Wed, 11/30/2011 - 14:17

Woodbine: Canadian Horse of the Year contender Inglorious enjoys break

Barbara D. Livingston
Inglorious is expected to return to trainer Josie Carroll's barn after Christmas.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Inglorious, who was the toast of the Canadian racing world after capturing the Woodbine Oaks and Queen’s Plate during a three-week span here this spring, has been on the farm for a couple of months now.

“She’s still having a break in Ocala,” said Josie Carroll, who trains Inglorious for the Donver Stable of Vern and Donna Dubinsky. “She’ll probably come over to me at Palm Meadows after Christmas. We’ll start her up and then decide what direction we’re going in.”

Wed, 11/30/2011 - 13:06

Calder: Attfield tries to extend hot hand with Hollinger, Mobilizer in Tropical Turf

Michael Burns
Hollinger (3), narrowly beaten by Stormy Lord in the Labeeb at Woodbine, will try to turn the tables when they are rematched in Friday's Tropical Turf Handicap.

Trainer Roger Attfield, who won a pair of Grade 3 races over the turf, the My Charmer and W.L. McKnight, here at Calder last weekend, will seek to extend his local graded stakes streakwhen he sends out a pair of contenders, Hollinger and Mobilizer, in the Grade 3, $100,000 Tropical Turf on Friday's closing-day program.

Hollinger will attempt to turn the tables on his personal nemesis Stormy Lord, who proved the better of the pair by slim margins earlier this year at Woodbine in both the Ontario Jockey Club and Labeeb stakes.

Wed, 11/30/2011 - 12:48

Calder: Casablanca Smile may be rusty for return appearance in La Prevoyante

Coady Photography/Keeneland
Casablanca Smile, here winning the Dowager at Keeneland, would be among the favorites in the Grade 3 La Prevoyante on Sunday, but may not run.

MIAMI – The 2011 Calder racing season ends one month earlier than usual but will go out with a bang as Friday’s 10-race closing-day program features a pair of Grade 3 stakes on the grass, the $150,000 La Prevoyante and $100,000 Tropical Turf handicaps.

Racing on the south Florida circuit moves across town to Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

Wed, 11/30/2011 - 12:45

Woodbine: Moonshine Mullin fresh for optional claimer

Tom Keyser
Moonshine Mullin returns in an optional claiming race Friday at Woodbine.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Stakes winner Moonshine Mullin returns from a layoff on the final Friday card of the Woodbine meet, in a second-level allowance with a $62,500/60,000-claiming option. He competes without a selling price because of the nonwinners-of-three clause in the conditions of the 1 1/16-mile race.

Tue, 11/29/2011 - 16:30

Hollywood: Tres Borrachos heads Native Diver prospects

Benoit & Associates
Tres Borrachos, with Rafael Bejarano riding, wins the San Diego Handicap.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Tres Borrachos, who finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in his last start, heads the prospective field for the Grade 3, $100,000 Native Diver Handicap at 1 1/8 miles for older horses on Saturday.

Tres Borrachos owns four lifetime wins, three of which have come at Hollywood Park. He is 3 for 12 on the main track here, 1 for 22 in every other situation. His biggest win here came in the Swaps Stakes in 2008.

Tue, 11/29/2011 - 16:13

Zia Park: Thirtyfirststreet, Awesome Bet ship in for Zia Derby

Reed Palmer Photography
Thirtyfirststreet (right), winner of the Lone Star Derby in May, is shipping to Zia Park for the Zia Park Derby.

The fields for the richest Thoroughbred races of the Zia Park meet have been set, with Thirtyfirststreet and Awesome Bet headlining Saturday’s $150,000 Zia Park Derby and Imco Spirit defending his title against shippers Skip a Smile and Matto Mondo in Sunday’s $200,000 Distance Championship.

Zia, the Hobbs, N.M., track that operates a mixed meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, will close its season Sunday.

Thirtyfirststreet, who won the $200,000 Lone Star Derby in May, is invading from Southern California for the Zia Park Derby.

Tue, 11/29/2011 - 15:59

Aqueduct: If you dig deep, there are reasons to like Irish Lion

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The complexion of Thursday’s first-level allowance feature scheduled for a mile over Aqueduct’s inner dirt track could be impacted by whether or not Wednesday’s first-level turf allowance feature was moved to the dirt due to rain.

Five of the nine horses carded for Thursday’s $53,000 allowance race were entered as main-track only starters for Wednesday’s eighth race, which would be run at a mile over the inner should the race come off the turf.

Tue, 11/29/2011 - 15:32

Woodbine: Breeders' Cup winner to invade for Valedictory

Tom Keyser
Afleet Again, with Cornelio Velasquez riding, wins the Breeders' Cup Marathon.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Afleet Again was one of the major upsetters at this year’s Breeders’ Cup, capturing the Grade 2, 1 3/4-mile Grade 2 Marathon at 41-1.

On Sunday, Afleet Again will be looking to double up at Woodbine in the 1 3/4-mile Valedictory, the traditional closing-day feature for 3-year-olds and upward that offers Grade 3 status for the first time and a purse of $150,000.

“We’re packing our bags right now,” said trainer Butch Reid, from his Parx Racing base in Pennsylvania on Tuesday morning.

Tue, 11/29/2011 - 14:59

Gulfstream Park: Pomeroys Pistol taking aim at Sugar Swirl Stakes

Tom Keyser
Pomeroys Pistol is likely to make her first start since the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream Park.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Three members of this year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint lineup, Musical Romance, Her Smile and Pomeroys Pistol, are among the 26 horses nominated to the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl to be run a week from Saturday at Gulfstream Park. This will be the second edition of the six-furlong Sugar Swirl to be decided at Gulfstream in 2011. Sugar Swirl I was won by Tar Heel Mom, another member of this year’s BC Filly and Mare Sprint field, last winter.

Tue, 11/29/2011 - 14:52

Hollywood: Wright, Pender call winning plays

Benoit & Associates
Jeranimo, with Garrett Gomez riding, wins the Citation.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – B.J. Wright’s memory of a star quarterback on a Pop Warner football team he coached years ago paid off with a pair of touchdowns over the weekend, when Wright and that quarterback, better known now as trainer Mike Pender, combined to win the Hollywood Derby with Ultimate Eagle and the Citation Handicap with Jeranimo at Hollywood Park.