Mon, 01/09/2012 - 13:05

Gulfstream Park: Hyper targets repeat in starter allowance

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Hyper did not win or even hit the board when launching his career under a $25,000 claiming tag in November 2010, but that race opened up a wealth of opportunities for the stretch-running turf specialist who will be favored to post his second straight victory against $25,000 starter allowance competition in Wednesday’s $39,000 feature over 1 1/16 miles on turf at Gulfstream Park.

Mon, 01/09/2012 - 12:41

Tampa Bay: Garcia doing fine again on modest scale

John Duca/Tom Cooley
Action Andy, with Jesse Garcia up, wins the Pelican.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Carlos A. Garcia came to the United States in 1964 from his native Argentina with $100 in his pocket and a dream: to train Thoroughbred horses and win races.

Now, 48 years and 136 stakes winners later, the dream has come true and then some.

Sun, 01/08/2012 - 20:36

Santa Anita: Gomez seeking treatment for injured heel

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Garrett Gomez, found to have a fractured left heel after a pre-race accident Sunday at Santa Anita, was to visit Dr. James Tibone, an orthopedic specialist, for further evaluation Monday afternoon, Gomez’s agent, Tony Matos, said Monday morning.

Tibone is well-known in Southern California for his treatment of the region’s elite athletes.

“I want Garrett to see the best,” Matos said. “Garrett was in good spirits last night.”

Sun, 01/08/2012 - 20:25

Santa Anita: Caracortado goes from last to first in Daytona

Benoit & Associates
Caracortado, ridden for the first time by Rafael Bejarano, makes up a six-length deficit in the final furlong to win the Daytona.

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Mike Machowsky, the trainer of Caracortado, had given up on his horse. So too had track announcer Trevor Denman, who said Caracortado was not firing. But neither jockey Rafael Bejarano nor, most importantly, Caracortado, thought all was lost, and he displayed a breathtaking, last-to-first rush in the stretch to capture the Grade 3, $98,000 Daytona Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Sun, 01/08/2012 - 19:50

Parx reaffirms intent to ban Guerrero for 10 years

Barbara Weidl/Equiphoto
Charges against trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero were dropped, but Parx Racing intends to stick with its 10-year ban, claiming Guerrero is a potential danger to all women on the backstretch.

Though charges of indecent assault were dropped against trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero last week, Parx Racing will still enforce a 10-year ban of Guerrero it meted out last month, according to the track’s attorney.

Sun, 01/08/2012 - 19:25

Sunland: Quiet Again best by a head in Winsham Lad

Tommie Morelos/Coady Photography
Quiet Again, ridden by Duane Sterling, scores at 5-1 in the Winsham Lad.

Quiet Again edged 4-5 favorite Red Lead by a head to win the $50,000 Winsham Lad at Sunland Park on Sunday. It was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Vamoose.

The Winsham Lad was the first race in Sunland’s series for older horses that continues with the $50,000 Curribot in February and the $100,000 Sunland Park Handicap in April.

Sun, 01/08/2012 - 18:25

Aqueduct: Caixa Eletronica's late kick secures Rise Jim win

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Cornelio Velasquez collects one of his three wins on Sunday's card aboard Caixa Eletronica in the Rise Jim Stakes.

Caixa Eletronica is probably more effective at distances beyond six furlongs, but his class and a potent closing kick carried him to a relatively easy 4 3/4-length victory in Sunday’s $75,000 Rise Jim Stakes at Aqueduct.

Racing widest of all and last - albeit relatively close to the pace - in a compact five-horse field, Caixa Eletronica, under Cornelio Velasquez, surged  past longshot Regal Revenge inside the eighth-pole en route to his 16th career victory in his 49th start.

Sun, 01/08/2012 - 18:12

Gulfstream: Camera can't separate Delightful Mary, R Holiday Mood in Ocala

Bob Coglianese
Delightful Mary (3) and R Holiday Mood (hidden on rail) hit the wire together in the Ocala.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.-  One day after Gulfstream Park’s photo-finish camera just barely separated the top two finishers in the Marshua’s River Stakes it found nothing to choose between Delightful Mary and R Holiday Mood, who dead-heated for first in Sunday’s $60,000 Ocala Stakes.

Sun, 01/08/2012 - 11:01

Turfway: Mr. Prankster heads one-two sweep for Maker in Prevue

Patrick Lang/Lang Photography
Heavy favorite Mr. Prankster, ridden by John McKee, takes the Turfway Prevue.

Trainer Mike Maker continued his dominance of Turfway Park when he swept  the top two spots Saturday night in the 24th running of the $50,000 Turfway Prevue at the Florence, Ky., track.

Mr. Prankster, ridden by John McKee, scored a 3 1/2-length victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Polytrack race, with his uncoupled Maker-trained stablemate, Magical Season, rallying from well back to be up for second at 11-1, another half-length ahead of Frankie Is Rock in a field of 12 3-year-olds.

Sat, 01/07/2012 - 20:09

Santa Anita: Uh Oh Bango holds off favored Tres Borrachos in San Pasqual

Shigeki Kikkawa
Mike Smith guides Uh Oh Bango to victory in the Grade 2 San Pasqual.

ARCADIA, Calif. - It was a family affair at Santa Anita on Saturday for trainer Kory Owens, whose homebred Uh Oh Bango scored a mild upset in the Grade 2, $150,000 San Pasqual Stakes to establish himself as one of the top contenders for the Santa Anita Handicap two months hence.

Uh Oh Bango ($16) stalked the early pace of Skipshot, surged to front heading into the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile race, and safely held off Tres Borrachos, the 2-1 favorite, to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Skipshot faded to third, and was followed, in order, by Tweebster, Java Man, Utopian, and Massone.