Tue, 07/03/2012 - 14:57

Woodbine: Tu Endie Wei set for Victory Ride

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Tu Endie Wei has checked into Belmont for Saturday’s Victory Ride Stakes, a six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies which offers Grade 3 status and a purse of $150,000.

Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Brereton C. Jones, Tu Endie Wei was Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly for trainer Reade Baker with her only loss coming in Keeneland’s Grade 1 Alcibiades at 1 1/16 miles.

Tue, 07/03/2012 - 14:40

Woodbine: Jenna's Wabbit turns Achievement into one-horse show

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Monday’s $150,000 Achievement Stakes had been billed as a clash between Incredicat, who was favored at 4-5, and Jenna’s Wabbit, the 6-5 second choice. But it was Jenna’s Wabbit who provided all the fireworks as he bounced to the lead under regular rider Eurico Rosa da Silva and was never seriously threatened while leading throughout the six furlongs, with Incredicat giving game but futile chase.

Tue, 07/03/2012 - 14:21

Louisiana Downs notes: Amanecer de Oro’s plans call for more sprinting

Lou Hodges Jr.
Amanecer de Oro is being pointed to the $60,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint at Louisiana Downs.

Amanecer de Oro is a stakes winner at one turn and two and on dirt and turf, but after firing one of the best races of his career last Saturday night in the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Sprint at Evangeline Downs, his immediate schedule will comprise main-track sprints in the region, trainer Steven Duke said.

Tue, 07/03/2012 - 12:57

Belmont Park: Doctor Chit moves to dirt in Western Larla Stakes

Renee Torbit/Coady Photography
Gypsy Robin is entered for the Thursday feature but could run instead in the Victory Ride.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Doctor Chit and Gypsy Robin, each a perfect 2 for 2 this year racing exclusively on synthetic tracks, head a field of seven 3-year-olds in Thursday’s $85,000 Western Larla overnight stakes at six furlongs on the dirt. The competitive dash also lured Vexor, winner of the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes; and Saint of Saints, a sharp second to odds-on older horse Associate in his local bow.

Tue, 07/03/2012 - 12:38

Woodbine: Raincoats’ntuxedos may have company up front in Thursday allowance sprint

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The rapid Raincoats’ntuxedos has run huge from the tricky 1 hole and will break from the rail for the third time in a row in Thursday’s Woodbine headliner, a six-furlong first-level allowance for 3-year-olds. Post time for the first of eight races is 2:10 p.m.

Raincoats’ntuxedos, trained by Abraham Katryan, went to the sidelines for nearly six months after graduating second time out at 2. When he came back to play Nov. 25, he was beaten a neck by Mr. Monty when second in a restricted allowance.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 21:02

Hastings: Gutierrez takes Chris Loseth aboard Devil in Disguise

Barbara D. Livingston
"Vancouver will always be home for me," said Mario Gutierrez after winning the Chris Loseth aboard Devil in Disguise.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Mario Gutierrez received a hero’s welcome at Hastings after winning the $50,000 Chris Loseth for 3-year-olds aboard Devil in Disguise Monday.

Gutierrez was based here before becoming internationally famous as the rider of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 18:27

Hansen headed for West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer

Jack Coady/Coady Photography
Hansen, with Ramon Dominguez riding, wins the Iowa Derby.

Mountaineer Park in West Virginia could be getting a surplus of big-name Kentucky horses for its biggest day of the year, Aug. 4.

Not only is Hansen, a 1-10 winner of the Iowa Derby on Saturday night, scheduled to make his next start that day in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby for trainer Mike Maker, but the Garry Simms-trained duo that swept the two big Churchill stakes for 2-year-olds, Blueeyesintherein and Circle Unbroken, also could race on the undercard in the $100,000 Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies and $100,000 Mountaineer Juvenile, respectively.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 17:31

Woodbine: Jenna’s Wabbit runs away with Achievement Stakes

Michael Burns
Jenna's Wabbit, with Eurico Da Silva up, wins the Achievement Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jenna’s Wabbit outran favored Incredicat for the lead and kept on going to take the $150,000 Achievement Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths at Woodbine on Monday.

With Eurico Da Silva aboard, Jenna’s Wabbit, the 124-pound highweight, covered six furlongs in 1:11.16 after setting fairly quick fractions. Incredicat held off Bear and Rod for second in the six-horse field of Ontario-bred 3-year-olds.

Jenna’s Wabbit ($4.70) collected $90,000 in his fourth stakes victory for trainer Ralph Biamonte.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 17:04

Ruidoso Downs: Champions meet in Rainbow Derby trials

The champion Quarter Horse runners Ochoa and Feature Mr Bojangles will meet in the same trial race Wednesday at Ruidoso Downs, when both attempt to qualify for the Grade 1, $903,687 Rainbow Derby. The horses start in the fourth race, which is one of seven 440-yard time trials that feature a total of 69 runners vying for 10 spots in the July 21 finale.

Mon, 07/02/2012 - 16:56

Thistledown: Prospective heads compact Ohio Derby

Michael Burns
Prospective, with Luis Contreras riding, wins the Victoria Park.

Prospective will make his first start since winning the June 10 Victoria Park Stakes when he leaves from post 1 in a field of just five 3-year-olds in the Grade 3, $100,000 Ohio Derby, to be run Saturday for the 78th time at Thistledown in suburban Cleveland.

Prospective, trained by Mark Casse for John Oxley, won the Tampa Bay Derby in March before finishing sixth in the Blue Grass Stakes and 18th in the Kentucky Derby. The son of Malibu Moon then rebounded to win the Victoria Park on June 10 at Woodbine as the 2-5 favorite.