Thu, 01/03/2013 - 16:27

Laurel: Castellano, Ness top standings in Maryland for 2012

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Abel Castellano won 132 races at Laurel and Pimlico in 2012, including eight stakes.

Abel Castellano captured his first year-long riding title in Maryland in 2012.

Castellano, 29, finished the year with 132 victories, 11 more than 2011 champion Sheldon Russell, including 59 in the fall meet that ended Dec. 31 at Laurel Park. He also tied for first among locally based jockeys with eight stakes wins, including five aboard Bold Affair.

The totals include racing at Laurel and Pimlico, but not those at the short Maryland State Fair at Timonium meet.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 16:17

Gulfstream Park plans to race summer/fall weekends in conflict with Calder

Gulfstream Park plans to run head-to-head against crosstown Calder Race Course on weekends later this year as part of a plan to run year round at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track, Gulfstream officials said Thursday.

The officials said that Gulfstream plans to finish its meet this year and then begin running on weekends the first week of July, provided state regulators approve a dates request filed by the track Dec. 31. The request covers the 12 months running from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 16:08

Delta Downs: Big Drama Stakes pace may suit Mr. Bandini's Band

Dustin Orona Photography
King Henny, winner of the Clever Trevor at Remington, will start from the rail in the Big Drama Stakes.

There are a handful of speed horses in Saturday night’s $100,000 Big Drama for 3-year-olds at Delta Downs, and if they mix it up, they could set the table for Mr. Bandini’s Band. He will be seeking his first stakes win in the seven-furlong race to be run around two turns and enters off a career effort.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 16:01

Aqueduct: Princess of Sylmar after third straight in Busanda

Tom Keyser
Coconut Shrimp will make her dirt debut in the Busanda for trainer Todd Pletcher after racing on turf in her firsdt five starts.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In trying to split up his plethora of young horses, it was an easy decision for trainer Todd Pletcher to send Princess of Sylmar to Penn National, where she could meet softer company while earning added money for being a Pennsylvania-bred.

After winning a maiden race by 19 lengths in her second start, it was just as easy a decision for Pletcher to return Princess of Sylmar to New York to run for richer purses, even if it meant facing tougher competition.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 15:10

Aqueduct: Jerome will help determine whether Long River is Kentucky Derby material

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Recent maiden winner Long River will represent Darley Stables and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin in the Grade 2 Jerome for 3-year-olds.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – As they proved last year with Alpha, owner Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin have no problem using the New York road to the Triple Crown for a promising 3-year-old.

So it comes as little surprise that duo will be represented by the royally bred Long River when New York’s road to the 2013 Triple Crown kicks off with Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:21

Turf Paradise: E Z Kitty looks to confirm status in Kachina

Coady Photography
E Z Kitty enters the Kachina on Saturday off this 4 1/2-length score in the Phoenix Stakes.

PHOENIX – By virtue of her romping win in the Phoenix Stakes at Turf Paradise on Dec. 19, E Z Kitty could lay claim to the title as the best filly or mare on the grounds. She looks to dispel any doubts in Saturday’s $35,000 Kachina Handicap. The mile main-track event for fillies and mares drew a field of seven.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:19

Tampa Bay Downs: Great Attack no cinch in Turf Dash

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Turf Dash favorite Great Attack finished fifith in his last start, the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Great Attack is slated to make his first start since finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Saturday when he tops a field of nine in the $75,000 Tampa Turf Dash at five furlongs.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:19

Santa Anita: Ultimate Eagle using San Pasqual as prep for Big Cap

Benoit & Associates
Ultimate Eagle returns to the track on which he dominated the Strub last year (above).

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ultimate Eagle had a diverse range of results in the early months of 2012 at Santa Anita. He won the Grade 2 Strub Stakes by 7 1/2 lengths Feb. 4, but was 10th as the 2-1 favorite in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 2.

The goal this winter is to avoid such variations.

A 5-year-old, Ultimate Eagle starts in the $150,000 San Pasqual Handicap at Santa Anita on Saturday, a race that trainer Mike Pender and owner B.J. Wright plan to use as a prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on March 2.

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:15

Turfway Park: Bye Bye Bernie tries different path in Turfway Prevue Stakes

Whatever gets you there . . .

Kelly Breen and his clients, George and Lori Hall, are thinking outside the box when it comes to possibly making the Kentucky Derby with one of their better 3-year-olds, a dark bay colt named Bye Bye Bernie. They may be taking the Turfway Park route.

“He’s shown he likes Polytrack, so if he runs well Saturday, he’ll stay there another four weeks and we’ll just play it race-by-race from there,” Breen said this week while en route to New York from his main winter base in south Florida. “Turfway has a nice progression of races through the winter.”

Thu, 01/03/2013 - 14:00

Hawthorne daily average handle declines 7 percent

STICKNEY, Ill. – All-sources average daily handle at Hawthorne Race Course declined 7 percent from 2011 during a fall-winter meet that ended Dec. 30, but things could have been worse. This Hawthorne season will long be remembered for the equine herpesvirus outbreak that began infecting horses in mid-October and led to talk of halting the race meet in midseason.