Thu, 06/07/2012 - 11:10

River Downs: Pyrite Personal back on favorite turf course for Gendleman

Pyrite Personal will try top remain unbeaten over the River Downs turf course when he faces a full field of Ohio-bred older horses in the $50,000 Sydney Gendleman Memorial on Saturday.

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 11:05

Louisiana Downs: King Coral gives turf a try

King Coral, who spent his spring lining up against such 3-year-olds as Secret Circle and Drill, will try turf Saturday in the featured seventh race at Louisiana Downs. He is one of 10 horses in a competitive second-level optional $17,500 claimer.

The race will be run at about 1 1/16 miles and the probable favorite is Blackntansatlarrys, based on his three-length win at this level May 10.
In all, a field of 10 will go, including stakes winners Man of Strife and Dreamsrunwild.

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 11:02

Prairie Meadows: Kate's Main Man, Wings of War hard to separate in Cyclones

The veteran geldings Kate’s Main Man and Wings of War are expected to vie for favoritism in the $75,000 Cyclones Handicap at Prairie Meadows on Saturday night. The pair could find themselves in a battle for early control in the 1 1/16-mile race for Iowa-breds.

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 11:01

Belmont Stakes 2012: Security barn irks trainers

Tom Keyser
Security officials check trainer Doug O’Neill’s supplies Wednesday as I’ll Have Another settles in to the Belmont Stakes detention barn.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The requirement that all horses in the Belmont Stakes reside in a detention barn for 72 hours before the race has angered a number of trainers in the race who say that those staffing the barn lack necessary horse sense and that the atmosphere is not conducive to horses performing at their optimum.

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 10:51

Assiniboia Downs: Cell Line Forever looks to build on local debut in La Verendrye

Cell Line Forever, a smart winner of her local bow, will be looking to come right back in the $30,000 La Verendrye at Assinibioa Downs on Saturday.

The six-furlong La Verendrye attracted a field of nine fillies and mares.

Cell Line Forever, a 5-year-old who came to Winnipeg off a series of solid turf efforts at Turf Paradise, rallied from just off the pace to prevail in the 5 1/2-furlong allowance prep for the La Verendrye on May 19.

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 10:32

Belmont: Manhattan could be start of big year for Boisterous

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Boisterous, with Alan Garcia riding, wins the Fort Marcy on Belmont's yielding turf.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Boisterous had a big year in 2011, concluding the campaign with victories in the Grade 2 Red Smith and Grade 3 Knickerbocker. Trainer Shug McGaughey is confident the improving Boisterous is capable of having an even better season in 2012.

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 10:31

Churchill Downs: Seruni fits well in Opening Verse Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Enough of the suspense. Racing fans will be feeling plenty of it all day Saturday.

By running the nominal Saturday feature early on the card, Churchill Downs is partly deferring, no doubt, to its Triple Crown partner, Belmont Park, and the momentous event that will take place about 6:42 p.m. Eastern, when I’ll Have Another makes his bid to become the 12th winner of the Triple Crown.

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 10:30

Emerald Downs: Pair of comebacking fillies clash on Saturday

Saturday’s opening race on the Belmont Stakes Day card at Emerald Downs marks the return to action of a pair of 3-year-old fillies who performed in stakes last year.

Forty Something will make her first start since scoring an odds-on victory in the Janet Wineberg at Portland Meadows last Dec. 11. Wild Chica finished second in the Diane Kem at Emerald Downs last September and hasn’t raced since November.

Both will have their work cut out for them in a six-furlong $12,500 claimer for 3-year-old fillies who have never won two races. Five were entered.

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 10:03

Golden Gate: Stoney Fleece tries to pull off stakes double in Silky Sullivan

Shigeki Kikkawa
Stoney Fleece returns from a two-month break in the Baffle Stakes.

ALBANY, Calif. – Last month, Stoney Fleece came up from Southern California to win the open-company Alcatraz Stakes for 3-year-olds at Golden Gate Fields. He comes back up on Saturday for what should be a softer spot when he faces California-bred 3-year-olds in the $100,000 Silky Sullivan.

The Silky Sullivan is at one mile on turf, while the Alcatraz was at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Wed, 06/06/2012 - 17:14

Belmont Stakes 2012: Lukas back at work after injury

Tom Keyser
D. Wayne Lukas sports a nasty wound after being struck by a horse Wednesday.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Sporting a 4-inch gash on his left temple, but in good humor over what was a scary situation, trainer D. Wayne Lukas was back at work Wednesday morning at Belmont Park, a little more than 12 hours after his stakes-winning sprinter Hamazing Destiny reared up and struck the trainer in the head.

“The good news is I got a date with the head nurse and sold both doctors a horse,” Lukas said.