Carlos Guerrero ordinarily shies away from making expensive claims. Of the 36 horses Guerrero, the leading trainer at Parx Racing, has succesfully claimed this season, 26 changed hands for $12,500 or less.
The 4-year-old filly Bahama Bound turned out to be a rare exception to Guerrero’s usual bargain hunting. Guerrero was willing to put up $50,000 on behalf of Farnsworth Stables to take Bahama Bound out of a winning effort at Delaware Park in late August.
Officer Prado closed from last to nail Isn’t He Clever and Mr Bluegrass Music nearing the wire in the $100,000 Clever Trevor for 2-year-olds Friday night at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
The seven-furlong race served as the local prep for the $300,000 Springboard Mile on Dec. 10.
Russell Baze rallied from last with 3-1 third-choice Melanzana to cap a winning pick six of $239,333.60 for three bettors Friday at Golden Gate Fields. After seven consecutive days of carryover, the pick six pool hit $1,059,798 for Friday's wager.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Sunshine Millions, which in its nine previous runnings have matched Florida-breds vs. California-breds on race cards held simultaneously at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita, has been revamped into separate statebred programs for 2012.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After going un-hit Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, Aqueduct’s pick six was finally hit on Friday. There were two winning tickets, one ontrack one offtrack, each worth $246,256.
The winning combination of 1-2-3-4-4-11 included four favorites – I’ve Got Speed ($7.80), Perfect Drive ($2.80), Glacier Bay ($5.80) and Associate ($3.70) - along with Eleni’s Hope ($62) and Selection Sunday ($24.40).
The clincher on Nov. 11, 2011, was Selection Sunday, was No. 11 and went off at odds of 11-1.
The 5-of-6 consolation paid $144.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – New York-sired horses run early and often at Aqueduct on Sunday, with four New York Stallion Series races on tap.
The 2-year-olds run six furlongs for purses of $100,000 in the Fifth Avenue and Great White Way divisions, while 3-year-olds and up go seven furlongs for $75,000 in the Staten Island and Thunder Rumble divisions. The races are restricted to progeny of New York stallions.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Mike Mitchell, who became the all-time leading trainer at Del Mar this summer, has a long way to go for the same record at Hollywood Park. But he is inching closer, despite missing several top runners. A win Thursday by Roman Chic was Mitchell’s 857th at Hollywood; he ranks third behind Bobby Frankel (952) and Charlie Whittingham (859).
Brett Creighton literally raised Humble Smarty, an orphan as a foal who on Sunday will be going for his 16th career win when he starts in the $55,000 Lea County at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M.
The 5 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up also drew Kineticat Yankee, a stakes winner against Quarter Horses at Ruidoso Downs in July, and Jam’n Jackson, who will be seeking his third consecutive win Sunday.
But the horse to beat is Humble Smarty, a 7-year-old gelding who lost his stakes-winning mother, Humble Danzig, at birth.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – A 2-year-old filly making the third start of her career is about to make a big splash in a division that could use a little help.
Charm the Maker will be heavily backed Sunday in the $100,000 Sharp Cat Stakes at Hollywood Park, where she meets five rivals in a 1 1/16-mile race that could propel her to favoritism next month in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Making his second start of the year, Boys At Tosconova got back in the win column in Friday’s third race at Aqueduct, stalking a slow pace set by Hillswick to the stretch, and edging away late to take an allowance sprint for nonwinners-of-three races lifetime by 2 1/2 lengths.
