Sat, 04/14/2012 - 17:23

Woodbine: Tu Endie Wei dominates in seasonal debut

Michael Burns
Tu Endie Wei is a comfortable winner of the Star Shoot Stakes under jockey Jim McAleney.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Tu Endie Wei, last year’s Canadian champion 2-year-old filly, toyed with her five rivals in Saturday’s $166,000 Star Shoot Stakes, winning the six-furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies by 5 1/2 lengths at Woodbine.

Tu Endie Wei ($2.50) set a slow opening quarter of 23 seconds, and was pressed by Casa Loma through a half in 45.32. She established a clear lead exiting the turn, and then drew away in the lane to prevail in a rapid final time of 1:08.88. Casa Loma finished a clear second over another longshot, Logan’s Peak.

Sat, 04/14/2012 - 16:15

Parx: DQ enables Golddigger's Boy to repeat in Lyman Handicap

Barbara Weidl/Equiphoto
Lucky Lewis (2) rallies to edge Golddigger's Boy in the Lyman Handicap, but is disqualified and placed sixth for causing interference with another rival during the stretch run.

Golddigger’s Boy needed the help of the stewards to gain a repeat victory in the $75,000 Lyman Handicap for Pennsylvania-breds on Saturday at Parx Racing.

Sat, 04/14/2012 - 14:57

Aqueduct: My Redbyrd shows off her late kick in Videogenic Stakes

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
My Redbyrd finishes fastest under jockey Alex Solis to win the Videogenic Stakes at Aqueduct.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Regardless of pace, the one thing trainer John Terranova knows when he watches My Redbyrd run is that she will come with a strong finish.

That was evident again on Saturday at Aqueduct when, despite pedestrian fractions, My Redbyrd rallied from last to win the $75,000 Videogenic Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths over Sharnberry. It was a neck back to Check Point in third.

The win was the fourth from 12 starts for My Redbyrd, who was running for the first time since last Nov. 6, when she finished second in a spot similar, also at Aqueduct.

Sat, 04/14/2012 - 14:47

Indiana Downs begins its 10th season

Indiana Downs opens for it’s 10th season on Monday, and will have a new racing secretary for the first time since its inaugural year.

Scott Peine, the Indiana Downs Standardbred racing secretary the past seven years, takes over for the now retired Butch Cook. The 32-year-old Peine was the assistant under Cook last season after getting his start in the racing office at Hawthorne. Peine is a graduate of the Louisville racing program and is somewhat of an anomaly when it comes to horse racing.

Sat, 04/14/2012 - 14:14

Parx Racing: Undefeated Agave Kiss spotting weight in Trevose Stakes

The multiple stakes winner Agave Kiss will hit the road Tuesday and put her undefeated record on the line against five rivals in the $75,000 Trevose Stakes at Parx Racing.

Agave Kiss, a New York-bred daughter of Lion Heart, has won all four of her starts – all at six furlongs and all in New York – for Flying Zee Racing Stables and trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Coming off a three-length victory in the Grade 3 Cicada at Aqueduct on March 10, Rodriguez had talked about the possibility of stretching out in distance in the Grade 3 Comely at a mile on April 7 at Aqueduct.

Sat, 04/14/2012 - 14:11

Kentucky Oaks looking like full field

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A full gate of 14 3-year-old fillies looks like a good possibility for the May 4 Kentucky Oaks, according to Churchill Downs officials.

Ben Huffman, the racing secretary at Churchill and Keeneland, said Saturday that he knows of at least 11 fillies set to run in the Grade 1, $1 million Oaks, including most of the top horses in the division.

“I’m sure there’ll be a few more to come forward over the next couple of weeks, so I’m guessing we’re going to reach the 14-horse limit, or at least get very close to it,” said Huffman.

Sat, 04/14/2012 - 13:31

Santa Anita: Bobina to point for Senorita Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Perfect after two starts, Bobina will make her stakes debut in the $100,000 Senorita Stakes at Hollywood Park on May 5.

The filly earned a trip to that race by splashing home to a half-length win in an optional claimer over a mile on a sloppy main track at Santa Anita on Friday. The race was scheduled for turf, but moved to the main track after a day of rain.

Bobina ($5.40) was ridden by Edwin Maldonado for trainer A.C.  Avila.

Fri, 04/13/2012 - 19:34

Oaklawn: Glinda the Good excellent in Instant Racing

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Glinda the Good took advantage of a scalding early pace and then rallied for an easy victory on Friday at Oaklawn Park in the $100,000 Instant Racing Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the supporting feature on the Apple Blossom card.

Under jockey Corey Nakatani, Glinda the Good ($5.40) was seventh in the nine-horse field for the first half-mile of the one-mile race, but she came with a big rush on the far turn, swooped rivals a quarter-mile out, and drew clear during the short stretch of the mile run to win by three lengths in 1:39.44 on the fast main track.

Fri, 04/13/2012 - 19:17

Oaklawn: Plum Pretty starts season in top form with easy Apple Blossom win

Coady Photography / Jeff Coady
Plum Pretty cruises home in the Apple Blossom under jockey Rafael Bejarano.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty got her 4-year-old season started in a powerful way Friday at Oaklawn Park, when she shuttled to a 2 1/4- length win over Absinthe Minded in the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap.

The score gave Plum Pretty’s trainer, Bob Baffert, his fifth graded win at the meet, and his second during the Racing Festival of the South that wraps up Saturday with the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.

“If we can just keep going one more day,” said Baffert, who has Bodemeister and Secret Circle in the Arkansas Derby.

Fri, 04/13/2012 - 18:03

Charles Town undercard: Sugar Maple, Webb Snyder, Confucius Say, and more

The 6-year-old mare Magical Feeling had clear sailing when she rallied from sixth to get up by a neck at 27-1 in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap at Laurel in mid-Feburary. She encountered all kinds of traffic trouble, however, when she tried to duplicate that rally in the Grade 2 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park.

Magical Feeling and rider Roberto Alvarado Jr. will attempt to work out a clean trip from post 7 when she faces eight other fillies and mares in the $200,000 Sugar Maple at seven furlongs (race 11) on Saturday's Charles Town Classic card.