Fri, 12/09/2011 - 08:40

Remington Park: Solar Charge keeps rolling in Winter Dash

Solar Charge won his fourth consecutive race Thursday night, when he closed into a hot pace to take the $50,000 Winter Dash at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. He finished 2 1/4 lengths clear of runner-up Flat Back, while it was another three lengths back to third-place finisher Banner Cat.

The Winter Dash, an overnight stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs, was the first of four stakes being run over Remington’s closing week. The meet ends Saturday night with a three-stakes program led by the $300,000 Springboard Mile.

Thu, 12/08/2011 - 17:16

Gulfstream: New stock for Chad Brown

Tom Keyser
Diva Ash, with Kent Desormeaux riding, wins the Edgewood.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Chad Brown reported that he not only has the undefeated Awesome Feather in training at Payson Park for Frank Stronach but also has Stronach’s recently purchased pair of Her Smile and Diva Ash.

Her Smile, who finished a wide-running third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, was purchased by Stronach for $1 million at the Fasig Tipton November Sale. Diva Ash has started just four times, winning the Edgewood Stakes earlier this year with Dale Romans. She brought $230,000 at the Keeneland November Sale.

Thu, 12/08/2011 - 17:12

Gulfstream: Wolfson sets up shop

Tom Keyser
Ann of the Dance is being pointed for the Ginger Brew on Dec. 24.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla - Trainer Marty Wolfson has taken stalls at Gulfstream Park for the first time this winter. Among the seven horses he has bedded down locally is Ann of the Dance, a 2-year-old daughter of English Channel, who finished next to last in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Ann of the Dance was purchased privately by Wolfson’s principal client, the Farnsworth Stables LLC., during the fall. Ann of the Dance worked an easy half-mile in 50.20 seconds here early Thursday morning.

Thu, 12/08/2011 - 17:04

Fair Grounds: Chief Jay tries to turn tables on My Star Runner in Sprint

Snakebite Kid dominated the Louisiana Champions Day Turf in 2010, but was retired after sustaining an injury a couple weeks ago. Flashy Wise Cat won the Champions Day Sprint in 2009 and 2010, but after posting a couple scattered workouts in recent months, Flashy Wise Cat has not had a breeze in weeks, and did not make the 2011 Sprint. That leaves two divisions open for the taking on Saturday’s card at Fair Grounds.

[MORE: How to bet Saturday's Fair Grounds Pick 4]

Thu, 12/08/2011 - 17:02

Gulfstream: Two-year-old filly Ullapool sharp in work

Tom Keyser
Ullapool won her maiden race at Belmont Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Ullapool, a 2-year-old filly owned by John Fort's Peachtree Stable, turned in the work of the morning here Thursday, going six furlongs in 1:14.24 for trainer Wesley Ward, with the last five-eighths in 59 seconds and change. Ullapool has captured 1 of her 3 starts, with the win coming in a maiden dash early this summer at Belmont Park.

Thu, 12/08/2011 - 16:57

Fair Grounds: Star Guitar back to defend Champions Day Classic title

You know how sometimes a racetrack will bring a famous horse back to parade in front of the stands before a stakes race he won several times, or perhaps once, memorably? Well, the appropriate individual for that task on Louisiana Champions Day at Fair Grounds has other plans Saturday. Five years after he first won on Champions Day, Star Guitar still is running in the actual races. Not just running, but winning, and not just winning, but winning big, and he will be favored to push his Champions Day unbeaten streak to five Saturday in the $150,000 Classic.

Thu, 12/08/2011 - 16:46

Hawthorne: Yankee Dealer heads Block trio

STICKNEY, Ill. – One former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, made news this week when he was sentenced to a prison term of 14 years. Another, Jim Edgar, has kept a mercifully lower profile, but this is the time of year when Edgar’s long association with Illinois Thoroughbred racing gets acknowledged in the $100,000 Jim Edgar Futurity at Hawthorne.

And trainer Chris Block is doing plenty of honoring. Block trains three of the nine entrants in the Edgar, and Yankee Dealer looks like the one to beat in the 1 1/16-mile race.[bc_video_id:240078:]

Thu, 12/08/2011 - 16:37

Sunland Park: Pack Your Bags looks to continue climb in KLAQ Handicap

In a span of about four months, Pack Your Bags has gone from beaten $20,000 claimer to $50,000 stakes winner. On Saturday, he will be looking to continue his upward trend in the $50,000 KLAQ Handicap at Sunland Park.

The 5 1/2-furlong race is the first Thoroughbred stakes of the 77-date meet that opened Tuesday. The field includes defending KLAQ champ Ducky Drake, the 9-year-old gelding who earlier this year won the $125,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap, and Cowboy’s Prayer, who is riding a two-race win streak for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Chip Woolley.

Thu, 12/08/2011 - 16:25

Aqueduct: Inherit the Gold back on inner track for Queens County Stakes

Barbara D. Livingston
Inherit the Gold is 5 for 6 over the inner track at Aqueduct and is among the favorites in the Queens County.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When trainer Jim Hooper led his 5-year-old gelding Inherit the Gold onto Aqueduct’s main track for the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes on Nov. 13, he noticed that the horse’s ears perked up.

“I think he likes that place pretty well,” said Hooper, whose horse rallied from off the pace that day to win by a neck, his seventh career victory at Aqueduct.

Thu, 12/08/2011 - 16:00

Hollywood Park: Briecat sets sights on 2012 after Cool Air Stakes victory

Benoit & Associates
Briecat, under jockey Victor Espinoza, gets her first victory of 2011 in Wednesday’s $66,640 Cool Air Stakes.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Briecat will be pointed to a range of stakes in 2012 after winning for the first time in 2011 in Wednesday’s $66,640 Cool Air Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Trainer Vladimir Cerin said he plans to start Briecat in races from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles early next year, with the minor Paseana Stakes for fillies and mares in early January as a possible next start.