Sat, 02/11/2012 - 17:31

Gulfstream Park: Hymn Book, a turf horse no more, wins Donn by a nose

Tom Keyser
Hymn Book (left) keeps a nose in front of Mission Impazible to win a frantic finish.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Hymn Book appeared destined to be a turf horse early in his career. Now his name will appear on the impressive roster of horses who have won Gulfstream Park’s most prestigious dirt race for older runners after outgaming Mission Impazible by a nose in Saturday’s $500,000 Donn Handicap.

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 17:19

Tampa Bay Downs: Favored Action Andy takes Super Stakes

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Prominent from the outset, favored Action Andy took the lead into the stretch, then drew off to post a 2 1/2-length victory in the $75,000 Super Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 17:19

Aqueduct: Pretension turns tables with Sweet Envoy victory

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Pretension, with Javier Santiago riding, wins the Sweet Envoy.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The last time Pretension shipped to New York from Maryland, he suffered a narrow loss to Swag Daddy in the Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct.

Saturday, two months after that loss, Pretension earned a modicum of revenge, taking the lead in midstretch from Sportswriter and holding off a late challenge from 3-4 favorite Swag Daddy to take the $75,000 Sweet Envoy Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths over Aqueduct's inner track. Swag Daddy got past Sportswriter to get second by one-half length.

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 17:05

Laurel: Lacie Slew rallies to victory in Maryland Racing Media

Maryland Jockey Club/Jim McCue
Lacie Slew, with Joe Rocco Jr. riding, wins the Maryland Racing Media.

Lacie Slew made a wide move under rider Joe Rocco Jr. leaving the eighth pole and went from fourth in a field of five to the one-length winner of Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Racing Media Stakes.

The 8-1 Pilot Point Lady made the early pace in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Racing Media, setting fractions of 24.88 seconds, 48.67, and 1:13.01, with the 6-5 favorite, Acting Happy, in close pursuit while Rocco saved ground aboard Lacie Slew. Pilot Point Lady led Acting Happy by a head entering the stretch. Those two bumped a furlong out, and Acting Happy would fade to fourth.

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 17:03

Gulfstream Park: Thunder Moccasin gives Pletcher seventh Hutcheson win

Barbara D. Livingston
Thunder Moccasin wins the Hutcheson under John Velazquez to improve his record to 2 for 2.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Just call it the Todd Pletcher Hutcheson.

Pletcher won the 3,000th race of his training career earlier on Saturday’s card. Six of those victories had come in Gulfstream Park’s seven-furlong Hutcheson. A couple of hours later, Pletcher got his seventh Hutcheson trophy after Thunder Moccasin cruised to an easy and popular 6 3/4-length victory over Il Villano in the Grade 2 dash for 3-year-olds.    

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 15:56

Gulfstream Park: Sheppard scratches Ever So Lucky from Hutcheson

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jonathan Sheppard said a combination of a week’s worth of bad weather and the prospects of a wet track prompted his decision to scratch Kentucky Derby hopeful Ever So Lucky from his much-anticipated 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s seven-furlong Hutcheson at Gulfstream Park.

“He needed some good, strong gallops during the week, especially after we gave him a conservative work because of the wet track at the beginning of the week,” Sheppard said at his barn during training hours Saturday. “The track wasn’t great that day and it’s been sloppy since.”

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 14:59

Aqueduct: Singlet outgames rival in Dearly Precious

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Despite a pedigree that suggests she would prefer to run a distance of ground, Singlet continues to show her prowess sprinting.

Singlet won her third consecutive six-furlong race, outfinishing a stubborn Corderosa in the final three-sixteenths to take Saturday’s $75,000 Dearly Precious Stakes by a neck at Aqueduct. Corderosa, who appeared uncomfortable racing on the inside, finished second by 2 3/4 lengths over Lisa T. Well Kept, who dueled between horses down the backside, finished last. Marvelous Margaret scratched.

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 14:18

Gulfstream: Pletcher gets 3,000th victory

Barbara D. Livingston
Todd Pletcher is congratulated by Angel Cordero Jr. after winning his 3,000th career race.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Todd Pletcher became the 26th trainer in Thoroughbred racing history to win 3,000 races, achieving the milestone with Spring Hill Farm’s victory in Saturday’s third race at Gulfstream Park.

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 12:52

Aqueduct: Hansen will make next start in Gotham

Barbara D. Livingston
Hansen became ill after his seasonal debut, the Holy Bull.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The $400,000 Gotham Stakes lost its early favorite when the connections of Withers Stakes winner Alpha said they were pointing to the Wood Memorial on April 7.

The Grade 3 Gotham picked up a new favorite in Hansen, whose connections confirmed Saturday that last year’s champion 2-year-old male will make his next start in the 1 1/16-mile Gotham at Aqueduct on March 3.

At $400,000 – an increase from $250,000 a year ago – the Gotham has the same purse as the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 26.

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 12:41

Charles Town: Silver Heart faces new competition in overnight handicap

Three new challengers, including a pair from Kentucky attempting to transfer good form on Polytrack to dirt, step forward against Charles Town’s reigning queen Silver Heart in Tuesday night’s featured $35,000 overnight handicap for fillies and mares going seven furlongs.