Sun, 11/25/2012 - 15:45

Aqueduct: Overanalyze, Unlimited Budget headed for Florida

Barbara D. Livingston
Overanalyze, with Ramon Dominguez riding, is a nose in front of Normandy Invasion at the Remsen finish.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Overanalyze, Unlimited Budget and Dance Card, the winners of three graded stakes on Saturday’s program at Aqueduct, will all be headed to south Florida shortly to prepare for their 2013 campaigns.

Overanalyze put himself on the Kentucky Derby trail with his nose victory over Normandy Invasion in the Grade 2 Remsen. Both Overanalyze and Normandy Invasion earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 99, which would rank as the second highest figure recorded by a 2-year-old male in 2012. Only Little Distorted, who earned a 101 in a sprint race, has a higher number.

Sun, 11/25/2012 - 14:35

Los Alamitos: Three earn berths in Champion of Champions

Hez Our Secret, Senor Toby and Jess You and I earned berths to the $750,000 Champion of Champions on Dec. 15 by sweeping the top three positions in Saturday’s Z. Wayne Griffin Director’s Trial at Los Alamitos.

Saturday’s lone trial was the last chance to earn a berth into the Champion of Champions, the nation’s most prestigious race for older Quarter Horses.

Sun, 11/25/2012 - 14:30

Aqueduct: Groupie Doll getting well-deserved rest after nose loss in Cigar Mile

Tom Keyser
Stay Thirsty (left) gets up to defeat Groupie Doll in the final jump of the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Saturday.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - No regrets.

That was the sentiment expressed Sunday by Buff Bradley, trainer of the filly Groupie Doll, who was beaten a nose by Stay Thirsty in Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

Sun, 11/25/2012 - 13:47

Gulfstream: Shanghai Bobby slated to make 3-year-old debut in Holy Bull

Barbara D. Livingston
Shanghai Bobby was scheduled to ship in to Santa Anita from New York on Wednesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Shanghai Bobby, the undefeated winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and likely champion 2-year-old colt, is being pointed to the Grade 3, $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 26 for his 3-year-old debut, trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday.

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 20:20

Hollywood Park: Travesura takes advantage of early lead in Miesque Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Travesura, with Tyler Baze up, controlled the pace and held on for victory in the Grade 3 Miesque Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – When the maiden race winner Travesura made the lead in the first turn of Saturday’s $100,000 Miesque Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park, jockey Tyler Baze was delightfully surprised.

“I wasn’t expecting to be on the lead,” he said. “They gave it to me, and I took it.”

Travesura set a slow pace under Baze – 24.61 and 49.24 seconds – and had enough in reserve to hold off a late threat from Pussycat Lips to score an upset win in the one-mile turf race for 2-year-old fillies.

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 19:43

Turf Paradise: Red Zeus draws away in Arizona Breeders’ Futurity

Coady Photography
Red Zeus wins Saturday’s $45,799 Arizona Breeders’ Futurity at Turf Paradise.

PHOENIX – Red Zeus, a maiden, picked the right day to run the race of his life as the 2-year-old son of Red Sky’s posted a big upset in Saturday’s $45,799 Arizona Breeders’ Futurity (colt and gelding division) at Turf Paradise.

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 19:04

Zia Park: African Rose leads start to finish in Zia Park Distaff

Coady Photography @ Zia Park
African Rose, with Isaias Enriquez in the saddle, wins the Zia Park Distaff.

African Rose set a pressured pace and prevailed to pick up the first stakes win of her career Saturday in the $55,000 Zia Park Distaff. She won by 1 1/4 lengths over Raucous Lady, while it was another 3 1/4 lengths back to third-place Pyrite on My Mind.

African Rose ($18.40) was pressed through fractions of 21.85 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.17 for the half-mile. She went on to cover the six furlongs for fillies and mares in 1:09.88.

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 18:51

Fair Grounds: Zapper Belle stays outside on way to win in Pago Hop Stakes

Lynn Roberts/Hodges Photography
Zapper Belle, with Leandro Goncalves up, wins the $75,000 Pago Hop Stakes at Fair Grounds.

NEW ORLEANS – Jockey Leandro Goncalves, spending his first meet at Fair Grounds, started off riding turf races here like he was taught, saving ground along the fence for as long as possible. While so doing, he saw something strange happening around him.

“I looked around, everyone else was six or seven wide, and I was the only one on the inside,” Goncalves said. “I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was doing it wrong.”

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 18:45

Churchill Downs: Uncaptured edges Frac Daddy in Kentucky Jockey Club

Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Uncaptured (inside), with Miguel Mena riding, gets the best of Frac Daddy in the Kentucky Jockey Club.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Uncaptured is a throwback, at least in this respect: Late in his 2-year-old season, the colt already has won five stakes, a total sometimes not exceeded by even the most glorified retirees in this modern era.

The fifth one came after an old-fashioned throw-down with a similarly talented colt, Frac Daddy, when the two hooked up Saturday at Churchill Downs in a riveting 86th running of the Grade 2, $177,150 Kentucky Jockey Club, the last of two stakes on the Stars of Tomorrow program exclusively for 2-year-olds.

Sat, 11/24/2012 - 18:25

Hollywood Park: Den’s Legacy stays on rail for victory in Generous Stakes

Benoit & Associates
Den's Legacy, with Garrett Gomez riding, wins the Grade 3, $100,000 Generous Stakes.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Fresh off a four-win performance Friday, including the Citation with Data Link, jockey Garrett Gomez continued his hot hand at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday with a flawless, rail-skimming ride aboard Den’s Legacy, a trip that made the difference in the Grade 3, $100,000 Generous Stakes for 2-year-olds.