Wed, 06/20/2012 - 19:57

Presque Isle: Eternal Rule pulls away in Boyes Memorial

Renee Torbit/Coady Photography
Eternal Rule wins the $100,000 Karl Boyes Memorial by 2 1/4 lengths at Presque Isle Downs.

Eternal Rule stalked the quick early pace and rallied in the stretch to win the $100,000 Karl Boyes Memorial at Presque Isle Downs on Wednesday evening.

Jockey Jesse Campbell was content to have Eternal Rule in behind speedball Dazzled Saint to the top of the stretch. Campbell asked the Sid Attard trainee for his best in upper stretch, and he responded to draw clear to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

Ravalo made up some late ground in the stretch to finish second, a neck in front of Dazzled Saint in third.

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 19:39

Indiana Downs: A Diehl just gets up in J. Kenneth Self Stakes

A Diehl came from near last early to get up in the final strides to win the $100,000 J. Kenneth Self Shelby County Boys and Girls Club Stakes on Wednesday evening at Indiana Downs.

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 17:30

Hollywood Park: Vanity winner pointed for Delaware Handicap

Shigeki Kikkawa
Love Theway Youare, with Garrett Gomez riding, wins the Vanity.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Love Theway Youare, the upset winner of the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap last Saturday, is being pointed for the $750,000 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on July 21.

Raxon Cho, the son of owner-trainer Myung Kwon Cho, said his father does not plan to start the filly at Del Mar this summer.

The Grade 2 Delaware Handicap is run over 1 1/4 miles and has been mentioned as a possible target for Royal Delta, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic last year.

“We’re thinking of the Delaware Handicap because of the distance,”

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 16:49

Hollywood Park notes: Hollendorfer stablemates to clash in Oaks

Shigeki Kikkawa
Killer Graces is 3 for 5 at Hollweod Park.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Killer Graces and Via Villaggio have won their biggest races at Betfair Hollywood Park, which is why trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has opted to run the fillies against each other in Saturday’s $150,000 Hollywood Oaks.

Hollendorfer considered stakes around the country for the fillies, particularly the Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows on June 30, but has decided to stay in California.

“Sometimes the logistics aren’t viable,” he said. “We’ll pass on that.”

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 16:39

Evangeline Downs: Star Guitar ready to shoot for his fourth straight Legends Night Classic

Lynn Roberts/Hodges Photography
Star Guitar (No. 9) defeats Populist Politics (right) in the Costa Rising.

OPELOUSAS, La. – In what has become a wonderfully monotonous summertime routine, trainer Al Stall Jr. is putting the finishing touches on Star Guitar’s preparation as he gets ready for yet another defense of his Legends Night Classic title at Evangeline Downs on June 30.

The all-time leading Louisiana-bred earner of more than $1.6 million has won the last three runnings of the Classic against fellow statebreds as well as the last three Evangeline Miles against open company.

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 16:15

Belmont Park: Draw It tries turf in first-level allowance

Tom Keyser
Draw It will make her turf debut Friday at Belmont Park in a first-level allowance.

ELMONT, N.Y. – It’s not that Draw It hasn’t run well on the dirt since Tom Albertrani has taken over her training. She just hasn’t run well enough to win.

Friday, Albertrani hopes a change of surface will move Draw It up just enough to get to the winner’s circle in a $77,000, first-level allowance race at 1 1/8 miles on the turf at Belmont Park.

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 15:56

Belmont: Zo Impressive tries to join elite level of 3-year-old fillies in Mother Goose

Tom Keyser
Wildcat's Smile is more likely to run against New York-breds in Sunday's Bouwerie than Grade 1 fillies in Saturday's Mother Goose.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Mother Goose at Belmont Park is a showdown for supremacy in the 3-year-old filly division, pitting Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can against Acorn winner Contested.

Trainer Tom Albertrani hopes to make it more than a two-horse race while getting Zo Impressive mentioned in the conversation of those in the upper echelon of the division.

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 15:55

Woodbine: Two stand out above the rest

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Marked in Stone has the highest Beyer Speed Figures, but Rising Dough resides in one of the hottest barns at Woodbine. They are the logical contenders in Friday’s featured eighth race, an Ontario-sired allowance sprint for 3-year-olds.

Marked in Stone made the board in all four of his outings, which included a narrow second-out loss at 2, in which he was bet down to 7-10.

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 15:51

Emerald Downs: Malibu Rum must run down Goggles McCoy in sprint

AUBURN, Wash. – Malibu Rum, undefeated in two starts this year, and Goggles McCoy, one of the fastest 3-year-olds in California not too long ago, headline the feature race Friday at Emerald Downs. First post is 6 p.m. Pacific, and the feature, a $15,000 claimer at six furlongs, is the sixth of seven races.

Wed, 06/20/2012 - 15:37

Lone Star Park: Worldventurer should get even better with more distance

Worldventurer was not meant to be a five-furlong horse, but he has been fooling everyone of late. Not only did he win his maiden at the distance by more than eight lengths back in May, last weekend he became a stakes winner at the trip in the $100,000 colts and geldings division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity at Lone Star Park.