[bc_video_id:259024:]CHESTER, W.Va. – Three years ago this weekend, Steve Asmussen saddled Kensei in the Saratoga paddock, ducked in to watch Soul Warrior give him his third victory in the West Virginia Derby on a television monitor, then stepped outside to watch Kensei win the Jim Dandy.
“Those were five of the best minutes of my life,” Asmussen recalled.
CHESTER, W.Va. – It’s almost heaven, West Virginia. A fellow like Garry Simms should feel right at home Saturday on the biggest day of racing at Mountaineer Park, surrounded not only by a sizable group of friends, but also amid a crowd of fans not much unlike himself.
“I’ve got a pretty good following for an ol’ country boy,” Simms said Thursday at Churchill Downs, the day before he was leaving for Mountaineer with Circle Unbroken and Blueeyesintherein in tow. “I feel extremely blessed.”
Here's my race-by-race rundown of Saturday's pick four at Mountaineer Park on August 4, 2012. I'm building my wager with TicketMaker, found exclusively on DRF.com. Bet increments are $0.50, and my budget is $100.
CHESTER, W.Va. – Studious racing fans may cringe at tales of a tail, but isn’t there room for fun in this game anymore? Yes, Kendall Hansen sending over his champion colt with a blue streak in his tail may seem absurd, but when it comes to the business of running around a racetrack, suddenly all the talk about Hansen turns very serious.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Troy Taylor and owner Glen Todd said they will grudgingly accept the 128 pounds assigned to Taylor Said in the $75,000 B.C. Cup Classic at Hastings.
The Classic headlines six stakes races restricted to British Columbia-breds that make up the bulk of the B.C. Cup Day Card on Monday. B.C. Cup Day has been the largest day in terms of attendance and handle since its inception in 1995.
“We’re going to run,” said Todd. “But when was the last time a horse around here carried 128 pounds?”
Prayer for Relief has been relocated to the Midwest and the care of trainer Steve Asmussen, who said Thursday that the horse’s first order of business in the region will come in the $200,000 Governor’s Cup at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. Prayer for Relief had been based in Southern California with trainer Bob Baffert. The horse is owned by Zayat Stables.
The Governor’s Cup, a 1 1/8-mile race, will be run on Aug. 11.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – David Willmot, chairman of the board of the Woodbine Entertainment Group, has retired, the company announced late Wednesday afternoon.
Jim Lawson has been elected as Willmot’s replacement and takes over the helm at a time when Ontario’s racing industry finds itself at a potential crossroads following the Ontario government’s decision to end the racetrack slots revenue-sharing program on March 31, 2013.
DEL MAR, Calif. – Strong Wind won his first stakes and ended a lengthy drought in six-figure stakes for trainer Steve Knapp in Wednesday’s $100,000 Graduation Stakes at Del Mar.
Ridden by Kevin Krigger, his first career stakes win at Del Mar, Strong Wind ($8) led or disputed the pace throughout and pulled away from four rivals in the stretch to win the race for California-breds by 4 1/4 lengths. Just Call Me Al, last to the turn, rallied wide to finish second, followed by Lovemeister, Weewinnin, and Law Dog.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There were two winning tickets sold on Wednesday's pick six at Saratoga, each returning $470,645.
According to New York Racing Association officials, one of the tickets was sold at Nassau County (N.Y.) Off-Track Betting and the other was purchased at Venezuela OTB through the Maryland hub.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Back with New York-breds, Saginaw was back in the winner's circle Wednesday at Saratoga, dominating the $100,000 John Morrissey Stakes by five lengths.
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Be Bullish won a three-way scramble for second by a nose over Mine Over Matter, who got third by a neck over Uncle T Seven.
