Sun, 03/04/2012 - 20:00

Santa Anita: Pick six pays $53,204 to 35 winners after $2.6 million pumped into pool

ARCADIA, Calif.- Sunday’s pick six at Santa Anita paid $53,204 to 35 ticketholders following heightened interest from a two-day carryover.

Sunday’s program began with a pick six carryover of $430,582 from Friday’s card, and Saturday’s Santa Anita Handicap program. Bettors added a robust $2,679,902 to the pool on Sunday.

The winners of Sunday’s pick six races were Unstopper Topper ($18.60), Italian Rules ($10.60), Sweet Nectar ($6.80), The Black ($5.20), Mr Gruff ($3.60), and Victoriasugrdaddy ($22.60).

Sun, 03/04/2012 - 19:45

Santa Anita: Mr Gruff controls pace in Joe Hernandez

BENOIT PHOTO
Mr Gruff, ridden by Joel Rosario, scores as the odds-on favorite in the Joe Hernandez.

ARCADIA, Calif.- A kinder pace scenario and a drop in class helped Mr Gruff win for the sixth time in eight career starts on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in Sunday’s $79,880 Joe Hernandez Handicap.

Mr Gruff led throughout the race over about 6 1/2 furlongs. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Mr Gruff ($3.60) set fractions of 22.14 and 43.80 seconds, leading by a half-length on the hillside. Once on the main section of the turf course, Mr Gruff led by as much as 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch. He held off a persistent 12-1 outsider in Ain’t No Other to win by a half-length.

Sun, 03/04/2012 - 19:28

Santa Anita: San Felipe pivotal test for Midnight Transfer

Benoit & Associates
Midnight Transfer is being pointed to the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes.

Midnight Transfer makes his graded stakes debut and first start around two turns in Saturday’s $300,000 San Felipe Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita. The outcome will determine how owner Warren Williamson and trainer Carla Gaines proceed with Midnight Transfer in coming months.

“We might as well figure it out now,” Gaines said.

Sunday at Santa Anita, Midnight Transfer worked a half-mile in 49 seconds under jockey Victor Espinoza, who will ride the Hard Spun colt for the first time on Saturday.

“I was looking for a nice blowout, maybe a little faster than 49,”

Sun, 03/04/2012 - 19:19

Santa Anita: Willyconker's connections hoping for invitation to Dubai

Benoit & Associates
Willyconker, winner of the Kilroe Mile, is under consideration for the Godolphin Mile and the Dubai Duty Free.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The phone cannot ring fast enough this week to satisfy trainer Doug O’Neill.

Following Willyconker’s upset win in Saturday’s $300,000 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita, O’Neill and the partnership that owns the 5-year-old former claimer have aspirations of traveling to Dubai later this month. They are waiting for an invitation from Dubai officials.

“We haven’t heard anything,” O’Neill said on Sunday morning. “We had dreamed of going to Dubai.”

Sun, 03/04/2012 - 18:42

Gulfstream: Inspired proves uncatchable in Ladies Turf

Bob Coglianese
Inspired, ridden by John Velazquez scores a front-running victory in the five-furlong Ladies Turf.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -  Inspired used her abundant speed to run her nine rivals off their feet to register her second straight stakes victory, a one-length decision over Classy Zip in Sunday’s $70,000 Ladies Turf Sprint at Gulfstream Park. 

Sun, 03/04/2012 - 16:39

Santa Anita: Big Cap's top two finishers considering $1M Charles Town Classic

Benoit & Associates
Santa Anita Handicap winner Ron the Greek could return east for the $1 million Charles Town Classic on April 14.

ARCADIA, Calif.- Ron the Greek won the first Grade 1 race of his career in the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap on Saturday, and he may be back in California this fall in search of another major win.

“There is a big one at the end, if he’s in good form,” trainer Bill Mott said.

That would be the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 3.

Sun, 03/04/2012 - 16:37

VIDEO: Triumphant return for Soldat at Gulfstream

 

INSIDEPOST (@DRFWelsch): "Triumphant return for Soldat Kiaran M. says turf campaign in order looking at Makers Mark Woodford Reserve or Ft. Marcy next."

CHART >>

Sun, 03/04/2012 - 13:34

Aqueduct: Calibrachoa, Caleb's Posse could meet again in Carter

Tom Keyser
Calibachoa was awarded a 111 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Tom Fool.

Calibrachoa and Caleb’s Posse, separated by a neck in Saturday’s Tom Fool, are likely to square off again in the Grade 1 Carter over the main track on April 7. Emcee and Capt. Candyman Can, who finished third and fourth in the Tom Fool, are also expected back for the Carter.

Calibrachoa earned a lifetime best 111 Beyer Speed Figure for Saturday’s Tom Fool. Caleb’s Posse, making his first start since the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, ran a 110.

Sun, 03/04/2012 - 13:26

Aqueduct: Hansen will train in Kentucky, return to New York for Wood

Barbara D. Livingston
Hansen received a 95 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Gotham.

Hansen emerged from his three-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes “great, no worse for the wear,” according to trainer Mike Maker and in all likelihood last year’s 2-year-old champion colt will return to New York for the $1 million Wood Memorial on April 7.

 On Monday, Hansen was scheduled to van from Belmont Park to Turfway Park, where he will reside for a few days before relocating to the Churchill Downs’s Trackside training facility, which is expected to open next Friday.

Sun, 03/04/2012 - 12:39

Charles Town: Top-seeded Albrecht heads group advancing in Starter Tournament

Horses heavily backed by the public captured all four legs during the opening round of the Charles Town Starter Tournament on Saturday night.

In the fourth heat, the favored Albrecht ($4.80), the top-seeded horse in a series restricted to horses who have started for $5,000 or less since Jan. 1, 2011, nosed out Azicharmyou.

Coltraider ($3.80) prevailed in a three-horse photo over C V’s Develen and the filly Call of a Lion in the first division.