Sun, 06/17/2012 - 14:04

Woodbine: Queen's Plate prospects River Rush, Macho Whiskey breeze for Baker

Michael Burns
River Rush, with Jim McAleney riding, wins the Plate Trial.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Trainer Reade Baker sent out his Queen’s Plate candidates River Rush and Macho Whiskey to breeze five furlongs over the training track here at Woodbine on Sunday in preparation for the $1 million Queen’s Plate.

The Queen’s Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds, will be run Sunday, June 24.

River Rush, under his regular rider Jim McAleney, was clocked in 1:01.80 while working in company with older stakes-winning stablemate City Wolf.

Emma-Jayne Wilson was aboard City Wolf, who was clocked in 1:02.40.

Sun, 06/17/2012 - 11:32

Prairie Meadows: A Little Edgy scores first career win in Iowa Legacy Stallion Stakes

ALTOONA, Iowa- A Little Edgy made his first lifetime win a special one as the Iowa-bred 3-year- old found his best stride in the slop to take the $56,665 Iowa Legacy Stallion Stakes by a half- length Saturday night at Prairie Meadows.

Sun, 06/17/2012 - 11:11

Churchill Downs: Breeders' Cup on far horizon for Ron the Greek, Royal Delta

Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs
The filly Royal Delta was awarded a 110 Beyer Speed Figure for her win in the Fleur de Lis Handicap.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott confirmed that Ron the Greek and Royal Delta both will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita after sweeping the two big races Saturday night on the Stephen Foster program at Churchill Downs.

Ron the Greek, a head winner over odds-on favorite Wise Dan in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster, will have a short break, said Mott, then might have one race before running in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park as his final prep for the $5 million BC Classic on Nov. 3.

Sat, 06/16/2012 - 22:55

Churchill Downs: Velazquez breaks collarbone in ninth-race spill

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jockey John Velazquez sustained  a broken right collarbone and a possible kidney injury in a terrifying spill that occurred at the sixteenth pole during the ninth race Saturday night at Churchill Downs.

Sat, 06/16/2012 - 22:20

Golden Gate Fields: First-time starter Anytime Magic surprises in Lost in the Fog

Marcel Langevin/Vassar Photography
The 2-year-old gelding Anytime Magic romps in his career debut in the Lost in the Fog.

Trainer Bob Hess Sr. didn't know what he had with Anytime Magic when he decided to have the 2-year-old gelding make his first career start in the $54,650 Lost in the Fog Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Less than a minute after the gate opened, Hess knew he had a stakes winner.

"I never asked him to run in the mornings, but I knew I had him fit and well-schooled," said Hess. "I told the jock whether he was first or last, don't ask him to run until you're turning for home. He just happened to be in front turning for home."

Sat, 06/16/2012 - 22:01

Churchill Downs: Ron the Greek edges Wise Dan by a head in Foster

Reed Palmer Photography/Churchill Downs
Ron the Greek (inside) narrowly defeats Wise Dan in the Foster Handicap.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ron the Greek gave Bill Mott a night to remember under the lit Twin Spires of Churchill Downs when the horse charged up the rail to nail heavily favored Wise Dan in the final strides Saturday night in the 31st running of the Grade 1, $437,200 Stephen Foster Handicap.

Mott, the Hall of Fame trainer who made Churchill his base for years before branching out, also won the previous race, the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap, with the highly impressive Royal Delta on the stakes-studded Downs After Dark program.

Sat, 06/16/2012 - 21:54

Churchill Downs: To Mott's relief, Royal Delta cruises to easy Fleur de Lis victory

Reed Palmer Photography, Churchill Downs
Royal Delta coasts to the finish of the Fleur de Lis under jockey Mike Smith.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Suffice to say Royal Delta’s unsuccessful trip overseas when ninth in the Dubai World Cup took little out of her.

Showing the same brilliance she exhibited in winning the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic last fall at Churchill Downs, Royal Delta overwhelmed five rivals Saturday’s Grade 2, $161,700 Fleur de Lis Handicap at Churchill in the race before the Stephen Foster Handicap. Taking command on the turn with long, powerful strides, she won geared down, coasting to an eight-length victory.

Sat, 06/16/2012 - 21:50

Colonial Turf Cup: Turbo Compressor's speed lasts all the way

Kevin Coady/Coady Photography
Turbo Compressor wins the Colonial Turf Cup after controlling the pace under jockey Joe Bravo.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said going into Saturday night’s Colonial Turf Cup that he was going to let Turbo Compressor use his speed to take the field as far as he could.

Sat, 06/16/2012 - 21:07

Churchill Downs: Centre Court proves maiden win no fluke by taking Regret

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Centre Court was so well regarded that, even after taking four tries to finally post her maiden victory, she still was the 3-2 favorite Saturday night among a terrific field of 11 3-year-old fillies in the 43rd running of the Regret Stakes on the Churchill Downs turf.

Sat, 06/16/2012 - 20:59

Hollywood Park: Sunday pick-six carryover of $101K

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - A string of upsets on Saturday has led to a pick six carryover of $101,489 for Sunday’s nine-race program at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Sunday’s pick six covers the fourth through ninth races on a program that begins at 1 p.m. The first race of the pick six sequence is approximately 2:30 p.m.

There were early scratches on Saturday for Sunday’s sixth race – Jairzihno, Dugan Bill, and Cahill Report.