Wed, 04/25/2012 - 14:14

Keeneland: Attfield seeks Elkhorn three-peat win with Musketier

Barbara D. Livingston
If Musketier wins Friday's Elkhorn, he will be only the second horse in Keeneland history to win a stakes three years in a row.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – What a sendoff he would receive from his American compadres if Roger Attfield could win the closing-day Elkorn Stakes at Keeneland for the third straight time with 10-year-old Musketier. It’s already been an unforgettable week for Attfield, with his election to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame having been announced Monday, and it won’t be long until the 72-year-old English-born trainer will head back to Woodbine in Canada to resume his status as a living legend.

Wed, 04/25/2012 - 13:40

Woodbine: Silent Serenity looks tough off claim in Friday allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Little-known Woodbine trainer Clint Abraham appears to have made a good claim with Silent Serenity, who will vault up into first-level allowance company in Friday’s seventh race for 3-year-old fillies.

Silent Serenity started just once at 2, a 14-length loss at the hooves of future stakes winner Northern Passion in July. She flashed speed before tiring in the 5  1/2-furlong maiden special, and that early foot was a harbinger of things to come.

Wed, 04/25/2012 - 13:31

Woodbine: Incredicat proves Queen's Plate bona fides in Wando

Michael Burns
Incredicat goes wire to wire to win the Wando Stakes under Luis Contreras.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Incredicat passed his first serious Queen’s Plate test with flying colors with a 1 3/4-length score here in last Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile Wando Stakes.

Incredicat had won his maiden over 5 1/2 furlongs at first asking here last Dec. 4, but then got caught up in a speed duel when finishing third in a 6 1/2-furlong first-level allowance at Gulfstream on March 24.

Racing last Saturday with blinkers off, Incredicat relaxed nicely under Luis Contreras and turned back a couple of challenges while leading at every call.

Wed, 04/25/2012 - 13:23

Woodbine: Excaper rounding into form for return

Michael Burns
Roxy Gap, under Patrick Husbands, gets up by a neck over Honey Chile in the Whimsical.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Excaper, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf for Black and owners Richard Kaster and Frederick Wieiting, had his first breeze of the season here last Sunday.

Bred in Kentucky, Excaper also ran second in the Summer over one mile of grass here last year and concluded his campaign with a third-place finish in Gulfstream’s Dania Beach over the same distance and surface on Dec. 18. After that race he came down with the neurological disease equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, said Black.

Wed, 04/25/2012 - 13:12

Woodbine: Jermaine Bridgmohan joins jockey colony

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Jermaine Bridgmohan, the younger brother of Shaun Bridgmohan and a winner of 543 career races, has moved his tack to Woodbine and is being represented by agent Jack Lauzon.

Bridgmohan had campaigned this winter at the Fair Grounds, where he rode 18 winners, including two for Woodbine-based Malcolm Pierce.

“Malcolm Pierce and Mike McDonald in Florida both recommended that I give Woodbine a shot and I was fortunate to hook up with Jack,” said the 23 year-old Bridgmohan. “I’m looking to have a good meet.”

Wed, 04/25/2012 - 13:07

2012 Kentucky Derby: Michael Moreno of Southern Equine Racing Stables buys interest in Bodemeister

Shigeki Kikkawa
Bodemeister has been made the 9-5 favorite for Saturday $1 million Arkansas Derby.

Michael Moreno, who races as Southern Equine Racing Stables, has purchased a minority interest in Arkansas Derby winner Bodemeister, according to a source with knowledge of the sale.

Moreno had been looking at a number of Kentucky Derby contenders in recent weeks. Bodemeister is considered the favorite for the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

The majority interest in Bodemeister is owned by Ahmed Zayat. Zayat confirmed the sale, but did not want to identify the buyer, but said, "He is a very passionate man. Young and smart. Loves the game. A true sportsman."

Wed, 04/25/2012 - 12:08

Atlantic City opens six-day, all-turf meet Friday

Atlantic City Race Course in New Jersey opens its six-day, all-turf meet Friday, with the opening card of six races attracting 72 entries, the maximum number allowed.

The abbreviated meet kicks off the New Jersey Thoroughbred racing calendar, with cards of either six or seven races slated to be held April 27-29 and May 1-3. Racing starts at Monmouth Park on May 12.

Wed, 04/25/2012 - 11:37

Parx: Phil Dancer collects first stakes victory in Philmont

Barbara Weidl/Equiphoto
Phil Dancer, ridden for the first time by Frankie Pennington, takes the Philmont by 1 1/2 lengths.

Phil Dancer, racing without blinkers for the first time in his five-race career, responded to the equipment change by coming from off the pace to win Tuesday’s $75,000 Philmont Stakes for 3-year-olds at Parx Racing.

Wed, 04/25/2012 - 11:18

Kentucky Derby workouts: Liaison has hard six-furlong drill at Churchill Downs

Benoit & Associates
Liaison, with Rafael Bejarano riding, wins the CashCall Futurity.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Liaison was the only potential Kentucky Derby starter to work on Wednesday, going a stiff six furlongs in 1:12.92 at Churchill Downs with jockey Shaun Bridgmohan aboard.

Tue, 04/24/2012 - 16:01

Churchill Downs: Jones loses another filly to injury

Havre de Grace wasn’t the only filly from trainer Larry Jones’s barn whose career ended prematurely last weekend. On Tuesday, Jones reported that Robi Jo, a lightly raced 3-year-old filly he owns in partnership with his wife Cindy, injured herself at Churchill Downs on Saturday and has been retired. She will be bred to Proud Citizen.

Robi Jo, a daughter of Lemon Drop Kid, won her first two starts before suffering her lone defeat when finishing fifth making her stakes debut March 10 at Fair Grounds. Jones was pointing Robi Jo to the Edgewood Stakes on turf on Kentucky Oaks Day.