Fri, 06/22/2012 - 12:25

Woodbine: Trend looks to rebound in King Edward

Leslie Martin
Doubles Partner comes back from a long layoff to win the Canadian Turf at Gulfstream.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Frostad is looking to have a big day Sunday at Woodbine, when he runs Woodbine Oaks winner Irish Mission in the Queen’s Plate, and Trend in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes.

Trend should be among the favorites in the King Edward, a one-mile grass event worth $250,000.

It took Trend 10 starts to win his maiden, and he finally graduated traveling 1 1/16 miles here last September. He went on to win a first-level allowance in January at Gulfstream, where he finished second in back-to-back Grade 3 stakes in March.

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 17:59

Hollywood Park: Mullins stars sidelined

Shigeki Kikkawa
Wilkinson, with Martin Pedroza riding, wins the American Handicap. He underwent surgery for colic and will not race this summer.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Two of trainer Jeff Mullins’s top horses were sidelined this week with illness and injury.

Tuesday, Wilkinson, the winner of the Grade 2 American Handicap on May 26, underwent emergency colic surgery. He will be out of training for the rest of the summer.

Wednesday, Antares World was removed from consideration for Sunday’s $100,000 Beverly Hills Handicap because she was not training well, Mullins said.

“To lose two graded stakes horses in two days is pretty tough to handle,” Mullins said.

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 17:46

Velazquez will miss four to six weeks, won’t need surgery

Barbara D. Livingston
John Velazquez celebrates after winning the Belmont Stakes aboard Union Rags.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockey John Velazquez will be sidelined four to six weeks, but will not undergo surgery to repair the fractured collarbone he suffered last Saturday night at Churchill Downs.

Under the best-case scenario, Velazquez would be able to return during the early part of the 40-day Saratoga meet that begins July 20.

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 17:43

Santa Anita stakes named for Delahoussaye

Santa Anita
Eddie Delahoussaye won more than 6,300 races, including back-to-back runnings of the Kentucky Derby.

Retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye will be honored with a stakes race in his name at the Santa Anita autumn meeting, the track announced on Thursday.

The $100,000 Eddie D Stakes will be run over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on Sept. 28, the opening day of the meeting.

“This is a great honor,” Delahoussaye said in a statement released by Santa Anita. “I won a lot of races coming down the hill, but I never thought they’d name a race for me.”

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 16:51

Lincoln: Diamond Joe seeks sixth straight in Lincoln Derby

Diamond Joe should once again be heavily favored to extend his winning streak as he heads a field of six 3-year-olds going a mile in the $17,500 Lincoln Derby at Lincoln Race Course on Saturday.

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 16:48

Lone Star Park: Salisbury will saddle contenders in two turf races

Trainer Joyce Salisbury has a chance to sweep the two best races on the card Saturday at Lone Star Park. She has the potential favorites in both the featured ninth race, a first-level allowance at a mile on turf in which she will saddle C’Em Blazin, and the fifth, an optional $30,000 claimer for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf for which she has Wheeling Wini.

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 16:44

River Downs: Swiss Miss a threat to I'm Kiddin in Cincinnatian

I’m Kiddin will try to make it two in a row when she faces six other 3-year-old Ohio-accredited fillies in the $50,000 Cincinnatian, a 1 1/16-mile turf race at River Downs.

Trained by Kathy Lowry, I’m Kiddin drew off to win an entry-level statebred allowance May 27 going six furlongs by nearly nine lengths. It was the first win of the year in three attempts for I’m Kiddin.

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 16:41

Belmont: Larry Jones turns back allotted stalls at Saratoga

Watching it play out from afar, trainer Larry Jones was incredulous by some of the decisions made by New York racing regulators as it pertained to the Belmont Stakes.

So much so, that Jones decided to turn down the 11 stalls he was granted by the New York Racing Association for the upcoming Saratoga meet and participate only on a ship-in basis.

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 16:23

Belmont: Mott leaning towards To Honor and Serve for Suburban

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
To Honor and Serve, wi th Jose Lezcano riding, wins the Westchester.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Bill Mott has the enviable task of trying to keep separated a bevy of talented horses in the handicap division.

Not only must he conceive a plan for Stephen Foster winner Ron the Greek and Fleur de Lis winner Royal Delta, Mott has to figure out how best to manage graded stakes winners To Honor and Serve and Flat Out.

To Honor and Serve and Flat Out will be nominated to the Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban on July 7, but Mott indicated Thursday that To Honor and Serve is the more likely of the two to run.

Thu, 06/21/2012 - 16:12

Hollywood Park: Zazu out till the fall

Barbara D. Livingston
Zazu was scratched from the Vanity.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Zazu, the winner of three graded stakes in 2011, is out of training until later this summer after a nuclear scan test taken earlier this week showed stress on a tibia, trainer John Sadler said on Thursday.

Zazu was entered for the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park on June 16, but did not start after she was reported to be “off behind” in the days before the race.