Sat, 10/06/2012 - 08:23

Remington Park: Burst of Life wins tight finish in Flashy Lady

Burst of Life improved her Remington Park record to 7 for 9 on Friday night, when she won a three-way photo over All About Allie and 1-2 favorite Moon Buzz in the $50,000 Flashy Lady. Burst of Life’s official margin of victory was a neck over About Allie, while it was another head back in third to Moon Buzz.

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 18:28

Keeneland: Spring In the Air rushes home to win Alcibiades

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Spring In the Air, with Patrick Husbands riding, takes the Darley Alcibiades.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Mark Casse has been touting for months the potential of the 2-year-old crop he has under his training care this year. At least in this timely instance, Casse was proven absolutely right on opening day of the Keeneland fall meet Friday when Spring In the Air, with Patrick Husbands riding for Casse and owner John Oxley, rolled home a winner in the 61st running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes.

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 18:11

Will Rogers Park: Madresita had tightener

Madresita might have been second in her trial for the $100,000 Black Gold Futurity, but as the lone stakes winner in the field she will start as a top contender Sunday in the 350-yard race being run at Will Rogers Downs near Tulsa, Okla.

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 18:09

Zia Park: Someplace Else ready to go in Chaves County

Someplace Else has been living someplace else for the last week and a half. The Oklahoma-based filly has been calling Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., home since Sept. 27, when she shipped into town three days in advance of the $60,000 Chaves County Stakes.

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 17:40

Keeneland: Sum of the Parts runs away with Phoenix

Coady Photography
Sum of the Parts leads from gate to wire to win the Phoenix on opening day of Keeneland's fall meet.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Sum of the Parts broke like a shot and proceeded to lead every inch of the six-furlong distance of the Grade 3 Phoenix Stakes on the opening-day card on a warm Friday at Keeneland.

Giving Julien Leparoux his third victory of the day, Sum of the Parts, a 3-year-old facing older rivals, returned $11.80 as third choice in a field of 10 in the 160th running of the $175,000 Phoenix. He finished in 1:09.88 over the Polytrack surface.

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 17:17

Keeneland meet kicks off with familiar winners

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Larry Rivelli had to skip opening day at Hawthorne to run a horse instead on a warm sunny day at Keeneland. Tough break, dude.

“We picked our spot with this one,” a smiling Rivelli said after getting his photograph taken in the Keeneland winner’s circle after sending out favored Breaking Ball to win the fourth race on the Friday opener of the 17-day fall meet.

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 17:10

Belmont: Alpha, Questing continue preparations for Breeders' Cup

Barbara D. Livingston
Barbara D. Livingston Alpha goes four furlongs in an easy 48.98 seconds Friday under Rob Massey.

Alpha and Questing, both beaten at Parx in $1 million races in their last starts, returned to the work tab Friday morning, each breezing four furlongs over the synthetic surface at the Greentree training center in Saratoga.

Alpha, the Travers co-winner who finished sixth in the Pennsylvania Derby, went four furlongs in 48.40 seconds, according to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Alpha is pointing to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 16:54

Belmont: Motion looks prominent in trio of holiday turf stakes

Tom Cooley Photography
West Hills Giant will be coming back on short rest and switching from dirt to turf if he runs in Monday's Pilgrim Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Graham Motion will be a player in all three turf stakes scheduled to be run on Monday’s Columbus Day card at Belmont Park.

In the Grade 3, $150,000 Pilgrim Stakes, for 2-year-old males, Motion will send out the Irish-bred Cerro. In the Grade 3, $150,000 Miss Grillo, for 2-year-old fillies, Motion sends out Three Hearts. Finally, in the $150,000 Pebbles Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, Motion has Ski Holiday.

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 16:52

Santa Anita: Tyler Baze delivers $112 upset in first day back race-riding

Benoit & Associates
Tyler Baze failed to take a required Brethalyzer test last summer.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Tyler Baze needed less than three hours to find the first winner of his comeback.

Returning from a suspension for substance-abuse problems, Baze won with his second and final mount at Santa Anita on Friday – the longshot Warren’s Sugarbuzz ($112.60) in the sixth race over six furlongs.

Baze was reinstated from a suspension last month by Los Alamitos stewards and began working horses in late September. He was suspended for failing to take a Breathalyzer test at Del Mar in September 2011.

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 16:28

Keeneland: State vet mistakenly gives Lasix to horse

LEXINGTON, Ky. – On the first day that state veterinarians in Kentucky were responsible for administering pre-race shots of furosemide, one of the favorites in Keeneland’s seventh race was mistakenly given the diuretic and ended up racing on the anti-bleeder medication, finishing second.