its stall and unable to rise, symptoms consistent with the serious neurologic form of the virus, known as EHV-1. The filly had to be euthanized, becoming the fifth fatality resulting from an EHV-1 outbreak that began Oct. 14 at Hawthorne.

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 14:52

Hollywood Park: Imwiththeblonde showing stakes potential

Benoit & Associates
At Santa Anita on Oct. 21, Imwiththeblonde led throughout a maiden race over 5 1/2 furlongs.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – It took three races for Imwiththeblonde to beat maidens, finally doing so impressively at Santa Anita on Oct. 21.

When she makes her debut against winners in a $48,000 allowance race over 6 1/2 furlongs at Betfair Hollywood Park on Friday, Imwiththeblonde could earn a spot in a stakes race next month.

“I think we’ll be tough in there,” trainer John Sadler said. “I think she’s stakes-quality.

“If she does well,” said Sadler, she may be headed to the Santa Ynez.

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 14:41

Sunland Park: Track institutes new drug policy as 76-day meet opens

Coady Photography
Sunland Park's 76-day mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses is topped by the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 24.

Sunland Park in New Mexico will open a 76-date meet Friday with a stern new policy on drug positives, qualifying races for both the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, and a stakes named for arguably its most famous alumnus, Mine That Bird.

Sunland is situated right next door to El Paso, Texas, and it will conduct a mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses through April 16. The Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby and the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks will share a card March 24, which will offer seven stakes worth $1.4 million.

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 14:30

Gulfstream Park notes: Rodriguez, My Happy Face settle in for the winter

Jessica Hansen/NYRA
My Happy Face wins the Grade 3 Tempted Stakes by a neck over Cut the Moon at Aqueduct.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Rudy Rodriguez is hoping the decision to skip both the Breeders’ Cup and Aqueduct’s Demoiselle with his top 2-year-old filly prospect My Happy Face will pay big dividends this winter at Gulfstream Park.

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 14:07

Gulfstream Park: Zero Rate Policy takes distinct class drop in wake-up attempt

Barbara D. Livingston
Zero Rate Policy, who lost a photo finish in the Mr. Prospector at the last Gulfstream Park meet, tries to regain his form while meeting far softer competition on Friday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Zero Rate Policy was one of the stars during the opening month of the 2011-2012 Gulfstream Park meet, winning the Sunshine State Stakes before missing by a nose in a game effort behind Apriority in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector. Trainer Terri Pompay is hoping to rekindle some of that same late-season Gulfstream magic when she sends Zero Rate Policy out under a $62,500 price tag in the first of two mid-level optional claiming races that highlight Friday’s nine-race program.

Wed, 12/05/2012 - 13:49

Aqueduct: All of the Above attempts to fire fresh in sprint feature

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – All of the Above was in terrific form when he went for a freshening in late fall 2011 following an allowance win at Aqueduct.

Though it has taken much longer than his connections anticipated, All of the Above looks to pick up right where he left off when he returns from a 13-month layoff in a $66,000 second-level allowance that serves as the Big A’s feature on Friday.

The six-furlong race also has an optional claiming tag of $50,000 for which veteran sprinters Rigby and Be Bullish are being offered.