Sat, 12/29/2012 - 12:47

Turf Paradise: Administer comes south for Kruytbosch in sharp form

PHOENIX – The Northern California-based Administer invades Turf Paradise Monday for the $35,000 Luke Kruytbosch Stakes. The Kruytbosch, named for the Turf Paradise track announcer who died in 2008 when just 47, is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the main track and drew a field of 12.

Sat, 12/29/2012 - 12:06

Delta Downs: Little Polka Dot ends year with a stakes win

Little Polka Dot tracked the pace and went on to a one length win over A Runnin Pop in Friday night’s $70,000 Lookout at Delta Downs in Vinton, La. It was another length and a quarter back in third to Esther Carl.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 17:33

Aqueduct: Mott pair prep for upcoming stakes

Two of trainer Bill Mott’s New York-based horses worked Friday for upcoming stakes at Aqueduct.

Arena Elvira, pointing to Tuesday’s $75,000 Ladies Handicap, breezed four furlongs in 49.31 seconds over the Belmont training track. Star Harbour, possible for the Boom Towner Stakes on Jan. 9, went four furlongs in 49.87 seconds.

Arena Elvira, who won five consecutive stakes from Aug. 5, 2011 through March 17, 2012, will be making her third start off a layoff for trainer Bill Mott. She was twice beaten by Afleeting Lady in graded stakes at Belmont and Churchill.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 17:11

Gulfstream Park: Cigar Street looks good in comeback

Lou Hodges Jr.
Cigar Street is scheduled to undergo surgery this week to insert a screw to repair a hairline fracture of his left hind cannon bone.

Trainer Bill Mott has plenty of star power in his barn for the upcoming season, a group led by two-time Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic winner Royal Delta, the multiple Grade 1 winner Ron the Greek, and Flat Out. Mott’s arsenal got even stronger Thursday with Cigar Street, who returned from nearly nine months on the sidelines to register a very impressive allowance win over the Grade 1-placed Fast Falcon.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 17:01

Aqueduct: O'Neill starts road to the Derby in the cold

Adam Coglianese
Mudflats will go in Saturday's Jerome off this maiden win.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – As a native of Michigan, trainer Doug O’Neill is well versed in cold weather.

So while he was only here a few hours, the now Southern California-based O’Neill was well prepared for Friday morning’s below-freezing temperatures at Belmont Park.

“This ain’t my first rodeo in the cold weather,” said O’Neill, bundled up with two coats, wearing a ski hat, with hot coffee in hand.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 16:54

Fair Grounds: Dead On gets class relief in return

NEW ORLEANS – Fair Grounds will offer horseplayers a hodgepodge of handicapping challenges Sunday in a 11-race card.

The tests include a first-level allowance race for older horses, a route race for 2-year-old maidens, a turf sprint for maiden 2-year-olds fillies, and two stakes races for Alabama-breds.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 16:46

Gulfstream Park: My Pal Chrisy tries to transfer good form across town in Ocala

Coady Photography
My Pal Chrisy has been back on her best game since returning to Calder on a regular basis.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sunday’s $100,000 Ocala will be run at Gulfstream Park, but certainly has the look of a Calder stakes with five of the six fillies and mares in the field stabled across town at the North Miami oval.

If the one-mile Ocala were to be run at Calder, My Pal Chrisy would be hard to look past, having posted all eight of her career victories over her home course. But with the final stakes of the 2012 south Florida racing season to be decided at Gulfstream, the favorite and 123-pound highweight may prove vulnerable.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 16:41

Hawthorne: Assistant GM Miller leaving to work for Midwest Thoroughbreds

STICKNEY, Ill. – Hawthorne assistant general manager Jim Miller has resigned his position at the track to take a job with the Midwest Thoroughbreds Inc. stable of Richard and Karen Papiese, Miller said Friday.

Miller said his role with the biggest racing operation in North America hasn’t yet been entirely defined.

“I’m not really going to have a title,” he said. “I want to learn as much as I can about the operation. I hope to help improve the quality of what they already have going.”

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 16:34

Gulfstream Park: Little Distorted will sprint in Spectacular Bid

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Little Distorted will not be asked to try a route until a little later in his 3-year-old campaign.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Darrin Miller had two options for his speedy sensation Little Distorted on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream Park – keep him at six furlongs in the Spectacular Bid or stretch out to a mile for the Gulfstream Park Derby.

Fri, 12/28/2012 - 16:30

Aqueduct: Gendarmour catching up after a late start

Adam Coglianese
Gendarmour (outside) wins her debut at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It took until late in her 3-year-old season for Gendarmour to make it to the races, but the New York-bred daughter of Officer may prove worth the wait.

With two solid races under her belt, Gendarmour looms the horse to beat in a first-level allowance race for statebred fillies and mares that serves as Aqueduct’s feature on Sunday’s nine-race card.

An overflow field of 15 was entered for the six-furlong race in which three are offered for the optional claiming price of $14,000. Only 12 will be permitted to start.