Sat, 02/18/2012 - 16:23

Tampa Bay Downs: Great Attack overcomes wide trip in Turf Dash

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Great Attack came four wide out of the turn and rallied outside the leaders through the drive to outfinish Western Prospector for a three-quarter-length victory in the $75,000 Tampa Turf Dash on Saturday.

Jeffrey Sanchez piloted Great Attack for trainer Wesley Ward. Great Attack covered the five furlongs over a turf course listed as "good" following rains on Friday in 55.93 seconds and returned $6.80 as the second choice of the field of eight.

Sat, 02/18/2012 - 16:11

Laurel: Jimanator scores again in Campbell

Maryland Jockey Club/Jim McCue
Jimanator, with Junior Alvarado up, wins the John B. Campbell.

Jimanator continued to prove himself a terrific claim for trainer Michael Trombetta and Three Diamonds Farm, re-rallying in the stretch after being passed by favored Heart Butte and drawing clear to win Saturday's $91,500 John B. Campbell Stakes by four lengths at Laurel Park.

Sat, 02/18/2012 - 15:54

Fair Grounds cuts card short because of rain

Rain began falling after the fourth race, and the field for race 5 was held in the paddock as especially strong rain passed over the track. Race 5 was run in a downpour, but the plug was pulled on the rest of the card shortly after that race was made official.

There were no stakes scheduled on Saturday's program.

Sat, 02/18/2012 - 15:35

Gulfstream: Animal Kingdom looks as good as ever in comeback

Bob Coglianese
Animal Kingdom, ridden by John Velazquez, wins his first start in eight months by two lengths and will move on to the March 31 Dubai World Cup.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. –The first word out of trainer Graham Motion’s mouth after his Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom cruised to an easy win launching his comeback in Saturday’s fifth race at Gulfstream Park was “exhale.”  For the rest of us, it was “Wow!”

Sat, 02/18/2012 - 15:20

Fair Grounds: Mardi Gras has well-matched pair

Daisy Devine and Cherokee Queen both seem to love New Orleans. But while most New Orleans lovers will have found their way into the French Quarter on Tuesday afternoon, as the Mardi Gras celebration crests, Daisy Devine and Cherokee Queen have work to do. The pair will start as the likely favorites in the Tuesday feature at Fair Grounds, the $75,000 Mardi Gras Stakes.

Sat, 02/18/2012 - 15:07

Oaklawn: Southwest split in two, thanks to 21 entries

Tom Keyser
Secret Circle, with Rafael Bejarano riding, wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park is having a two-for-one special on graded earnings Monday.

The Southwest Stakes, the track’s first major prep for 3-year-olds, has been split into two divisions after 21 horses were entered Saturday. Each race will be a Grade 3 worth $250,000. Longview Drive and Junebugred will break side by side in the first division, which will go as the eighth race with a field of 11. Secret Circle leads the second division, set as the ninth race and the second half of a special daily double linking the twin Southwests.

Sat, 02/18/2012 - 14:51

Aqueduct: Marilyn's Guy noses out San Pablo in As Indicated

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
The gray Marilyn's Guy, ridden by C.C. Lopez, barely reaches the wire ahead of favored San Pablo in the As Indicated Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – One reason Tony Dutrow preferred running Marilyn’s Guy in the As Indicated Stakes rather than the Stymie on Saturday at Aqueduct was he didn’t want to run the horse 1 1/8 miles off an 11-month layoff.

Considering the trip he had, Marilyn’s Guy may have run farther than nine furlongs, yet still had enough to win a stirring stretch drive with 1-4 favorite San Pablo to take the one-mile As Indicated by a nose. The As Indicated replaced the Stymie as Saturday’s feature.

Sat, 02/18/2012 - 14:30

Gulfstream: Dullahan resumes working out for Palm Beach

Barbara D. Livingston
Dullahan is being pointed for the Palm Beach.

Dullahan finally returned to the work tab here at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, breezing an easy five furlongs in 1:01.80 from the half-mile to mile pole before galloping out three-quarters around the turn in 1:15.62. It was the first official work for Dullahan, who missed a couple weeks of training since Jan. 14, due to a cough.

Sat, 02/18/2012 - 14:15

Gulfstream: Ruler On Ice will get extended vacation

Tom Keyser
Ruler On Ice is expected to make his 4-year-old debut in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on Feb. 11 at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice will be out of action indefinitely following his eighth place-finish here at Gulfstream Park last weekend in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap.

“He’s already on the farm in Kentucky,” trainer Kelly Breen said. “He came out of the race a little banged up so we decided to give him 45 days off. He really hasn’t had a break since his 2-year-old season and he needs some R and R. It’s a long year. We’ll just point to have him back and ready to go in the fall when they run most of the bigger races for older horses.”

Sat, 02/18/2012 - 14:08

Santa Anita: Trainer Aguirre admits to altering horse's registration papers

ARCADIA, Calif. - Trainer Paul Aguirre has been fined $2,000 and suspended five days in a stipulated agreement with the California Horse Racing Board after admitting to altering the registration papers of a horse who won a race in which he was not eligible last summer.