Mon, 11/12/2012 - 14:47

Calder notes: Kaplan dealing with life without Musical Romance

Coady Photography @ Calder Casino & Race Course
Musical Romance, with Juan Leyva aboard, wins the Mike Sherman.

MIAMI – Trainer Bill Kaplan left south Florida for Santa Anita two weeks ago with an Eclipse Award winner in his barn. He returned the following week to a $1.6 million empty stall, the price his 2011 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Musical Romance brought at the Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Mon, 11/12/2012 - 14:35

Churchill Downs: Debase the Dollar poised to advance off maiden win

Barbara D. Livingston
Debase the Dollar ran five races before winning her maiden at Keeneland in October.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It took a well-bred filly named Debase the Dollar five races to get through her maiden condition. Now that she has the hang of winning, the 3-year-old filly might well make it a habit.

“She sure has trained well since coming down here since that last win” at Keeneland, noted Kenny McCarthy, the Churchill Downs-based assistant to trainer Bill Mott. “Hopefully that will be reflected when we run her back Wednesday afternoon.”

Mon, 11/12/2012 - 14:08

Churchill Downs notes: Evening revelers to see Mrs. Revere Stakes

Tom Keyser
Centre Court, runner-up in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup last month at Keeneland, is the likely favorite in the Mrs. Revere.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Whether they know it or not, the thousands of novice racing fans who will attend the ever-popular Downs After Dark program Saturday evening at Churchill Downs will be treated to some high-quality racing.

The $175,000 Mrs. Revere Stakes once again promises to live up to its Grade 2 ranking with at least five graded stakes winners expected for the 1 1/16-mile turf race. The Mrs. Revere will anchor a Saturday card that also will include its male counterpart, the Grade 3, $100,000 Commonwealth Turf.

Mon, 11/12/2012 - 14:02

Hollywood Park notes: Baffert planning all-out attack on CashCall

Benoit & Associates
Carving, winner of the Real Quiet Stakes, is co-owned by skiing star Bode Miller.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile did not work out quite the way trainer Bob Baffert had hoped, but he’s reloading and setting his sights on the Grade 1, $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Betfair Hollywood Park on Dec. 15, in which he vows to “run as many as I can.”

“I’ll try to load the gate up,” Baffert said.

Mon, 11/12/2012 - 13:21

Woodbine: Rootham Triple E’s heads Wednesday sprint

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Sam DiPasquale has fared okay in recent Woodbine stakes. He lost the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion by a whisker with longshot Youcan’tcatchme, and had another longshot, Pure Blue Sky, finish fifth in the Maple Leaf.

DiPasquale sent out the runner-up in the Oct. 13 Fanfreluche, Rootham Triple E’s, who heads the featured second race on Wednesday, a six-furlong allowance for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies.

Sun, 11/11/2012 - 20:31

Hollywood: Midnight Ballet finds distance, new jockey to liking in Sharp Cat

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Extra distance, a deceptively softer spot, and a new jockey proved to be the winning formula on Sunday at Betfair Hollywood Park for Midnight Ballet, who successfully stretched out to capture the $100,000 Sharp Cat Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Sun, 11/11/2012 - 17:15

Woodbine: Leinan runs 'em down in Glorious Song

Michael Burns
Leinan, a 7-1 shot under Luis Contreras, edges Goldstryke Glory to win the Glorious Song on Sunday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Leinan collared favorites Goldstryke Glory and Mechaya in the stretch en route to notching her first stakes win in the $155,500 Glorious Song at Woodbine Sunday.

Mechaya, the 3-5 choice from California, outbroke the others and set fast splits in the seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies. Goldstryke Glory tracked Mechaya before passing her exiting the turn, but she failed to hold off Leinan, who rallied strongly from fourth to prevail by a length in 1:23.73. Mechaya held on for third in the six-horse field.

Sun, 11/11/2012 - 17:04

Aqueduct: Meeker Avenue and Kelli Got Frosty win New York Stallion Series divisions

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Meeker Avenue and Ramon Dominguez hug the rail and hold off Laila's Jazz and Rajiv Maragh to win the Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series.

In divisions of the New York Stallion Series for 2-year-olds, Meeker Avenue ($3.20) and Kelli Got Frosty ($10.60) prevailed in close decisions at Aqueduct on Sunday. Each division was worth $125,000 and run at six furlongs.

Sun, 11/11/2012 - 09:36

Charles Town: In the Fairway, Flirting Song win divisions of Tri-State Futurity

In the Fairway won his division of the Tri-State Futurity at Charles Town at 1-5 on Saturday night, while Flirting Song upset the filly division at 12-1. Each 2-year-old race was worth $64,137 and run at seven furlongs.

In the Fairway defeated Hanky Doodle by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:26.07. Cinderella’spalace finished third.

Owned by Coleswood Farm and trained by Jeff Runco, In the Fairway was ridden by Jose Montano. The Posse colt paid $2.40.

Sun, 11/11/2012 - 09:18

Lone Star: Valiant Lil Lady to quick for foes in Texas Classic Futurity

Valiant Lil Lady broke on top and never looked back to win Saturday night’s $1 million Texas Classic Futurity by a head over Big Boi. It was another half-length back in third to Pyc Kant Katch Me.

The Grade 1 race for Quarter Horses was the richest race in Texas and it closed out the meet at Lone Star Park near Dallas. Also on the card, Ochoa, the leading money earner among Quarter Horses, was upset by stablemate The Long Knife in the Texas Classic Derby, finishing fifth to the winner, who paid $61.20.