Sat, 02/11/2012 - 12:02

Oaklawn Park: Caleb's Posse sharp in five-furlong work

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.– Caleb’s Posse turned in his most serious work since winning the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on a chilly Saturday morning at Oaklawn Park, breezing five furlongs in 59.60 seconds. He is scheduled to make his seasonal debut March 3 in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool at Aqueduct.

Caleb’s Posse worked by himself, on a clear and windy 28-degree morning in Hot Springs. He came out shortly before 10 a.m., and backtracked to the three-sixteenths pole under jockey Luis Quinonez, accompanied by a pony ridden by his trainer, Donnie Von Hemel.

Sat, 02/11/2012 - 09:51

Gulfstream Park: Ever So Lucky scratched from Hutcheson due to wet conditions

Barbara D. Livingston
Ever So Lucky's 3-year-old debut will have to wait. The March 10 Swale is one possibility.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -  Trainer Jonathan Sheppard said that a combination of a week’s worth of bad weather and the prospect of a wet track on race day prompted him to scratch his Kentucky Derby prospect 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.

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 21:09

Kentucky Derby Future Wager handles $104K on first day; field is 3-5 favorite

Barbara D. Livingston
Union Rags is the lowest-priced single entry at 8-1 on Day 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The second of three days of wagering into Pool 1 of the 2012 Kentucky Derby Future Wager will start with the mutuel field as the 3-5 favorite after $104,126 was bet into the win pool Friday. Pool 1 closes Sunday at 6 p.m., and as with any parimutuel wager, odds will change throughout the weekend, with final odds established at closing time.

The field, the 24th or “all others” option, stood as the 3-5 choice Saturday morning, followed by Union Rags (8-1), Algorithms (17-1), Alpha (21-1), Hansen (24-1), and Creative Cause (27-1).

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 18:11

Santa Anita: Amazombie works for year’s debut

Barbara D. Livingston
Amazombie, with Mike Smith riding, wins the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Amazombie, the champion sprinter of 2011, worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 on Friday, moving closer to his 2012 debut in the $200,000 San Carlos Stakes over seven furlongs on Feb. 25.

Trainer Bill Spawr timed Amazombie in 1:12, with the first three furlongs in 36.60 seconds and final three furlongs in 35.40. “It looks good,” Spawr said. “We’re on course.”

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 17:57

Aqueduct: Grade 3 winner Rodman retired

Tom Keyser
Rodman earned more than $400,000.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Rodman, winner of the Grade 3 Queens County Handicap in 2009 and runner-up in last year’s Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, has been retired, owner Barry Schwartz said Friday.

A 7-year-old son of Malibu Moon, Rodman won 6 races from 18 starts and earned $416,152. In addition to winning the Queens County, Rodman won the Irish Tower overnight stakes.

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 17:52

Aqueduct: Redding Colliery works for Excelsior

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Redding Colliery, with Alan Garcia riding, wins the Evening Attire.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Redding Colliery, front-running winner of the Evening Attire Stakes here at Aqueduct on Jan. 28, worked four furlongs in 48.22 seconds Friday morning in preparation for the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior on March 17.

Redding Colliery worked in company with Hockley and the pair went a quick first quarter-mile of 23.72 seconds before getting the second quarter in 24.50.

Though Redding Colliery is nominated to the $75,000 Stymie on Feb. 18, Art Magnuson, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s New York-based assistant, said the plan is to wait for the Excelsior.

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 17:40

Aqueduct: Falaah out until fall

Barbara D. Livingston
Falaah will again have surgery for bone chips.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Falaah, who has looked good winning two sprints over Aqueduct's inner track this winter, will be out until the fall after chips were discovered in his left front ankle, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin confirmed Friday.

Falaah, a 5-year-old son of Speightstown, will ship to Lexington, Ky. to have the chips surgically removed. In 2011, Falaah needed to similar surgery following his debut in February and didn’t return to the races until October.

McLaughlin said the plan is to bring Falaah back to the races later this year.

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 17:34

Aqueduct: Alvarado has first five-win day

Coady Photography/Keeneland
Junior Alvarado

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Junior Alvarado recorded his first five-win day as a jockey Friday, going 5 for 7 on the Aqueduct card card, including winning four consecutive races.

Alvarado won the opener aboard Pretty Cozzy ($11), who upset 2-5 favorite Specklebird.

After finishing third with Readygetsgold in the second, Alvarado won the third with Hardened Wildcat ($3.10), the fourth on Awesome Arceno ($15), the fifth with North Freeway ($8.30), and the sixth on Muster Up ($8.70).

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 17:15

Aqueduct: Peggy Jane trying two turns in Windswept Wing

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After two victories sprinting on Aqueduct’s inner track, Peggy Jane will get a chance to show her ability around two turns when she heads a field of eight New York-bred 3-year-old fillies entered in Sunday’s $75,000 Windswept Wing Stakes at Aqueduct.

A $200,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s 2-year-old in training auction last April, Peggy Jane has gone 2 for 3 for Barbara Banke’s Grace Stables and trainer Steve Asmussen.

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 16:51

Sunland: Quiet Again out for repeat in Curribot

Quiet Again has quietly compiled a career record of 16 wins from 44 starts, and when he defends his title Sunday in the $50,000 Curribot at Sunland Park, he will be chasing his 10th career stakes win. The horse, a 7-year-old son of Real Quiet who has had the bulk of his success in New Mexico, has earned $572,369.

“He is an honest horse,” said Jimmie Claridge, who trains Quiet Again for Paul Thomason. “He’ll try wherever you put him. He’ll run short and he’ll run long. He’s so nice to have around.”