Wed, 12/14/2011 - 15:35

Hollywood: Teroda back fresh and in her comfort zone

Shigeki Kikkawa
Screaming Regal has not raced since August.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Teroda returns from a layoff of more than nine months in a $48,000 allowance race at Hollywood Park on Friday, resuming a career at a racetrack where she has thrived in the past.

Teroda won a maiden race for 2-year-old fillies here in November 2010 and was second and third in two other starts. Friday’s race, the seventh on an eight-race program, will be her first start since a third in an optional claimer on turf at Santa Anita on March 4.

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 15:34

Aqueduct: Red’s Round Table will battle out front in Tate

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
Red's Round Table figures to face a battle for the lead in the $60,000 Tate Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Five 3-year-old fillies, including several fresh faces with considerable early speed, clash in Friday’s featured $60,000 Tate overnight stakes at six furlongs.

Red’s Round Table, who has won 6 of 8 starts for Maryland-based trainer Tim Keefe, breaks from the rail with Ramon Dominguez and may be a slight favorite over the David Jacobson-trained Flying Train in her second start back from a layoff.

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 15:18

Gulfstream's Friday card has talent throughout

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Anybody who felt that the opening month of the Gulfstream meet – which began in December instead of the traditional January date – might come up a little light from a quality standpoint need only look at Friday’s program to think otherwise.

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 14:59

Gulfstream Park: Adios Charlie returns from injury in optional claimer

Tom Keyser
Adios Charlie hasn’t started since a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Dwyer Stakes.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Adios Charlie appeared well on his way to having a major impact on the 3-year-old division during the second half of the 2011 season until a bone bruise, discovered in late July, put a temporary hold on his promising career.

Adios Charlie’s much anticipated comeback begins Friday at Gulfstream Park, when he closes out his brief but successful 3-year-old campaign against a full field of older second-level optional claiming rivals that also includes Uptowncharlybrown, the fifth-place finisher in the 2010 Belmont Stakes.

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 14:00

Evangeline Downs: Leading rider Lujan will miss remainder of meet

OPELOUSAS, La. - Quarter Horse jockey Alfonso Lujan, who is attempting to win his fifth consecutive riding title at Evangeline Downs, injured his ankle in a training incident last Friday. Lujan took off of his mounts for two days before it was determined that he would not be able to finish the meet. The 46-day meet Evangeline meet concludes Saturday and Lujan leads Danny Lavergne 53-46 coming into Wednesday’s card.

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 13:57

Los Alamitos: Good Reason Sa ends career on high; future bright for I Like the Odds

As one career reached a climactic conclusion, another essentially began in major stakes at Los Alamitos last weekend.

Good Reason Sa won the $750,000 Champion of Champions on Saturday, the 4-year-old colt’s final start before going to stud in Oklahoma in 2012. In 2009, Good Reason Sa won his first major stakes in the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity.

On Sunday evening, I Like the Odds won his first futurity in the Los Alamitos Two Million, becoming the one to follow in the major derbys at Ruidoso Downs and Los Alamitos in 2012.

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 10:50

Hollywood Park: Lucky Chappy has fever, won't run in CashCall Futurity

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Lucky Chappy, fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5, contracted a fever on Tuesday and was not sent as planned to California for Saturday’s $750,000 CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park.

Trainer Graham Motion said the fever was detected a day before Lucky Chappy was booked to travel on Sunday.
“He was supposed to ship today and he had a fever of 102 yesterday afternoon,” Motion said on Wednesday. “We couldn’t do it. It’s very frustrating.”

Tue, 12/13/2011 - 16:37

Gulfstream Park: Hansen, O'Prado Again get on track

Tom Keyser
Hansen has resumed training after a short break following his wire-to-wire victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Hansen and Remsen winner O’Prado Again were out on the track for some routine exercise over the weekend.

Trainer Mike Maker said Hansen just started back in training after taking time off following his game wire-to-wire victory over Union Rags in the Juvenile.

Tue, 12/13/2011 - 16:18

Hollywood Park: Balladry gets stakes tryout in optional claimer

Benoit & Associates
Uncle Sam, trained by Bob Baffert, will try to end a winless streak on Thursday at Hollywood Park.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The first half of December has already proven to be a success for Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Stable and trainer Eoin Harty.

Last Saturday, their 2-year-old Out of Bounds won a seven-furlong maiden race at Hollywood Park in a style that suggested the colt is a prospect for the 3-year-old stakes at Santa Anita in 2012.

He may have a 4-year-old stablemate racing at that level in coming months.

Balladry could move closer to his stakes debut, if he runs well in an optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles at Hollywood Park on Thursday.

Tue, 12/13/2011 - 16:17

Hollywood: The Factor a Malibu candidate

Shigeki Kikkawa
The Factor, Martin Garcia up, wins the Pat O'Brien.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The Factor, the winner of the Grade 1 Pat O’Brien Stakes in August but was winless in two important stakes in the fall, is a candidate for the $300,000 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, trainer Bob Baffert said on Tuesday.

The Factor worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Hollywood Park on Monday.

“Right now, he’s right on schedule,” Baffert said. “Right now, he looks good.”

The Factor was fourth in the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes at Santa Anita in October and eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.