Fri, 12/02/2011 - 17:54

Calder: Casablanca Smile wins La Prevoyante in return

Jim Lisa Photos
Casablanca Smile, with Javier Castellano up, returns from a layoff with a victory in the La Prevoyante.

MIAMI - Trainer Shug McGaughey proved once again why he is in the Hall of Fame after bringing Casbalanca Smile back from an 11-month layoff to win the 1 1/2-mile La Prevoyante Handicap on Friday's closing-day program at Calder.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 17:20

Calder: Silver Medallion gets ideal stalking trip in Tropical Turf

Jim Lisa
Javier Castellano guides Silver Medallion to a 1 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap.

MIAMI  -  Silver Medallion, who was on the Kentucky Derby trail earlier this season, continues to give the impression his best days lie ahead on the grass after rallying  to a 1 3/4-length victory over the 9-5 favorite Mr. Ryder in Friday’s $100,000 Tropical Turf Handicap at Calder.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 16:48

Fair Grounds: Jones Zing back on turf in feature

NEW ORLEANS – The trainer Andrew McKeever had a 2011 Fair Grounds meet that felt almost once-in-a-lifetime good. Irish-born McKeever, a 12-percent winner for his career, never had won more than five races during a Fair Grounds meeting, but last season, he went 11-6-7 from just 33 starters. McKeever treated bettors just as well as Fair Grounds treated him, producing a $5.01 return on investment with those runners. And while McKeever’s barn stayed strong from start to finish, he was particularly hot in the early going, winning with 5 of 9 starters between opening day, Nov. 25, and Dec.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 16:33

Aqueduct: Live for Today goes two turns in Damon Runyon

Barbara D. Livingston
Agave Kiss, winning her Oct. 22 debut by 6 1/4 lengths, will have the Grade 1 Prioress as her main 2012 goal.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. − Two-year-olds trained by Bill Mott and Shug McGaughey are entered in Sunday’s $65,000 Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-breds at Aqueduct, but the horse to beat in the race may be trained by Dominick Schettino.

Schettino sends out Live for Today, a son of Mineshaft who should relish the mile-and-70-yard distance of the Damon Runyon, which is being run for the 33rd time. A field of nine was entered for the Damon Runyon, including the Mott-trained Mississippi Duel and the McGaughey-trained Coalition.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 16:24

Hollywood: Killer Graces headed to Starlet

Benoit & Associates
Killer Graces (right) is a close second to Charm the Maker in the Sharp Cat Stakes.

The 2-year-old filly Killer Graces earned a trip to next Saturday’s $250,000 Hollywood Starlet Stakes with a runner-up finish to Charm the Maker in the Sharp Cat Stakes at Hollywood Park on Nov. 13.

For the partnership that owns the two-time stakes winner, an appearance in the Grade 1 Starlet will be an expensive venture. Killer Graces must be supplemented to the Starlet for $10,000 when entries are taken on Wednesday.

“We bought her after the nominations closed,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 16:02

Zia: Dominguez hopes to continue Midas touch in Distance Championship

Coady Photography/Jeff Coady
Imco Spirit completes six furlongs in 1:07.13 to score at 9-1 in the Premiere Cup Handicap.

Trainer Henry Dominguez has never had a better season at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M., with his stable recently surpassing $1 million in earnings at the meet. Sunday, he could significantly add to that amount when he sends out Imco Spirit, Vamoose, and Tiz True in the track’s richest Thoroughbred race, the $200,000 Zia Park Distance Championship.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 15:36

Gulfstream: Cibelli expands into south Florida

Bill Denver/Equiphoto
Jane Cibelli, with racing secretary Mike Dempsey, became first woman to lead the trainer standings at Monmouth Park this year.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jane Cibelli has been a mainstay at Tampa Bay Downs each winter since returning to training on a regular basis 10 years ago. But Cibelli, fresh off her first trainer’s title this past summer at Monmouth Park, is splitting her stable this season, having taken 14 stalls at Gulfstream for the 2011-2012 meeting.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 15:19

Turfway: Top apprentice weighs next spot

Roberto Morales, the leading apprentice rider at the last four meets in Kentucky, is contemplating a move to Oaklawn Park or Aqueduct around the first of the year, according to his agent, Julio Espinoza.

Morales, a 21-year-old native of Puerto Rico, will lose his five-pound apprenticeship in May and would like to take advantage of better purses at Oaklawn or Aqueduct before losing the allowance, said Espinoza.

“We’re playing it by ear, trying to figure where we could do better,” said Espinoza.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 14:57

Hollywood: Versatility a key for City to City in Bayakoa

Benoit & Associates
City to City got a ground-saving trip under Garrett Gomez to edge Medaglia d'Amour in the Grade 2 Palomar Handicap.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. − City to City has won graded stakes on turf at Del Mar and Santa Anita and recorded victories in lesser races on the Tapeta Footings synthetic surface at Golden Gate Fields and the conventional main track at Santa Rosa.

That versatility may work to her advantage when she starts in Sunday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park, her first appearance on that track’s Cushion Track synthetic surface.

A new surface is not a major concern to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who has watched City to City train well at Hollywood Park in recent weeks.

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 14:34

Aqueduct: Inner track specialist Dr. Disco part of tough field in Vodka

Maryland Jockey Club/Jim McCue
Bandbox, Travis Dunkelberger up, wins the Private Terms.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While the 33nd running of the Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-bred 2-year-olds is the traditional feature on Sunday’s nine-race program at Aqueduct, the $60,000 Vodka Stakes for statebred sprinters has the look and feel of a more significant race.

The speedy Dr Disco seeks his first stakes win against a field that includes the returning stakes winner Bandbox and the improving sprinters Pretty Boy Freud and Wee Freudian.