Mon, 06/18/2012 - 15:25

Indiana Downs: Lonesome Street going for repeat

Keeneland/Coady Photography
Lonesome Street wins the Grade 2 Commonwealth at Keeneland.

Lonesome Street will try to repeat his performance of last year, when he won the 2011 running of the $100,000 J. Kenneth Self Shelby County Boys and Girls Club on Wednesday evening at Indiana Downs.

Mon, 06/18/2012 - 14:54

Presque Isle Downs: Ravalo should have pace help in Boyes Memorial

Dustin Orona Photography
Ravalo will make his first start since January in Wednesday's $100,000 Karl Boyes Memorial at Presque Isle Downs.

Ravalo returns to action Wednesday evening when taking on a field of older sprinters in the $100,000 Karl Boyes Memorial at Presque Isle Downs.

The venerable Don Barr trainee has not raced since January, when he finished last in an overnight stakes at Aqueduct. Prior to that race, he won the $200,000 Six Bits Handicap at Penn National, a race that took a lot out of him, according to Barr.

“It was what I call a gut-wrencher, it took a lot out of him, out of all of us. “ Barr said.

Mon, 06/18/2012 - 14:43

Woodbine notes: Pender Harbour gives barn some relief

Michael Burns
Pender Harbour, with Luis Contreras riding, wins the Steady Growth

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It has been a frustrating spring for the Mike DePaulo barn.

So, there was palpable sense if relief last Sunday after Pender Harbour captured the $125,000 Steady Growth Stakes under his regular rider, Luis Contreras.

“It’s nice to get him back,” said DePaulo, who trains Pender Harbour for Alberta-based owners Denny Andrews, Sandra Lazaruk, and Bob and Roberta Giffin.

“He certainly needed his first race. He was fat. He’s still far from skinny.”

Mon, 06/18/2012 - 14:17

Belmont Park: Clement has three good-lookers on Wednesday card

ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s supposed to get steamy here on Wednesday with temperatures soaring into the 90s for the nine-race program at Belmont Park, which begins with a pick six carryover of $26,657.

Perhaps the only thing hotter than the temperature is trainer Christophe Clement’s barn, which has won 5 of the last 8 races it has participated in at Belmont. Clement has moved into a second-place tie with Rudy Rodriguez in the Belmont standings with 14 victories, five behind Richard Dutrow Jr.

Mon, 06/18/2012 - 14:05

Woodbine: Strait of Dover puts in strong final work for Queen's Plate

Michael Burns
Strait of Dover, with jockey Justin Stein up, works five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Monday.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Strait of Dover and Classic Bryce both worked five furlongs over the main track here Monday morning in their final major tune-ups for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on Sunday at Woodbine.

The probable field for the 1 1/4-mile Queen’s Plate swelled to 15 on Monday morning with the news that Washington Dash, a maiden who is trained by Darrin Miller, would be shipping in from Churchill Downs.

Strait of Dover, trained by Danny Vella, breezed in 1:00.40 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.40 with his regular rider Justin Stein in the irons.

Mon, 06/18/2012 - 13:36

Woodbine: River Lemon targets end to drought on turf

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Stakes-placed horses River Lemon and Thundering Waters will take center stage Wednesday night at Woodbine in the third race, a $40,000 conditioned claimer scheduled for nine furlongs on the grass.

River Lemon went to the sidelines for 8 1/2 months after finishing a close third in last year’s Toronto Cup Stakes. He checked in fifth after a troubled break when he came off the shelf March 31 at Gulfstream, but a subsequent performance there in another allowance was forgettable.

Mon, 06/18/2012 - 12:17

Emerald Downs: Winning Machine wins Budweiser Handicap; Noosa Beach scratched at gate

Noosa Beach made it to the starting gate Sunday at Emerald Downs, but no farther. Set to start as the odds-on favorite in the $50,000 Budweiser Handicap, the reigning Washington horse of the year injured himself after rearing in the gate and was withdrawn by order of the presiding veterinarian. That opened the door for Winning Machine to capture the one-mile Budweiser, his second consecutive stakes victory.

Mon, 06/18/2012 - 12:17

Northlands Park: Alisal has the edge in sprint feature

Alisal could be ready for a peak performance in his third start of the year, and he probably needs only to repeat his very good second behind Minutesandtouches in a second-level allowance race June 6 to win Wednesday’s feature at Northlands Park. The conditions of the race are the same, but the quality of the eight-horse field Wednesday doesn’t appear as strong as the June 6 race. Plus, with his tactical speed, Alisal should get a nice trip from just off what figures to be a moderate pace in the six-and-one-half furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Sun, 06/17/2012 - 20:30

Hastings: Terlani pulls 9-1 upset in Vancouver Sun

Four-Footed Fotos
Terlani, ridden byJeff Burningham, wins the Vancouver Sun for fillies and mares.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Terlani paid $20.30 for her upset win in the $50,000 Vancouver Sun for fillies and mares at Hastings on Sunday. 

With jockey Jeff Burningham keeping Terlani out from the rail in the 1 1/16-mile race, she stalked Overvalued, who posted fractions of 23.96 seconds, 47.63, and 1:12.70 over a wet-fast track. Terlani moved up to engage Overvalued on the stretch turn, was a head behind turning for home,  and edged clear in midstretch to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Overvalued held on to finish second by the same margin over Orchid’s Silver.

Sun, 06/17/2012 - 20:10

Canterbury: I'll Show Them splashes to stakes record in Shot of Gold

Coady Photography
I'll Show Them, ridden by Bobby Walker Jr., covers six furlongs in 1:08.99 to win the Shot of Gold.

SHAKOPEE, Minn – The heavy rain that held off at Canterbury Park for most of the day came down at post time of the $50,000 Shot of Gold Stakes.  The deluge didn’t stop I’ll Show Them from setting a stakes record of 1:08.99 for six furlongs over the muddy main track in front of a Father’s Day crowd of 12,120.

I’ll Show Them stalked leader Humble Smarty for the first half of the race and moved to take command through the turn and drew off to win by 4 ¾ lengths.